CMD - Presentation and Marketing Service

Challenge

I was tasked with designing a marketing and presentation system for the CMD sales and account management team. The tools needed to provide an easy way to browse the project portfolio by multiple ordering categories. The tool needed to provide a way to create just-in-time presentations for viewing on a password protected extranet as well as provide a means to download a CD-ROM based demo for events and client drop-off.
 

Solution

The solution was the recommendation to institute archiving and portfolio creation steps within the project process. This provided a means to build a demo or media library to populate the portfolio and presentation system. The next recommendation was the development of a web-based project management, distribution, and presentation systems.
 

Results

The sales and account management and executive management did not anticipate the cost and resources required to build the tool they requested. I provided phased development strategies that allowed for basic functionality at first and as time and budget allowed expanded features and services. This phased recommendation was deemed too expensive and used too much of the company's internal resources.
 

Robert's Thoughts

Such a system required modeling tools for management, distribution, and presentation and as such was a logistical challenge. Because the company did not have a consolidated portfolio or demo system and no files were created in a consistent format for size conducting research and development of the media took first priority. I estimated the time and formats required for the end player, Macromedia Flash. I conducted research and development into first providing an XML controlled presentation player for presenting images and video in a consistent manor. I then conducted research into a web-based media management searching and browsing system that also included generating the XML control files dynamically based on the selected portfolio items. Most of the work was conducted as research and wasn't fit for presentations or ready for actual use. However, the research provided the information I needed to model the system development strategy and provide a development estimate.