BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY
WARD LOVETT ADVERT & PR
About INDEX
INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) is a unique demand-led innovation voucher scheme led that invites Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to apply for a voucher to purchase academic support from one of the 13 Higher Education Institutions in the West Midlands. The project is funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Innovation Vouchers allow SMEs to purchase academic expertise knowledge to develop their innovation and enhance their business.
The Innovation Voucher scheme aims to build links between Universities and SMEs to create a demand led approach to innovation.ABOUT THE BUSINESS: Ward Lovett Advertising & Pr Ltd
Ward Lovett Advertising & Pr Ltd
7 Morston Court
Kingswood Lakeside
Cannock
STAFFORDSHIRE
Main Contact: Clive Reeves
Ward Lovett is not unique in what they do…However they are unique in how they do it.
People have grown the business through the belief that quality people will give quality products and services.
They have a team of experienced professionals offering a range of bespoke services
INNOVATION
Innovation (5) Creative Industries/Digital Media/Software, Media and Communications
THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Ward Lovett are an advertising and PR agency, providing creative, media advertising and media PR services for a range of clients. They bill fees on a time basis and media and production items by marked-up bought in cost. They needed an advanced management system for business admin. Previously they operated with a job book and job sheet system, based on Excel spreadsheets, none of which were integrated with each other, or their SAGE accounts system. They wanted a simple, foolproof way of allocating and re-charging time and costs in a more effective way. Proprietary systems are over complicated and don’t work properly across a cross PC/MAC format. Their combined experience of other advertising and PR agencies informs them that most are managing with either off the shelf solutions that don’t do exactly the best job and cost a fortune, or are, working with a make-do system that’s labor intensive and has some flaws. They worked with a business process/accounting specialist. Streamlining their internal business process has freed up time, make them more effective and perhaps has provide them with a tool that could be refined and licensed to other businesses.
WORK UNDERTAKEN
Gary Preece is a researcher at Aston who worked closely with the directors and employees at Ward Lovett to redesign critical business processes to get the most out of their new IT system. He was closely supported by Dr. Duncan Shaw, Dr. Matthew Hall and Dr. Ane Troger who are staff at Aston Business School in the Operations and Information Management Group.
QUOTE
“It has been important for us, because it has made us think about the issues that we have, and the possible ways to improve our performance. It’s given us a sharper focus on ourselves.We’ll work with HEIs, probably on something completely different though!”, Clive Reeves, Ward Lovett Advert & PR
ABOUT THE HEI: Aston University
Aston University,
Aston Triangle,
Birmingham,
B4 7ET
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC
Dr Duncan Shaw, Operations & Information Management Group, Aston Business School
Duncan Shaw's research interests involve him working closely with organisations to support their decision making. In terms of high impact research projects, these include: requirements engineering for the Scottish Executive; multi-criteria decision making for the Health and Safety Executive; discrete event simulation and emergency response for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; developing a waste management decision making methodology for HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; strategy development for AstraZeneca. In his capacity of Director of the Aston CRISIS Centre (a Centre for Research Into Safety and Security), he is currently the Principal Investigator for a £0.5m project on mass evacuation funded by the European Commission and is also leading a team in their delivery of a £0.75m project on airport security funded by Department for Transport. He has been a facilitator in over 90 strategic planning workshops for the likes of: Mortgage Code Compliance Board; Group 4; Whitbread; Argos Direct. He has a First Class Honours in Management Science and a Ph.D. in group decision making, both from Strathclyde University (Glasgow, U.K.).
Dr Matthew Hall, Lecturer, Operations & Information Management Group
Dr Matthew Hall, Operations & Information Management Group, Aston Business School
Matthew Hall is a Lecturer in Information and Knowledge Management at Aston Business School. His research is about how individuals use information and manage their knowledge in an organisational context. He has a BA in Chinese Studies from the University of Cambridge, MSc in Information and Library Studies from Loughborough University, and a PhD in Knowledge Management from the Open University.
Dr Ane Troger, Lecturer, Operations & Information Management Group
Ane joined the Business School in July 2007. She is a lecturer for undergraduates (BN3369 and BN3374) and post graduates (BNM734/738 and BNM740).
Education
Manchester University, PhD in Computer Science
UFRGS, MSc in Computer Science
UCPel in System Analysis
Research Interests
Web2.0, Web2.0 in Knowledge Management, Social networks, Collaborative work, Collective knowledge, Virtual Organisations and Web2.0 in Virtual Organisations