Designing and implementing the backbone of a communications operation: processes, workflows, and data systems that moved a Communications team at a large US Grocery Retail Group from chaos to clarity, and from reactive to truly strategic.

Communications
Operations Framework

Strategy & Ops

Operations Strategist, Project Lead

My Role

2024 - 2025

Project Timeline

Project, Reporting,
& Creative Systems

Deliverables

About the project

The company’s Communications team was doing important work, but we both knew they could do so much more with some organization and strategy to guide them.

That’s where I came in.

The Challenge

After many years of trying and failing to adhere to any structure, the team was looking for a solution that would stick—something to make their work easier, not more complicated.

Increase team efficiency, output, visibility, and collaboration

Capture and demonstrate the impact of their work

Connect their day-to-day work to department and company goals

01.

02.

03.

To transform the team’s limited systems into a comprehensive, sustainable, and cohesive approach to team operations.

They needed something that would...

The Goal

01.

02.

03.

I built a framework that bridged strategy and execution—combining project management, creative operations, and performance reporting into one cohesive system.

The result was more than just new tools, it was a new way of working. The team traded chaos for clarity, gained shared language and transparent workflows, and started using data to tell a powerful story of their impact, freeing them to focus on what they do best: creating meaningful, strategic communications.

A Communications Operations Framework

The Solution

1. Audit, Interviews, Research

Assessing the team's needs, goals, experiences, and budget to identify the best path forward

2. Strategy Sessions

Facilitating sessions with staff members and leadership to create annual and multi-year department goals

3. Process & System Design

Crafting workflows, project management tools, and processes to meet the team's needs

4. Team Stand-Ups

Standing up internal creative teams to optimize the department's resources and skills

The Process

The project came to life through four core components, each designed to make the team’s work clearer, faster, and more strategic.

The Framework

Project Management Solution

I implemented a customized Monday.com workspace that finally gave the team clarity, visibility, and structure. I secured the platform and built tailored workflows, editorial trackers, dashboards, and templates, then led the team’s onboarding and leadership coaching to make it stick.

The result? A sustainable system that made strategy tangible and day-to-day work easier. The team now plans months ahead, executes campaigns with confidence, and collaborates seamlessly. Other teams are exploring ways to replicate it.

Process Documentation

I mapped out every stream of work: what was working, what wasn’t, and what was slipping through the cracks. From there, I created living guides to standardize methods and bring consistency and ease to the team’s daily operations.

The outcome: fewer bottlenecks, smoother collaboration, and a team that spends less time figuring things out and more time getting great work out the door.

Metrics Reporting System

I built the team’s first-ever metrics reporting framework, defining clear KPIs, creating a custom dashboard, and introducing a monthly reporting cadence that turned data into strategy. I also launched bi-annual impact reports to showcase results to leadership and strengthen the case for additional resources.

Since adoption, internal engagement is up 15%, and social media content now performs over 100% better than industry benchmarks. More importantly, the team went from avoiding metrics to owning them, using data to drive strategy, shape storytelling, and demonstrate its impact.

Creative Operations

I established dedicated design and multimedia teams within the larger Communications function, bringing creative production in-house and saving significant outsourcing costs. These teams now handle everything from social and email assets to print materials, events, and multimedia campaigns.

I built the workflows, defined roles, and implemented a shared filing system that unified years of scattered creative assets. The team gained structure, visibility, and easy access to their own work, turning creative chaos into an organized, efficient operation.