How mature is your content supply chain?

"How are we doing?" can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer when it comes to your content operations. You know how it feels: usually slammed, often constricted by resources or processes, sometimes triumphant when you pull off a really effective campaign despite all that. 

But what you don't know is how much of the tough stuff is just tough, and how much of it could be improved by optimizing your operations. Unless you have experience with a lot of different content supply chains very recently, it's hard to find a benchmark to hold onto and measure yourself against.

That's where WNDYR's Content Supply Chain Assessment comes in. It starts with a free self-driven Online Diagnostic tool. It includes a PDF report that looks at what's working with your current supply chain and recommends where the opportunities are. Then WNDYR's experts will follow up to help you map out the way forward.

As part of the assessment process, we've developed a Maturity Model to define the stages of content supply chain development. Your custom report will go into more specific detail tailored to you. But for a quick read on where you might be, take a look at these five stages and see if anything sounds familiar.

Stage 1: Ad Hoc

Reactive and fragmented. Wing it and hope for the best. Teams are siloed, workflows are inefficient and inconsistent, nobody really knows how well your resources are being utilized or how well your content is performing. Team members spend lots of time on repetitive manual work and re-work. The strategy changes from week to week and month to month, if there's even a strategy at all. Questions about issues are met with an attitude of "we've always done it this way." Stress levels are high, and likely so is turnover.

This stage is all too common. Maybe, maybe this kind of operation could've limped along 10 or 15 years ago. But it's not going to meet the ever-increasing volume of personalized content that today's customers demand.

Stage 2: Emerging

Basic, but developing. Baby steps, baby steps. Leaders have begun to understand the broad outlines of how and why to optimize their operations. Some foundational processes are in place, along with some essential tools. Silo walls have started to come down. Data plays a role in decision-making.

Some missing links in the chain are still keeping this operation from meeting its full potential. Tools aren't integrated and lack automation to streamline work. Teams still struggle with alignment and consistent adoption of process improvements. And data is still too limited to really produce optimal decisions. This content supply chain has its heart in the right place - now it's time to get the rest of the body there, too.

Stage 3: Operational

Fundamentally defined and standardized. Now this machine is starting to hum. Well-defined, repeatable processes and workflows. Teams that understand their roles and responsibilities, and align well with each other. The foundation of a functional tech stack to streamline operations. Assets that are well-managed and organized. Governance structures that keep everything consistent and compliant.

There's still plenty of room for improvement. But missed opportunities are minimized, burnout starts to cool down, and the team is a solid contributor to the organization. This operation is well-poised to take advantage of further improvements in tech integration and automation.

Stage 4: Optimized

Scalable and data-driven. We have liftoff. This is the point where content ROI soars. Sophisticated tech is intelligently integrated, with extensive use of automation to eliminate manual work. Efficient cross-functional collaboration multiplies the effectiveness of highly aligned teams. Scalable workflows are up to the challenge of producing ever-more assets, refined by performance data. 

This is the table-stakes level for any big-league content supply chain today. Content operations are able to both effectively execute a clear high-level strategy at scale, and stay responsive to new insights and opportunities. If this team is still a few pieces away from a playoff run, at least it's in the game.

Stage 5: Transformational

Innovative and industry-leading. These are the champions, my friend: the world-class content supply chains that lift their organizations above their competitors. The organization leverages AI, automation, and advanced analytics to make decisions. Processes and tech are seamlessly integrated, driving collaboration as frictionless as anything involving humans can be. Performance optimization is a continuous element throughout the process.

These are the organizations that competitors and colleagues look at in awe. The places where the top talent wants to work. The content teams that never worry about their place in the organization because they prove their value in undeniable terms every day. They're not just in peak form for today's content race; they're the ones setting the pace.

That could be you. But to know how to get there, you have to know where you're starting from.

Your rise up the rankings starts today

Our free Online Diagnostic looks at every phase of your content supply chain through the lenses of efficiency, scalability, and effectiveness. You'll know exactly where you stack up, based on WNDYR's extensive experience with the current state of the art and emerging innovations. You'll learn what it takes to raise your game. And you'll never wonder "how are we doing?" again.