How FotoSkoda uses Freelo to organize hundreds of workshops, marketing management and communication with external specialists
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Until recently, FotoSkoda was a classic brick-and-mortar store where you could choose almost anything from photographic material to amateur photo equipment to professional “machines” for the best photographers in the industry.
Since the inception in 1991, it has come a long way and in recent years its activities have increasingly included less sales issues. They started to organize exhibitions and workshops, organize a major photo festival and much more. It has to be said that PhotoSkoda clearly stands out above its competitors.
The wide portfolio of events that we organize for our customers and enthusiastic photographers from all over our country requires sophisticated tools. Freelo is clearly one of them.
says Martin Vachata, project manager of FotoSkoda.
Martin Vachata with Martina Susova. Source: private archive fotoskoda.cz
Coordination of internal and external teams
Forwarding information, clear assignments, deadlines, setting responsibilities. All these things need to be ensured within a combined internal and external team. It wasn’t always easy in FotoSkoda. After the amount of emails, phone calls and endless meetings became unbearable, it was time to look for a suitable application.
First we started using Freelo to organize the extensive FotoSkoda Fest, which we hold twice a year and I must say that it fits us incredibly. Our complete marketing team is currently working in the app, including copywriters, product managers, IT colleagues and several other collaborators from other departments.
adds Vachata
We are saving dozens of hours
The organizing of FotoSkoda Fest (a festival which takes place traditionally twice a year in Langhans Palace and lasts one week) takes 3 months. There are X internal and X external specialists working on this project. The festival is made up of dozens of workshops, presentations, exhibitions and discussions, so preparation demands a lot of time and it’s definitely not a bed of roses. Thanks to Freelo and more effective collaboration,we managed to reduce the time of preparations by 90 hours, that is 11 workdays!
Part of the FotoSkoda team in front of the shop. Source: private archive of fotoskoda.cz
Separation of short‑term and long‑term projects
However, we don’t have just one project and today FotoSkoda has based twelve projects in Freelo. Ten of those projects are very active. We always insist on separation of short-term and long-term activities and have a clear set of rules in the application. This makes it easy to keep all teamwork clear. “Festival” types of projects belong to short-term and regular operations and production to long-term ones.
16
projects
54
active users
6.500+
completed tasks
22.000+
comments on tasks
How and for what is FotoSkoda using Freelo?
Place for ideas — any thought does not get lost thanks to a special To-Do list for ideas. Everyone's opinion is welcomed.
Meetings — every meeting is planned and prepared in Freelo in advance. Each team member suggests the things to talk over. All of us are better prepared and the tasks are commented, assigned or closed afterwards.
Instead of e-mail — what can be solved in Freelo cannot be in e-mail. Most of the issues are in Freelo straighway. Everything is in one place, clear and searchable for everyone.
Web update — communication with the agency and task priorities.
Knowledge base — some projects serve as a list of resources. There are budgets, documents and files, lists of webs and other materials attached.
Product launch — introducing the new products is a complicated process. It is saved as a template in Freelo. Involves product data, text design, feedback solution, video shooting, campaign planning etc. Thanks to processes we do not forget anything important.
Employee recruitment — there are many tasks regarding the onboarding of the new team member. From the description of the job position and its advertising to interviews and trainings. The whole process involves about 50 smaller or bigger steps and the personal manager creates them in one click.
Martina Susova using Freelo. Source: private archiv fotoskoda.cz
As soon as I started to work as a marketing manager, I knew that I needed a tool to enter and control work. Freelo is easy to operate, visually nice and cheap. We have been using it for 3 years and we are excited. By the way, how many software vendors do you go for a beer with? :-)
Martina Susova, marketing manager at FotoSkoda.
Samples from Freelo
Important links related to the project are in FotoSkoda so-called Pinned to the project.
Example of To-Do list that helps the team not to forget anything important when launching a new TOP product.
Example of maintenance To-Do list that is regularly checked and sorted. It has a function of context inbox.
What can Freelo do in one click?
Which tasks have I input and are not done?
Which taskt are without deadline or resolver?
Which tasks have been finished by my team last week?
Task discussion — the course of events is held in one place and informations are tracked only by involved colleagues. It is also very easy to search back any important data.
Project templatesProject templates — in case of regularly repeated projects, this is a feature that you will no longer want to work without. You simply take over the structure of the project from the project that you have realized over time.
Job reports — you can easily track the workload of individual team members and plan resources for upcoming tasks and projects.
Practical TIP from FotoSkoda at the end
Lucidity foremost = Keep your tasks in order and try to follow „10 Freelo rules”. If you find more points while using the app, simply add them and share with everyone in team. The workflow will be much better for everyone.