How many times have you been to a conference where vendors outnumbered end users or where vendor representatives hijacked panel topics to satisfy their own agendas? Probably too many times, right? So, you can imagine how refreshing it was to be at an event where end users did almost all the talking. Such was the case at a recent Media Supply Chain Council event in London at the end of May.
The Media Supply Chain Council is a forum designed to let end users speak with end users on topics of relevance to media operations and technology staff. While it is hosted by SDVI, the content is decidedly driven by end-user participation. This year, for the first time, the event was held in London at the offices of ITV, providing a forum for important conversations about the state of media supply chains to a European audience. Participants included technology and operations leaders from Hearst Networks EMEA, ITV, NBCUniversal, Paramount, RTL Germany, Sky, and UKTV.
In a setting where participants were remarkably open and transparent, attendees heard firsthand accounts of technology projects that have had a dramatic business impact. No longer are technology projects the realm of back-office IT organisations. Business transformation is being driven by technology projects that redefine how organiations operate and, in the process, bring disparate silos together.
With transformation as the backdrop, let’s look at some of the big themes that emerged at the Media Supply Chain Council.
Convergence of technology and operations
While not every organisation is merging its technology and operations departments, there’s a clear move to bring them closer together and to remove silos across both departments. In some cases, the roles of technology and operations are converging. As one attendee said, “We don’t have technical teams and operations teams; we have technical operators.” This sentiment was reinforced by another attendee who talked about moving their mindset from what they do in terms of departments to what they do in terms of capabilities. The clear message was that we must not be constrained by existing org structures and roles.
Whether technology and operations departments merge or not, the bidirectional nature of their relationship was clear. Removing operational silos and unifying operational pipelines drives a unification of technology pipelines. In a market for media companies that is dynamic and even chaotic at times, the shared goal is to enable operations to become more agile and responsive. When the technical infrastructure is right, the operations side of the business is empowered to meet any challenge, and as a result, the entire business mentality shifts to “what’s possible.”
Leadership vision
Multiple conversations about transformation and change management focused on the importance of having a clear, well-articulated vision from the most senior management. The value of this vision cannot be understated. Critical to the success of any technology transformation initiative is the leader’s ability to give their team a North Star that guides and inspires — and to stick with this vision through good and bad. But, in an interesting twist, it’s the end of the journey that matters most, not the path by which organisations get there. Few large-scale transformation projects follow a path laid out in advance. Yes, it is important to stick to design principles, but it’s less important if, in the end, the path to transformation is a bit different than originally planned.
Keeping the staff involved
While business transformation projects demand top-down leadership commitment, it is important to obtain that same commitment across all levels of the organisation, including front-line staff. Successful projects build in feedback loops from the broader team, giving everyone across the organisation a means to participate in the transformation project. Surfacing information and visualising it in a way people can understand is critical to building team buy-in. And for those who are resistant to change, understand that resistance can be feedback in disguise. By acknowledging resistance and building visibility into data that shows how operational metrics are changing, organisations can bring teams together in support of the transformation.
Vendors as partners
Transformation projects are most often big and complex undertakings. Success requires close collaboration between multiple departments within an organisation, as well as with third-party technology suppliers that are tasked with delivering the underlying technical infrastructure for a new operating model. Across the board, every speaker at the Media Supply Chain Council reinforced the view that technology vendors must be seen as partners and not simply transactional suppliers.
Large-scale transformation projects will inevitably encounter issues and unforeseen problems, sometimes as a result of overly optimistic end users. A close partnership between supplier and buyer organisations is critical to acknowledging issues, focusing on solutions, and taking ownership for success. As one attendee stated, “We used to look for tools; now we look for solutions and strategic partners.”
Making space for these types of connections and conversations, the Media Supply Chain Council continues to show what’s possible when everyone involved in the work can engage with the vision for transformation. The openness among attendees in sharing their experiences served as a reminder that transformation isn’t just about technology. It’s about collaboration, trust, and a willingness to rethink how we work. With forums like this, we get closer to building the kind of agile, connected, and responsive media organisations that the industry increasingly demands.
