To meet your marketing performance objectives, you need flawless execution—and flawless execution starts with a solid marketing plan built on actionable insights derived from timely and reliable data
Introduction
In today’s ever changing business environment, organizations often face frustrations with technology, including data inconsistencies, integration challenges, and escalating maintenance costs between those various tools. The fragmented tech stacks not only complicate operations but also dilute focus from core business objectives. Adobe has introduced Workfront Planning designed to streamline operations and simplify technology stacks; allowing you to manage the entire marketing supply chain—from strategy and planning to execution and optimization—with precision and efficiency.
The Challenge of Managing Multiple Tools
Managing multiple planning and project management tools often results in a series of headaches: integration issues, data silos, and inconsistencies in reporting. Alternatively, developing your plans in tools like PowerPoint and Excel are easy collaborative programs but lack the end-to-end communication and record keeping of more advanced systems, leading to duplicated efforts and errors. Businesses frequently find themselves trapped in a web of complex integrations and manual data transfers, which not only consumes valuable time but also increases the risk of inaccuracies. For instance, a company juggling separate budgeting, forecasting, and project management tools might experience delays in data updates, making it harder to make timely decisions. These issues underscore the need for a more cohesive and simplified approach to planning.
Why Consolidation is Key
Establishing a marketing system of record requires a single source of truth—where your teams, data, content, tools and workstreams flow seamlessly end-to-end throughout the entire marketing life cycle:
- Streamline operations and reduce overhead
- Simplify and optimize processes
- Reduce system and user management costs (licensing, support & training)
- Improve the accessibility, reliability and timeliness of your data to generate valuable insights
- Eliminate the need for redundant data entry
- Improve operational agility
The result is a data-driven marketing operation that aligns everything and everyone—from strategy and planning through campaign execution and performance optimization. The outcome is the enablement of your marketing teams to make strategic decisions, plan, execute, measure and optimize campaign performance.
Introducing Adobe Workfront Planning
Adobe’s new annual planning tool (Planning) offers a comprehensive suite of features that consolidates budgeting, forecasting, and KPI tracking into a single, intuitive platform. The tool is equipped with an easy-to-use table style database, integrates with Fusion for seamless integration capabilities, and includes a real-time collaboration feature that facilitates smoother operations and enhanced decision-making.
What sets it apart is the ability to create personalized visual views in a user-friendly interface accelerates the user onboarding & enablement activities so all stakeholders can be involved. By centralizing these functions, the tool simplifies your planning processes and delivers actionable insights more efficiently.
Click here to learn more about our review of the Workfront Planning module, what we love about it and some common pitfalls to avoid.
Thinking Outside the Box: Embracing Flexibility
Marketers understand that change happens, and when it does, your success depends on being flexible and adaptable—turning challenges into opportunities.
True marketing excellence goes beyond technology; it’s about empowering people with the right data at the right time to make informed decisions and execute flawlessly. This requires a flexible operational infrastructure that continuously recalibrates itself—keeping your marketing technology, people, and processes in perfect alignment when change happens.
Encourage your team to experiment with new features and workflows that the tool enables. Breaking out of Workfront’s established Portfolio > Program > Project hierarchy allows you to connect records in ways you never could before. Rethinking traditional processes and exploring creative ways to leverage Planning in your business will uncover unique opportunities for you to succeed. As we say, “change happens, let it flow!”
Overcoming a Key Obstacle — Change Management
Consolidating your tech-stack and embracing a new technology is exciting for some (that’s why you’re here, right?), but not for everyone. Resistance to change is a common hurdle when adopting new technology, and your change management is a key to success as you embark on this project. A few ideas to aid in addressing this:
- Communicate the benefits of the new tool clearly and demonstrate how it will improve efficiency and reduce workload.
- Engage key stakeholders early in the process and involve them in decision making to foster buy-in.
- Minimize disruption by planning the transition carefully and providing ample support during the changeover.
- Offer ongoing training and having a responsive support team can help address any issues promptly, ensuring a smoother adoption process and greater acceptance among users.
Stay tuned for our next article where we’ll dive into the eight key steps to consider when transitioning your business from a fragmented marketing operation into a consolidated marketing system of record.
Summary
Establishing Workfront Planning as the foundation of your marketing system of record with a flexible and innovative mindset will elevate your marketing operations as a strategic resource that enables data-driven decision making, streamlined operations and increased visibility throughout the entire marketing life cycle—from strategy and planning through campaign execution and performance optimization.
By connecting and consolidating your technology, data, content, teams and processes, you not only simplify operations but also position your business to be more agile and responsive. Evaluate your current tools (or lack thereof), consider the benefits of Workfront Planning, and take proactive steps to ensure a successful transition.
We would look forward to learning more about your current practices and assisting you through the implementation of Workfront Planning – reach out using our contact form.
About the Author — Daniel Clarke | 3x Adobe Certified
Daniel Clarke is a graphic designer by trade and comes with a strong understanding of the marketing landscape, and the struggles that go with it. He grew his love of process optimization and work management through fumbling with how to be more efficient with his own time, and in turn working to improve processes for every team he worked with. He elevated those skills to run the Workfront operations at the top food distributor in the US for 13 teams and over 8k users. When he isn’t building workflows, he is likely playing pickleball or spending time with his beautiful wife and two daughters.
About EMMsphere
For over 20 years, EMMsphere has supported the marketing teams of some of the world’s largest global brands. Our Managed Services allow clients to focus on marketing strategy and tactics while we support the process automation, data management, and marketing technology needs within their marketing operations.
EMMsphere’s expertise spans three key functional areas:
- Work Management: Keep your marketing teams in sync to maximize collaboration, efficiency, and productivity.
- Content Management: Centralize, manage, and leverage digital assets for consistent, on-brand messaging that engages and retains customers.
- Marketing Financial Management: Maximize marketing ROI with real-time performance insights.
Our integrated, end-to-end advisory, solution, and user services provide the flexibility to choose the services you need, when you need them—whether in the planning phase, implementation, or for ongoing operational support.
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