Client Profile:
The internal ad agency function of a leading financial services company, responsible for direct mail development.

Situation Analysis:
The development of a piece of direct mail took about 80 days from conception to delivery. The duration of the process resulted in offers being made that were outdated by the time the prospective customer received the offer. As a result, product testing and customer acquisition were hampered. Internal lines of business, which were considered to be customers of the Direct Mail production group, threatened to outsource their direct mail projects rather than use the internal function.

Business Objective:
The organization needed to streamline its creative development process.

The Conversant Solution:
Conversant began the project by forming a cross-boundary team to analyze and improve the current processes (there were over 20 different processes in use at the time). Conversant's Conversation Technology was the basis for resolving difficult issues where conflicting priorities complicated the solution. The improvement process yielded tools and templates to reduce the time needed for development and ensured common processes across functions and lines of business.

Results:
Through a series of targeted interventions and working sessions, the Direct Mail group eliminated an average of 36 days from the standard process. This 64% improvement exceeded the expectations of the lines of business, helping them fulfill their business goals for customer acquisition. The work stayed within the company rather than being outsourced.

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