Client: Williams Lea Tag Digital Team
Type: Workflow / UX / Automation Development
Role: Experience Architect, UX designer, and developer

Problem /

The increase of collaboration on banner production among different hubs slows down the production and development process due to unclear versioning and files transferring from server to another server. Every time when we make edits, we duplicate the entire folder as a new version even it’s just one typo. Lots of manual works result in frequent errors. We need to improve the efficiency and better manage assets and code within the current workflow. How will we solve the problem without interrupting the workflow?

Original Workflow

Challenge /

How can we keep the critical steps in the workflow and implement version control and storage server in without slowing down the process? Which part of the process can be automated to replace manual work and reduce errors?

Solution /

Develop the features align with the ticket tracking system and workflow we are using.

– Better version control on code and assets
– Avoid unnecessary duplication of files
– Global Access
– Automation
– Reduce manual works to prevent errors
– Shorten turn around time

We use JIRA to track and manage to tasks and jobs and have Bitbucket connected, However, we didn’t use git and bitbucket for banner production and have another server to storage all the files. Currently, we version job manually and make duplication when the files is changed regardless. We can take advantages of JIRA and Bitbucket integration and tie up with the workflow. Applying git workflow into banner production and hosting the files on Bitbucket. Listening git commit to trigger automation of uploading and updating files to preview server with generated preview pages. New added automation with QA tool to prevent errors and shorten the turnaround time.

[ Exclusion ]

Phase 1
– Tracking code and store files in Bitbucket with global access.
– Implement automation into workflow on JIRA
– Git initialization command
– Display HTML units on preview pages

Phase 2
– Automation on uploading and updating files with generated preview pages.
– Avoid Errors by reducing manual key in
– One click repository setup for Bitbucket Admin
– Spec checker for QA on internal preview page

Phase 3
– Versioning with side by side comparison on preview page
– More Advanced QA tool
– Display different kind of files such as jpg, gif, email and video

Phase 4
– Advanced features for preview page
– Preview page arrangement panel
– Package download manager

Result / 

A workflow integrated with project management systems and servers to expedite the process by preventing errors with automated versioning and uploading files synchronizes the system and global access and make collaboration easier across different hubs in different countries.

Develop team starts production from git initialized repository on Bitbucket server in the JIRA task(issue). Branching out with issue key and start development to keep connecting with JIRA and version control in Bitbucket. Once finish development and commit the files to Bitbucket and trigger automation. It will upload the committed files to preview server and display on the preview page.With git, all code and files are being tracked and version control. Other hubs can easily clone to access all the files. We also develop the internal preview page with spec checker to better quality control, reduce errors and shorten the process. We release Beta Version and ran through three hubs.

More challenges:

The workflow is still in Beta and needs to make sure all the teams had the proper training to fully understand the steps.We are monitoring the process closely to collect test results and feedback.

– Advanced features for preview page
– large files storages
– Preview page arrangement panel
– Package download manager