Video Suppliers, can't live with them, can't live without them (Part 1)

A wise man once said " Communication is the single most important skill in life… 90% of all problems companies experience can be traced back to lack of communication", and by taking these words into account you may realize that the source of all that is evil between suppliers and their customers is the way in which these lovers converse.

Who should wear the pants?
We turn our attention for now on the supplier, in this case a supplier within the media industry. The old saying goes, when you need something done right… do it yourself! The problem with this statement is that it is wrong, but because it comes in the form of an age old institution, too many people still believe it.

The truth is when you need a specialised job done; you call the professionals for help. Ask yourself when the last time was that you stood behind the plumber advising him on unblocking your toilet, or assisted your electrician in the rewiring your home? Very few would tender an affirmative response, if they answered honestly.

Why is it then, that in the media industry this rule doesn't apply, and from the onset many clients feel that they are the inspired genius and, subsequently, the supplier's creative licence is thrown out with the baby and the bath water? I have heard it said that "true quality requires high-quality partners", yet the association between customers and their suppliers seldom take on the form of a partnership. The role of media partner as supplier is a much more complex relationship, if compared to ordering a bag of cement and awaiting delivery.

It’s important to choose experienced professionals as media partners so that you can let them do what they do best without having to baby sit every detail of the process.

Which kind of supplier would you trust?
In the event of choosing a company who takes a passive approach to a media venture, the quality of the production drops dramatically, as these types of companies take a brief as given and do the job exactly to the client's prerequisite concept. In the rare event that they have an original idea, instead of using their own initiative these suppliers feel the need to ask their customer's permission in displaying creativity.

At Sound Idea Productions we take a pro-active approach, and believe in offering our customers only the best solution, by taking their best interests to heart. Instead of following the rules by the book, we apply a certain amount of personal inventiveness, coupled with a long standing knowledge of the medium, to offer our clients a choice in concept and approach to any given project. In addition to this, rather than allowing our customers to become entirely dependent on us as suppliers, we take an active role in empowering them. By developing self maintained web based systems and self updatable multimedia technology we have helped our clients to help themselves. Our goal is to create successful productions, that are used extensively, by enabling our clients to keep their productions fresh and up to date the use of each production is quadrupled.

But, when attempting to maintain a pro-active appeal, it is essential that all facets of the project, from conceptualisation to end product, are met with the same responsibility from the client as the supplier. And at all times the dedication to the job must be shared, as each party has a responsibility to the other, which can be maintained with regular updates and progress reports.

Most suppliers welcome input from their client on technical facts that are crucial to the project's success, as well as suggestions on the overall vision that he/ she has, but a strong team will urge the client to cut the apron strings and let them use their expertise.

Conversations create friends
There is, however, a solution that allows both parties to work together harmoniously. Clean and thorough communication is essential in any media venture, and each party has to understand their role in the process.
Media creation from print ads to video production is a very subjective medium, and everyone from your grandmother to your baby brother has an opinion, nevertheless, the creators of this media have many years of training and experience in the field and are usually more capable of determining the acceptability or even award winning status of the finished product.

By actively engaging in dialogue with suppliers, customers can increase their chances at a successful and rewarding relationship, which in the long run adds up to successful and rewarding projects. And if these communication channels are open, neither supplier, nor customer will have to fight for what could, for all intents and purposes, be a dynamic end result.

10 Tips for choosing and using your supplier

1. You get what you pay for. If you always go for the lowest quote, brace yourself for some difficult times.
2. Big doesn't necessarily mean professional. Do not rely on the size of a company too ensure it's professionalism, as you may get more personalized attention and a better service from the smaller supplier.
3. Experience is a key commodity. Be sure to choose a company with experience in the field.
4. Make sure that the supplier you choose has an established track record, longevity and is considered amongst its peers as a group of professionals.
5. Project management – When planning a job, draw up strict guidelines that you wish to achieve, establish from the start who will be in charge of what tasks, and allow for enough development time, for the job to reach it's full potential. Both customer and supplier need to communicate regularly with reports on the job.
6. Avoid placing the supplier under impossible deadlines and pressure. Allow for a reasonable period for completion, and do not underplay the scope of work on briefing, (in order to get a lower quote) as this may be detrimental to the timeline and development process.
7. Find the kind of supplier with whom you can build up a long term relationship. Occasional imperfections happen, but it is the manner in which these problems are handled that shows the true colours of a supplier.
8. Do not wait until the project is complete before showing it to others who need to sign it off, as many man-hours may have been wasted if they do not have a similar view of the production as you. This may lead to “author's corrections” i.e. making changes to previously sign off phases, which in turn will force the budget to be exceeded.
9. Remember that good clients also make good suppliers, and that good clients get top priority from their suppliers. In order to improve your relationship with your supplier, demand the highest standards but don’t forget to deliver on your side of the deal. (Don’t delay payment just because you can.)
10. A good supplier will appreciate the work you give them, regardless of the size of the project.