Bottlenecks_in_Process

Bottlenecks in Process Based on the data collected in earlier weeks (Data Table 1) and reviewing the overall work flow and process (Flow Chart 1) at my organization, bottlenecks could be potentially caused by three main sources, which include: client, designer, and finally the project contents. The progress of work flow depends on how these three separate parts work together on a given project. Lack of commitment and availability is the main cause contributing to creating bottlenecks in my organization's work flow. For instance, client's lack of responsibility to provide the initial requested material or meeting the pre-scheduled deadlines according the original contract could cause slow-downs at any stage of the project. Hence, each client would be responsible in providing me, the designer, with requested contents and payments on a timely fashion to make sure we both meet the final goal accordingly. Not only feeding me with the appropriate contents in time could remove potential bottlenecks, the accuracy of materials provided is also crucial in moving forward efficiently and effectively during the process. On the other side, there is my personal commitment to the contract to maintain my integrity to design and honesty to client, which in general defines any project's scope, deadlines, routines, expectations, etc. From the moment my clients sign the initial contract, I feel obligated to providing them with excellent service with the fastest turn around regardless of potential challenges. One major bottleneck that could slow down the work flow is my lack of availability or time management miscalculations during the process. Sometimes, technological factors such as internet disconnection, lost or damaged data, server down-times, and similar failures can add unexpected bottlenecks at any given time. Good news, we have many back up systems, recovery methods, and security measures to ensure no project gets stock or slowed down because of the challenges mentioned above. Most clients tend to get picky when it comes to preparing and providing project contents; therefore, searching, presenting, or purchasing contents can slow down the process significantly. For example, searching for images and finding the right ones for a specific section of the web project is a whole separate process in the middle of the main project flow that could potentially take significant amount of time due to its subjective nature. There is almost no real solution to this issue, since clients or even myself as a designer could spend hours looking and searching without any real success in finding the appropriate type of images for the job. At some point critical decision making has to come in action to rescue both parties, or content preparation could take forever. Data Table 1 Factors That Affect the Process Measurable Metrics Client's personality Client's taste (color, vision, design expectations, etc) Client's age Client's budget Domain Name/Hosting Business Name/Logo Dynamic vs Static Conceptual vs Functional Interactivity Medium My Availability Audience Demographic The Size of Project (ranging from small boutique sites to full CMS sites) Online vs Offline Nature of Project Web Technology Trends The Color Trends Money My organization provides 2 types of websites depending on client's budget. 1.Affordable Easier and faster to develop Less creativity The focus is on functionality 1.Luxury Takes longer to produce More conceptual The focus is on user experience Time The time factor decides the depth of a project and the level of creativity and functionality involved Flow Chart 1