How to prevent content ops pain points

Content designers rarely focus on a single project. We often juggle several at once, with requests coming from all directions. These requests are usually part of a larger process, with writing at the centre, from product ideation to market launch.

This means content is often at the centre of everything. Downstream tasks like QA, product launch, and localisation all rely on timely copy sign-off, while upstream tasks like UX/UI or market launches all depend on content being ready.

In practice, however, the workflow is rarely optimised. Gaps in work efficiency, unresolved legacy issues and new blockers are commonplace. If one item is stuck, the whole workflow can come to a grinding halt. When this happens, deadlines are missed, launches are delayed, and chaos ensues, much like a delayed multi-leg flight.

Yet content designers are well-positioned to take proactive steps when content ops issues arise. This guide introduces the Agile Value Stream Mapping (VSM) method—a practical tool that helps clearly identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, streamlines processes, reduces delays, and enhances collaboration across teams, so workflows can be improved efficiently.​

Value Stream Mapping for content ops

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) comes from Agile project management. This lean method uses flowcharts to show each process step, spotlighting waste and inefficiencies to reduce cycle times and improve customer value. It maps the current state of the workflow to see how value adds up and where potential blockers may be.

For instance, if you’re booking a flight to your favourite holiday destination, your value stream mapping would look something like this:

Logging in to the airline website > enter your destination > enter your preferred date and ticket class > page loads > page shows possible dates and flight times > user chooses flight time > page loads > enter personal details > select amenities > choose seats > review travel details > Pay > page checks payment details with bank > authenticated > boarding pass received together with a confirmation email.

In this case, say if customers encounter any blockades, it’s much easier to identify where they happen and how they add up. An overall delay in the booking process may result from the page loading after the search, and another hiccup at the amenities stage may make matters worse for the poor traveller.

Instead of only identifying pain points, a VSM also allows you to simplify the whole value stream and potentially combine different stages. Imagine you need to book your flight, wouldn’t it be nice and time-saving if you could choose your seat and your amenities on the same page, or flight time and dates at the same time?

Hence, if customers hit roadblocks, the VSM helps pinpoint where delays can occur and where project managers can work to mitigate the overall effects by solving bottlenecks and simplifying the workflow.

Identifying our content ops blockers

Now, back to my own experience as a content team leader. Every day, my team receives an avalanche of tasks ranging from ad copywriting and content design to translation and localisation. These tasks would come from a wide range of product owners and local country managers. As a result, keeping the workflow as smooth and delay-free as possible is vital. If anything gets blocked in our content operation, the entire flow is affected.

The process looks roughly like this:

Product owners formulate tasks > product owner fills in ticket > copywriters get involved with UX writing or campaign copywriting > copy gets approved > translation and localisation begin > creative team creates banners based on ad copy > project launch.

Here, I put the handy VSM to good use. I wanted to understand where the work came from, whether it was delivered in the most effective manner, and where the blockers were.

One blocker I immediately identified after listing everything out was that the request form for a copy ticket was way too cumbersome. It contained many unnecessary fields and was very complicated for the user. So, my first step was to streamline the request to make it simpler and more user-friendly (as a UX writer, streamlining products is second nature).

Once that’s complete, I began to have a fairly clear picture of the workflow and the blockers. Next, I noticed long waits between steps, with little communication and everything based on assumptions.

I modified our workflow so that, in the event of any delays, there must be communication from upstream to downstream. While this can’t necessarily eradicate delays, it certainly provides much more clarity.

Solving content ops issues one by one

Drawing on my experience, adopting a proactive mindset can enable a content designer to do more than just write copy. There were three key pain points remaining.

1. First, our workflow software lacked a notification mechanism once a ticket was approved, meaning a significant chunk of lead time was spent waiting for the signal to continue.
2. Second, due to the lack of signalling, copywriters and product owners need to manually approve each piece of work on a Google Sheet form by writing “approved” into a specific cell. This created an extra hurdle and a source of communication breakdown, as neither side receives notification when an approval is given.
3. Third, there was no context given to content designers for any of the tasks, resulting in many avoidable rewards because the motives were unclear.

The VSM allowed me to take action. First, I raised a request with IT to add notifications via our instant messaging systems whenever there’s an approval in our CMS or kanban board. This way, either party will have no ambiguity once a ticket is approved. Also, relying on the automated system eliminates the need to manually approve a ticket via a Google sheet cell, hence removing a key step and obstacle. This was made possible because the notification had already achieved the intended result.

Also, a new rule was implemented: whenever there is a delay in any part of the value stream, the deadline must be extended throughout the value stream. This enables better communication and visibility of workflow stages and where things can get held up.

The more profound move I made was writing a new SOP (link to the other article) that encompasses UX, Product, and content designers, with the key aim of fostering context and communication. This way, we’re able to gradually break the silos and work more closely together, resulting in fewer communication breakdowns and better sharing of ideas, ensuring copy relevance and quality.

Yet, we must remember that VSM isn’t the solution to all content ops blockers. For instance, a major blocker that often results in delays is an unclear or changing product scope. This may be due to the Product team’s internal communication issues, or the business’s needs may be evolving. While the revamped communication and tools may alleviate some issues, the solution may lie with another team, which we can only mitigate the effects.

The VSM is a never-ending journey. As business situations evolve, so will the workload and the issues that accompany it. Agile principles are designed to facilitate continuous improvement through feedback and iteration loops. Perhaps this is why our VSM exercise laid the foundation for our company-wide AI-based workflow revamp.