The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
Back to feedPost
Before & After: Cleaning Up an Operations Workflow
This sample highlights how I approach operational cleanup by focusing on what actually changes after documentation and process work is done.
Before:
• Tasks scattered across tools
• Unclear ownership
• Inconsistent updates and handoffs
After:
• Centralized tracking with clear owners
• Standardized notes and reporting
• Lower cognitive load and better follow-through
The goal isn’t more documentation — it’s less friction.
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
Related posts
How we scope Retool projects to avoid budget overruns
Most budget overruns don’t come from development - they come from unclear scope. To avoid this, we focus on structure before building
Define must-have vs nice-to-have:
Separate core workflows from future improvements
Phase delivery:
Ship the essential system first, then expand safely
Early demos:
Validate workflows early to avoid late changes
Clear data model:
Structure data and permissions before adding logic
Good scoping reduces risk, speeds delivery, and keeps expectations aligned
👉 Clear scope protects both sides
Most dashboards fail before they are even built.
Not because of bad charts.
Not because of wrong formulas.
Because the data underneath is structurally broken.
Here’s what I see often in small businesses:
• Dates stored as text
• Multiple columns for the same metric
• Inconsistent naming (Revenue / Sales / Total Sales)
• Manual copy-paste every week
• No clear data flow
Then they ask:
“Why doesn’t this dashboard update properly?”
A dashboard is just a mirror.
If the data structure is messy, the reflection will be distorted.
Before I build any report, I focus on 3 things:
Standardized column logic
Single source of truth
Repeatable data flow (no manual dependency)
Clean structure → Reliable metrics → Better decisions.
If your reporting feels fragile, the issue usually isn’t Excel.
It’s the foundation.
Completely agree. Dashboards amplify whatever foundation they sit on — messy data → misleading clarity. Standardization and single source of truth are massively underrated.
Just launched my Contra profile 👋
I help remote teams stay organised, track work, and keep operations running smoothly through structured admin and workflow support.
Recently added work samples including:
• Workflow & task intake trackers
• Project and priority dashboards
• Content planning pipelines
• Research and lead sourcing workflows
Open to supporting founders and small teams who need reliable admin and operations help.
Trending
maxearnings
The next frontier of payments is live on Contra. How are you maximizing revenue?
micrographics
Micrographics started as utility - barcodes, packaging, instruction labels. How would you use them?
aidesignflow
AI tools are redefining how designer work. What does your workflow look like?
aivideo
AI video tools are moving at warp speed. What tools are you using?
whennotai
As AI accelerates, creative judgment matters more. What part of your work stays human?