The Vendor Drain: How Poor Communication is Eating Your Time & Profit
In this session, you'll learn how to master the operational and vendor management side of your design business with Studio Designer.
Running a design business is often a delicate balancing act between creativity and chaos, but with the right tools and strategies in place, it doesn’t have to be. This conversation will transform how you approach vendor relationships, procurement, and project management, offering clear, actionable advice that top-tier firms use to stay organized, profitable, and efficient.
Julia Nikishina, Founder of New Age Financial Consulting, and Anthony, Studio Designer expert, bring their years of experience to this in-depth discussion. They don’t hold back, offering no-nonsense advice on how to leverage Studio Designer to streamline workflows, keep vendors on track, and ensure smooth communication across teams.
Inside this session, you’ll learn the tried-and-true methods that high-performing design firms use to stay ahead:
Mastering Vendor Management and Documentation
The key to smooth operations starts with your vendor relationships. Learn how top firms leverage Studio Designer’s document management features to keep all vendor communications, quotes, drawings, and receipts in one place. With hyperlinking tools and the “visible to vendor” feature, you’ll never scramble for paperwork again. You’ll also discover how to use customizable fields and notes to track vendor information for easy access at any stage of your project.
Vendor Communication That Works
Effective communication with vendors is critical to preventing project delays. Julia and Anthony dive into how you can use Studio Designer to email vendors directly, track whether they’ve opened your messages, and ensure all the right documents are attached. Tracking history in Studio Designer allows you to see when emails were sent, who sent them, and whether they were opened, giving you transparency every step of the way.
Efficient Expediting and Delivery Tracking
Tracking deliveries and updates is easier than ever with expediting codes in Studio Designer. Learn how to manage your items by tracking received, shipped, and delivered statuses, using a consistent set of codes across your team. Discover the best practices for setting up client-facing expediting reports, ensuring your clients are always in the loop, and avoiding surprises at the project’s finish line. Anthony explains why a well-structured expediting report is invaluable for both internal use and vendor communication.
Using Studio Designer for Better Data Management
Studio Designer is only as effective as the data you input, and Julia and Anthony share their tips for maximizing this tool’s capabilities. With powerful filtering options, date views, and customized expediting reports, you’ll learn how to pull meaningful insights from your data quickly. Whether you’re tracking vendor acknowledgments or project deadlines, you’ll see how using the right fields and setting up custom filters allows your team to work more efficiently.
Unlocking the Power of Reports
You’ll discover how to generate meaningful reports that reflect your project’s progress and help keep your team aligned. Anthony walks you through creating custom reports that show exactly what you need, whether it’s inventory tracking, invoice statuses, or delivery schedules, and explains why regular reporting is essential for keeping everyone on the same page. Plus, you’ll learn how to merge data fields and visualize key milestones that lead to better decision-making.
The Secret to Stronger Client Relationships
Client relationships can thrive when clear expectations and organized communication are prioritized. This session reveals how top firms use Studio Designer’s client-facing reports to keep clients informed without overwhelming them. Learn how to balance your internal expediting reports with client-friendly communication to stay transparent, especially when delays or issues arise. Clear, professional reporting ensures your clients stay happy while you manage the project from behind the scenes.
The Role of Bulk Updates and Automation
Efficiency is key, and Julia and Anthony break down how bulk updates can save you time when entering repetitive data. Whether it’s updating multiple items with the same warehouse receipt number or attaching documents across multiple items, you’ll see how these updates can streamline your workflow. You’ll also hear about the future potential of bulk updates in Studio Designer and how you can submit feature requests to improve your experience.
The Strategic Power of Studio Designer’s Features
From hyperlinking vendor documentation to tracking email history, Studio Designer offers powerful tools for firms to keep their projects running smoothly. Anthony emphasizes how consistent data entry across your team is the foundation of effective reporting and tracking. By committing to a set of uniform codes, fields, and reports, your team will gain clarity and control over every aspect of your projects.
Systematizing Success: Scaling with Studio Designer
Learn how to scale your operations without burning out. Julia and Anthony explain why systems and data-driven decision-making should be your focus, not just hustle. Discover why firms that invest time in setting up automated processes, such as creating customized expediting reports and assigning codes to each item, set themselves up for smoother, more predictable growth.
Get Ahead with Feature Feedback
Studio Designer is always evolving, and user feedback plays a huge role in shaping future updates. Julia and Anthony discuss the importance of submitting feature requests and how they’re handled by the Studio Designer team. By sharing insights on common requests, like bulk updates for warehouse receipt numbers, you can help make the platform even more powerful for everyone.
This session is a must-watch for any designer, project manager, or firm leader looking to improve operations, streamline vendor management, and enhance project delivery.
Whether you’re looking to optimize your workflows, track deliveries more efficiently, or foster stronger vendor and client relationships, you’ll walk away with a set of actionable tools and strategies to strengthen your business operations and boost your team's productivity.
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In this session, Julia and Anthony walk us through some powerful tips and tools for managing vendor relationships, procurement processes, and project management—using Studio Designer. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the complexity of managing projects, vendors, and timelines, this conversation is going to help simplify it all. They share practical, real-world strategies that you can implement right away to make your operations more efficient and your workflow smoother.
First things first, let’s talk about vendor profiles. One of the most important things you can do for your business is to keep your vendor details updated and accurate. This includes trade account logins, payment terms, and all relevant documentation. Storing these details in Studio Designer isn’t just convenient—it can be a lifesaver during audits or client communications. You want all your vendor docs, like quotes, drawings, and credit card authorizations, linked directly to your purchase orders (POs). This way, everything is in one place and easy to access when you need it most.
When it comes to vendor communication, Studio Designer has you covered. You can email your vendors directly through the platform and track whether they’ve received or opened your messages. This transparency is a game changer. Julia and Anthony emphasize how crucial it is to use Studio’s History tab, which shows exactly when emails were sent and who sent them. This is especially helpful when discrepancies arise, as you’ll always have a clear record. You can even set up preset messages for proposals, quotes, or invoices, which makes your workflow more efficient and saves you time.
A major perk of using Studio Designer is that storage is free. So, take advantage of that and upload as many images and documents as needed. Whether it’s vendor paperwork, project details, or invoices, it’s all safe in the system.
Now, let’s talk about expediting and tracking deliveries. This is where things get really practical. Studio Designer allows you to track the status of each order using expediting codes—think "order acknowledged," "estimated ship," "received," and "delivered." Julia and Anthony recommend breaking these codes down into internal, client-facing, and vendor-facing reports to keep everything organized. It’s important that everyone on your team is using these codes consistently, so your reports are clear and actionable.
The warehouse receipt number is especially valuable here. If you’re working with a receiver, this number helps you track exactly when items are received at the warehouse. You can even add this number to your expediting reports to give your team a clear picture of where each item stands. And when it comes to expediting reports, don’t just rely on the default reports—take the time to customize them. Filtering by different dates and statuses will help you track everything from shipping delays to installation timelines. The more consistent you are with filling out key fields like "received" and "delivered," the more useful your reports will be in the long run.
Efficiency is key, so don’t forget about bulk updates. When you need to update multiple items at once, like adding vendor documentation for an entire PO, Studio Designer lets you do this in bulk. This saves you a ton of time and keeps your workflow moving smoothly. Another handy feature is color statuses. These are a great way to visually track your project’s progress. You can use them alongside your codes to indicate different stages of the project, like approval status or delivery readiness. However, one thing to keep in mind is that colors can’t yet be reordered, which has been a common request. Still, the tool is valuable for categorizing tasks and staying organized.
When it comes to client-facing reports, the goal is to keep your clients in the loop without overwhelming them. Using expediting reports, you can show clients exactly where their project stands, from delivery schedules to installation updates. It's all about clear, transparent communication. And don’t forget about accounting reports—these can help ensure that your client balance is clean before deliveries happen, reducing the risk of payment issues down the line.
Now, let’s talk about feature updates and user feedback. Studio Designer is always evolving, and Julia and Anthony encourage users to submit support tickets for feature requests. For example, one suggestion that came up was the ability to do bulk updates for warehouse receipt numbers. If a feature is widely requested, the development team takes it into account for future updates. They prioritize requests based on demand and feasibility, so the more feedback they get, the better the system becomes for everyone.
Throughout the conversation, it’s clear that communication is everything. Having all your vendor information, emails, and project details in one place makes it so much easier for designers, project managers, and accounting teams to stay aligned. Studio Designer gives you a central hub where everyone can access what they need without wasting time searching through endless emails or documents.
Finally, let’s talk about data management. One of the biggest takeaways from this session is the importance of consistent data entry. The more consistently you enter your information into Studio Designer, the more valuable the system becomes for generating reports and tracking project status. Whether you’re using filters to segment data, customizing reports, or using codes to categorize tasks, the key is to keep everything organized and accessible. And as Studio Designer evolves, so do the features. If something could be better, speak up! Your feedback helps shape the platform.
In summary, this conversation covered a lot of ground, but the main themes are all about organizing vendor relationships, streamlining project management, and maximizing efficiency. By leveraging tools like expediting codes, color statuses, bulk updates, and custom reports, you can optimize your procurement processes and improve communication across your team. This isn’t just about keeping things running smoothly today; it’s about setting your firm up for sustainable growth tomorrow.
