The More Things Change...

…the more they stay the same.

Yes, I know it’s a well-worn cliché, but there’s usually a factual starting point behind the best ones. Over the years I have been , on occasion, called a technologist, which I have steadfastly denied. Perhaps the title is due to the line of work Conecture is in, namely, digital asset management and product approvals. What I have always clarified is that I am a problem-solver who happens to use technology for parts of the solution.

Having been in the licensing industry for 18+ years, I was involved in the licensing approvals process when 35MM slides and gels were still shipped by DHL to the licensee. We’d get back box after box of artwork designs drawn on paper, which would in turn quickly get covered in a patchwork of post-it notes from various executives trying to get their “suggested” creative changes into the design process. Hours would be spent sorting through the comments, negotiating with various executives on compromises that conflicted with other executives, editing the comments to ensure the licensee actually understood what was requested and then either faxing or mailing back the comments to the licensee. It was a full-time job for several people and the more licensing we did the more staff we’d have to bring on to handle the approvals.

I recall, during four years of working with one colleague, we never saw the actual surface of her desk, because it was piled nearly two feet high with stacks of approval forms, artwork submissions, and post-it notes, all somehow logically ordered and organized into an offline workflow. It took a lot of time to keep things organized and moving along and time was something we always felt was in short supply.

These days, of course, the technology has advanced considerably, online paperless workflows are becoming the norm, and email is a ubiquitous communications tool. However, somehow time still seems to be in short supply when we talk with potential customers early on about what problems we can help them solve with their licensing business…which brings me back to the cliché. What makes both Mediabox applications so important are that they enable people to become more efficient in their daily work lives by automating or eliminating the “busy work”. Our clients and their licensees, using Mediabox, are able to regain that lost time and use it for more meaningful activities and interactions with their colleagues. I have no doubt that ten years from now we’ll still be measuring every feature and function we add to our Mediabox applications with a simple question: “Will it save someone time or improve productivity?”

Written by: Eric Rennagel of Conecture Technologies, LLC