Walstead CE 3c's consultancy

hough Walstead are passionate experts in print, many don’t realise that our

expertise goes far beyond this crucial industry. Thanks to a successful

partnership with our sister company Rhapsody, a leading creative and media

production agency, we are able to offer a wide range of solutions to suit every business. Since 1980, Walstead and Rhapsody have been helping clients work smarter and deliver their production more efficiently, offering end-to-end solutions including pre-press, digital and video. Over the coming weeks we’ll present an overview of services which come under the Walstead and Rhapsody umbrella, which handily fall within the three Cs: consultancy, creative and content production.

In this article we’ll be focusing on the consultancy services that Walstead and Rhapsody can offer your business. Consultancy can strike fear into the hearts of many a business leader, but think of it as a health check for your company that can offer huge benefits. For years, many businesses have retained certain ways of working that are no longer fit for purpose, simply because that’s ‘how it’s always been’. However, sometimes all it takes is for a neutral external observer to conduct an internal review and simpler, more streamlined solutions become obvious.

Walstead and Rhapsody have a series of workflow and technology solutions that can help brands save time - and money, typically offering clients cost savings of between 20%-27% across the term of the contract. Check out our case studies for examples of the kind of time and cost efficiencies we can offer.

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The consultancy process begins with the Discovery phase. Walstead and Rhapsody senior staff meet with your business’ key stakeholders to discuss the inner workings of your company, focusing on three main areas: people, processes and technology. During these conversations we discuss your company’s pain points, schedules, timelines, technology and team.

We get to know your team and gain an understanding of each person’s role. We also look at ways to improve the flow of communication from the top down and from the bottom up.

People

Next we analyse your processes, taking an in-depth look at your time to market by mapping out your workflow in detail across all departments. Workflows of any third party suppliers are also taken into consideration. We conduct a thorough check for inconsistencies, repetition and unnecessary costs, identifying ineffective or redundant processes and replacing them with optimised solutions.

Processes

In the digital age, it’s essential for your business to have effective technological solutions in place - your brand’s future success depends on it. Many businesses favour hiring additional staff to fix productivity problems, when automating processes might be a faster and more cost effective solution. Walstead and Rhapsody boast many cutting-edge programs, including its bespoke Engine workflow management system, which has helped many of its clients reduce time to market and streamline processes. We also work with Ceros to produce digital experiences for its clients. Ceros software does not require coding or development at the back-end, making it a fast and cost-effective way of getting content to market.

Once our team has conducted an in depth analysis of your business, we create a data-driven proposal that demonstrates how your Current Operating Model can evolve into your Target Operating Model, incorporating optimised workflows and processes. We will make suggestions about which of our technology solutions would most benefit your brand and suggest how our global production hubs could support you, while saving your business time and money.

Tailored Solutions

Our practical, customised solutions will transform your business, making it more efficient, streamlined and ultimately more profitable. We will also help oversee the transition and assist with change management to ensure your team is comfortable and productivity isn’t affected. We will help to future-proof your company, ensuring years of subsequent success.

Walstead and Rhapsody have provided consultancy services to businesses including TI Media, Immediate Media, Global Blue and N Brown, to name just a few.

For Immediate Media, we provided improvements to the reprographics team, workflow and associated technology, generating cost savings of 26%.

Global Blue utilised our creative and production teams to produce it’s high end international shopping guides, generating cost savings of 20%. Key staff were brought under the Walstead and Rhapsody umbrella in order to ensure the high-end tone of the publication was retained.

Walstead and Rhapsody recently took over creative content management across all N Brown brands and looked for efficiencies in their production across print and digital. By utilising our global production hubs and in-house copywriting team, Walstead and Rhapsody were able to improve time to market and provide N Brown with a 30% cost saving.

Could your business benefit from a check-up? Book a call with Walstead CE today to discuss your needs and find out how our consultancy services can make your business more efficient, streamlined and profitable.