Brooks McFadden
Team File Management Analysis & Implementation
Analyzed team’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding file management and asset record keeping.
Project Details
SERVICE
Internal process analysis
YEAR
2025
TOOLS
Wrike (Work Management Software)
Overview
I led the effort to close a gap in our team’s project close-out process (file storage and asset record-keeping) by introducing an automated checklist in Wrike, our work management software, and standardizing file documentation. Projects can no longer be marked complete without stored files and a complete asset record. As a result, source files are easy to find, updated assets meet audit standards for publishing, and the team spends less time searching for, duplicating, and reworking training materials.
Objective
Identify why team members fail to meet expectations for project file management and propose how to bridge the gap.
Group Discussion
Facilitated calls to ask about obstacles that team members, known as designers, faced regarding asset record-keeping and file management. Their responses included the following:
Storage timing: Designers worked from local networks because design programs ran best there, so files were organized at the end of a project rather than throughout.
Definition of “complete”: A project was considered done once the published course link went to stakeholders, so designers moved straight to the next project without finishing file management.
No enforcement: Other development phases had milestone approvals (manager, stakeholder, quality reviews), but file management had no review step, gatekeeper, or automation.
Process confusion: Designers had trouble remembering every required step and found conflicting details across the process documentation.
Analysis
Background:
Published items are required to undergo an annual review by Subject Matter Experts SMEs. SMEs complete annual reviews on published learning materials to evaluate content accuracy, updates, and necessity. While we could find the published location of assets (i.e., LMS or knowledge repository), in several instances it was reported that courses were missing source files, recorded source file location details, and other key information that should have been captured in the team’s asset record-keeping system. Due to the repeated nature of this issue, I requested approval from my managers to further investigate and propose possible solutions.
Research Methods:
Informational Interviews:
High Performer: A designer known for strong file management and asset record-keeping shared what worked and what didn’t for tracking assets. She wanted an automated reminder after course publication to move files to the correct storage location and update the asset record-keeping system.
Manager: The designers’ manager noted that designers needed reminders to move files and update asset records, and generally wouldn’t do it on their own.
Design
Based on the information gathered, the learning gap was less about knowledge, skill and/or attitude and more about the environment, so I proposed we update existing documentation and processes, which included the following:
Update course development process documentation with the following changes:
Updated definition of “complete” for courses.
Added a “close-out” checklist to ensure team members had a quick reference for required file storage and asset record-keeping guidelines.
Created a multimedia folder structure infographic/table to help designers identify where and how to store applicable project files.
Updated definitions in the asset record-keeping document to address confusion about file details.
Work Management Software - Automation and Project Status:
An automation in work management software to remind team members about file storage and asset-record-keeping guidelines.
Update work management software project statuses to include a step prior to “Complete” that would trigger the automation.
Old Project Phases/Statuses
1
Storyboard Draft
Work on scripting, storyboard and other supporting materials (i.e., assessment answer keys). Requires quality review and stakeholder approval.
2
Functional Draft
Convert materials into a functional draft (i.e., elearning course, video). Requires quality review and stakeholder approval.
3
Approval & Completion
Publish material(s) in LMS and share final product with stakeholders.
New Project Phases/Statuses
1
Storyboard Draft
Work on scripting, storyboard and other supporting materials (i.e., assessment answer keys). Requires quality review and stakeholder approval.
2
Functional Draft
Convert materials into a functional draft (i.e., elearning course, video). Requires quality review and stakeholder approval.
3
LMS Upload (NEW)
Publish material(s) to LMS followed by completing checklist (file storage and asset record updates).
4
Completion
Share final product with stakeholders.
Development
Automation:
Within a couple of weeks, the team manager and work management software admin added a new project status option* to match each phase, with LMS Upload to triggering the automated file management reminder
Storyboard Draft
Functional Draft
*LMS Upload (triggers automated file management reminder)
Complete
Project Status (LMS Upload) Selected
After a functional draft is approved for publication in the company LMS, the designer updates the project status to LMS Upload.