6 Personas of a Successful Creative Agency: Traffic Manager

Here at Function Point (FP), we are constantly working with creative firms, advertising agencies and digital agencies to define internal processes and workflow management better using our agency software. In doing this, we have come up with 6 personas that interact with the typical creative agency.

Helping these people work more efficiently and effectively together ultimately helps the agency become more profitable.

The 6 Personas:

1. New Business
2. Creative
3. Client Services
4. Traffic Manager
5. Accountant
6. Owner

In this article, we will explore the role of a traffic manager in a creative agency, the qualities that make them successful, the benefits they bring to your business, and how you can find one.

Traffic Manager

Job Description of a Traffic Manager

The primary duties of an Agency Traffic Manager sometimes called a Production Manager, is to work as a go-between that connects account executives to other departments within the ad agency that produce the products the account executive sells. They work closely with project managers, account executives, and creative teams to ensure everyone is on the same page and that projects progress smoothly.

A traffic manager creates and maintains project timelines and ensures on-time deliverables. This includes setting a schedule of deadlines for the completion of a job and assigning workers to each necessary step in the process. The Traffic Manager then checks on the project’s progress, communicating with the account executive as needed.

In addition, a traffic manager plays a crucial role in resource management. They need to ensure that the team is adequately staffed and assign tasks accordingly to the capabilities of each team member. By allocating the right resources at the right time and right place, they ensure that the project is delivered to the highest standard within the adhered budget and time. 

The traffic manager role is generally considered to be the FP Prime or main point of contact for FP training and communication. Thinking of a Project Manager? Check out our blog post on the difference between a Project Manager and a Traffic Manager.

A Typical Day / Traffic Manager Responsibilities

Below are the daily tasks of a traffic manager in a creative agency:

• Assign tasks and check the statuses of outstanding tasks
• Conduct a daily morning meeting to go over items/tasks assigned and due for the day and determine if there are any roadblocks
• Communicate any issues with the team and Account Executive
• Conduct weekly job status meetings to gather and share information with Account Executives and the rest of the team
• Initiate new jobs for the client and create timelines and tasks for the work to be done (future planning)
• Review the timeline with the Account Executive to get client approval
• Submit jobs to accounting for invoicing when appropriate
• Monitor project budgets and address any potential overages 
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors to ensure that they are meeting timelines and requirements
• Manage project-related documentation, including contracts, change orders, and status reports
• Identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate those risks
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with clients 
• Develop and implement process improvements to boost project efficiency

A Typical Interaction with FP

• Uses Function Point to create estimates, timelines, and tasks
• Uses Function Point to track the status of these estimates, timelines, and tasks
• Uses Function Point to ensure that the work is being completed on schedule and within budget
• Uses Function Point to gather appropriate task, expense and timesheet reports ensuring jobs are being completed and invoiced correctly

Accurately Measure Time and Resources in Your Agency

Learn how to avoid project delays and cost overruns by mastering time and resource management

A Perfect Day

For a traffic manager, a perfect day means everything goes smoothly as planned. That’s the day when they can effectively manage resources, workflows, and timelines without any unexpected setbacks. Here’re 2 main aspects that a traffic manager wants for a day:

• Both staff and clients are happy, and tasks and jobs are either on or ahead of schedule and on budget. It involves monitoring project progress, assigning tasks to team members, and communicating with account executives and clients, all going according to plan.
• Managing the processes and not individual people. On a perfect day, a traffic manager should be able to review their processes and identify spots for improvement without getting bogged down in the details of individual tasks or people.

Benefits of Having a Traffic Manager in a Creative Agency

A traffic manager can bring numerous benefits to your agency:

• Improve workflow efficiency and project management. A good traffic manager can manage timelines and resources effectively, thus ensuring projects are finished on time and within budget. 
• Reduce errors and miscommunications. Traffic managers act as central contact points for all stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Hence, you can remove misunderstandings and mistakes, leading to a smoother workflow and collaboration.
• Effectively utilize resources and manage time. A traffic manager ensures the right people are working on the right tasks at the right time, thus minimizing idle time and increasing productivity. 

With the above benefits, having a trusted traffic manager can improve client satisfaction and retention, as clients prefer to work with agencies that deliver high-quality work on time. This ultimately leads to increased profitability and reputation for your agency.

Benefits of Having a Traffic Manager in a Creative Agency

A traffic manager can bring numerous benefits to your agency:

• Improve workflow efficiency and project management. A good traffic manager can manage timelines and resources effectively, thus ensuring projects are finished on time and within budget. 
• Reduce errors and miscommunications. Traffic managers act as central contact points for all stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Hence, you can remove misunderstandings and mistakes, leading to a smoother workflow and collaboration.
• Effectively utilize resources and manage time. A traffic manager ensures the right people are working on the right tasks at the right time, thus minimizing idle time and increasing productivity. 

With the above benefits, having a trusted traffic manager can improve client satisfaction and retention, as clients prefer to work with agencies that deliver high-quality work on time. This ultimately leads to increased profitability and reputation for your agency.

Top of Mind Issues Traffic Manager Deals With

The role of traffic manager can be tough to keep the wheel running for an agency. Here’re the top challenges that every traffic manager needs to handle:

• Balance between demands and priorities. Traffic managers need to control different projects simultaneously, each with their own requirements and deadlines. Therefore, they must make tasking efficient and not overbearing by knowing which tasks to prioritize and managing their time efficiently. 
• Communicate with different personalities and work styles. Traffic managers need to collaborate with multiple teams and adjust their communication styles to exchange information best for each person. 
• Keep staff happy and keep the tasks on schedule. A traffic manager needs to ensure workflow is efficient and the right stuff is getting done by the right people. This involves regularly checking with your team on project status, assigning appropriate tasks for individuals, and supporting them when needed.
• Keep up with changing technologies and tools. Since the creative industry is constantly evolving with new technologies, traffic managers need to understand the impact of these changes and adapt their work accordingly.

Finding the Right Traffic Manager for Your Agency

As an agency owner, investing in a traffic manager is a smart business decision to help your agency operate more efficiently, as well as improve client satisfaction and loyalty. 

To effectively screen and interview candidates for this position, you should combine behavioral interview questions and skills assessments. Behavioral interview questions gauge how the person has performed in the past, while skills assessments determine their knowledge and proficiency.

There’re many skills and qualities needed for a person to become a successful traffic manager. You should look for a traffic manager with these traits:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Be an excellent communicator, both written and verbal
• Can work under pressure
• Understand the creative processes and project management methodologies
• Able to anticipate potential roadblocks and be proactive in finding solutions
• Can work collaboratively with different teams and personalities to ensure satisfactory project outcomes. 

Once you have identified the right candidate, let’s onboard and integrate them into your team. In this step, you introduce them to your agency’s processes and tools and set clear expectations for their role and responsibilities.

Tools and Software for Traffic Management

Traffic managers rely on a variety of tools and software to effectively manage workflows, timelines, and resources. Here’re some popular options to help you improve your traffic management:

• Project management software is a great way to streamline workflows and keep all project-related tasks and communication in one place. This tool lets you track progress, appoint tasks, and easily collaborate with your team.
• A resource planning tool is also essential for traffic managers. It helps you track employees’ time, allocate resources and manage budgets, ensuring you have the necessary resources to complete projects successfully.

When selecting and implementing tools for traffic management, it’s essential to consider your agency’s unique needs and requirements. Additionally, consider the learning curve associated with the tools and provide sufficient training for your team members. With the right tools and proper training, you can leverage your traffic management and bring your projects to success.

Let us know if you have any comments or think we’ve missed something from the traffic manager job description. We love working with people by helping with both the software requirements to make working together easier and developing efficient workflows. FP is here to help creatives run a profitable business! Want to see what Function Point can do for you? Get in touch today.

Next up: Accountant.

This article was written by former Function Point employee, Tate Lillies.