Project Management in the Virtual World of 2020

One of Bay Cities core beliefs is Continuous Improvement. In the spirit of that creed, this year we took a step back and looked at our processes to determine what we could do better to ensure our clients’ success. We were already equipped to quickly move in the virtual world prior to COVID – 19 hitting Bay Cities because all our processes are all paperless and web based. We rapidly realized that we were in a great position to work from home. We are proud that we did not disrupt our customers’ essential business and that Bay Cities safely met our consumers’ needs. Through familiarization, lessons learned and trial by fire we worked to streamline our several processes. Knowing our customers business model, deep data dives, implementation of innovative tools and passion for our product is what helped get us here. Whether it was the launch of Web Center, our creative designs, the implementation of different timelines or new First Article process…We Own Our Processes. 

WebCenter is a new state of the art tool that we began using summer of 2020 to help us track every step of every project. It is being developed from the ground up. WebCenter is based on the needs of customers and internal processes. It has helped us streamline, increasing our speed to market and making us a valuable resource for our clients.  This year, we overhauled the overall design of our timeline so it is easier to understand. Our Time in Action calendar is a binding document between us and our clients that houses all the deliverables and timelines associated with the project, so that we have a successful program. It ensures we hit all milestones on schedule. Our timelines provide transparent accountability regarding the requirements that must be met not just by Bay Cities, but by the customer and the retailer as well. We take the responsibility of our designs seriously. We are also passionate about our designs! We use graphics, colors, and designs that are trending in our clients’ specialized market. We utilize visual merchandising principles to guide the customers’ eyes to view the overall display. To encourage the eye to look at the products inside the displays and to make them want to reach out and touch it. We produce creative, inspirational trend board designs that can be presented for feedback and collaboration on the design components of the program.

First Article is a beneficial process that allows us to do a deep dive and a quality check prior to production. We have always created one display and packed it, took images, then presented them to the buyer for final approval before moving forward. This year, we took it to another level. We ensure that the structural designer, the graphic designer, and the PM approve the displays. A lot of effort goes into First Articles to ensure standards are met and/or issues are found and reconciled prior to production. Project Managers work hand in hand with the Supply Chain Managers to ensure all project details are captured, as well as inbound products and outbound displays. By implementing these processes of double checking along each portion of a program, we ensure the highest level of accountability and Quality Control.

This year we also initiated a video First Article process, where the display is reviewed internally with the PM, the designer. the pack out team and then with our client! This process includes counting all product pieces by hand, approving assembly and graphics according to final designs. We provide copies to the client upon request too.