Foxtel Group unites brands under one structure, bringing visibility and decision-making

For Australians looking to kick back with a good film or a news event, the Foxtel Group has you covered. From live channels to on-demand libraries, news to sports across Foxtel and streaming brands like Kayo, Binge and Flash. With 4.5 million subscribers, it is one of Australia’s biggest media companies.

Disparate businesses, diverging cultures

But the Foxtel Group didn’t always function as a single unified entity. Several years ago, the group operated as several separate businesses like Foxtel, Streamotion (streaming products such as Kayo, Binge and Flash) and Foxtel Media. When the company decided to bring these brands together under one group, it faced challenges in unifying the operations across the brands. “While some businesses had a well-established culture, others operated in a more creative and dynamic production environment,” explains Mike Nicholls, Group Director of Portfolio Management at Foxtel Group. “These different entities had distinct ways of working and methodologies so merging their operations was quite challenging and required a lot of change management.” The businesses also had distinct governance structures: while some had project-specific funding, others were based on ongoing product roadmaps. This resulted in distinct types of reporting.

These businesses also relied on different software for managing projects. “At one point, there were 30 or 40 different tools being used across the organisation for project and portfolio management. This made it difficult to gather information, track progress, and report effectively, resulting in a lot of duplications and reworking,” Nicholls adds.

The complexities of media production

Finally, due to the high complexity of its projects, Foxtel Group needed to simplify its processes as much as possible. “The business of broadcast television and production is very technology-and logistics-heavy,” shares Nicholls. 

“Imagine having 45 sporting events on a weekend, with crews travelling to several locations. This requires a great deal of logistics, connectivity, and networking.” 

Within each business, Foxtel Group also had various departments and external stakeholders that needed to work closer together. Nicholls continues, “We have teams for marketing, product, billing, customer support, managing our infrastructure, etc. We also have to juggle many partners, suppliers, and locations. This creates a lot of dependencies for internal and external teams.”

So, Foxtel Group had to tread carefully when selecting the right solution for unifying its businesses and teams. “We needed comprehensive portfolio management, and Smartsheet provided a templated and automated solution that made it easy for us to intake work, approve funding, and track project delivery,” recalls Nicholls. Foxtel Group could also track all approvals, audits, and changes properly with Smartsheet. Another key requirement was seamless communication, reporting, and stakeholder engagement capabilities. “One of Smartsheet’s biggest advantages is its ability to create highly usable dashboards for business stakeholders and various project delivery teams. This makes it easy for executives, project managers, and technologists to track different elements of the work in real time,” says Nicholls.

A supportive, accommodating partner

After picking Smartsheet as its solution for unifying its processes and portfolios, Foxtel Group started planning the implementation. It reached out to the Smartsheet team for help. “We wanted to go live in just eight weeks, and we challenged the Smartsheet team to make it happen. They took a deep breath and agreed, and to their credit, they did it,” Nicholls shares. In a series of iterative sprints, Foxtel Group developed the core sheets and structures. 

“It was important to set everything up correctly from the start, and with Smartsheet’s supportive and collaborative crew, it was a huge success. Working closely with the Smartsheet team to co-create the solution will help you define the best approach for your business.”

Soon, Foxtel Group started using Smartsheet for project and portfolio management. Each business unit or portfolio has its dedicated space, enabling each group to manage its program effectively. For instance, the marketing team might collaborate in a single project while the streaming business can have multiple programs for each streaming service. “Each portfolio has its own dashboard, letting us click through and dive into each project. It also integrates governance aspects, such as resource management, financial approvals, and investment tracking—all within one portfolio,“ Nicholls shares. Technology teams still manage projects in the project management software Jira, but each task is mirrored in Smartsheet so that the business can see both the high-level view and the details from start to finish.

Calling for super users

To support adoption across the board, Foxtel Group launched a change management initiative and defined a unified way of working across the organisation. The company also trained key users in each business unit as “super users” who knew the ins and outs of Smartsheet and who would help onboard various teams to Smartsheet. “We gave our super users the authority to decide how they wanted to use the platform while still adhering to our core methodology like quarterly business reviews and value-based tracking,” adds Nicholls. The company also provided broad training to its employees to equip them to use the solution effectively.

The Foxtel Group’s entire team easily embraced the new tool. “Everyone found Smartsheet to be a great solution. They soon started creating their own views or customising their setups. Overall, Smartsheet is much easier to use than our previous systems,” Nicholls notes.

A flexible, engaging platform

For Nicholls, one of Smartsheet’s greatest benefits is its flexibility. Smartsheet views and dashboards can easily be shared with the right teams or even external users. They can also be customised for various uses like team stand-up meetings, quarterly portfolio reviews, or steering committees. “What’s more, Smartsheet setups can be moulded easily. If, for example, we decide to split our broadcast teams or set up a new division, we can easily adjust the portfolio structure in Smartsheet,” Nicholls shares.

According to Nicholls, Smartsheet also provides information in a more compelling manner. “We have actually increased engagement among our team because of the way we communicate data,” he explains. 

“Instead of boring reports, we have real-time product roadmaps that people can engage with. It’s all connected, updated in real time, and fully shareable. We no longer need to repackage the information for a specific audience. We always present everything in an appealing way. This has made a huge impact on alignment across the board and changed the way we work.”

More clarity in decision-making

With well-structured, accessible, centralised information, the entire organisation has gained a helicopter view of its portfolios. “Our progress is fully visible to our executives,” Nicholls remarks. “Everyone in the business recognises the benefits of having everything in one place. For example, the finance team can more clearly see how all the investments are being spent.” This visibility has also given various teams the chance to demonstrate their value.

Having more transparency also lets the Foxtel Group make data-informed decisions. “Smartsheet really facilitates decision-making,” Nicholls shares. Instead of documents circulating around the business, everyone comes prepared with all the necessary information during quarterly meetings. Nicholls adds, “This makes prioritisation and resource planning much more effective, which are key things we want to do moving forward.”

A united, determined team

The Foxtel Group has accomplished its ultimate goal: bringing its teams together. 

“Thanks to Smartsheet, we’re seeing more engagement among various teams like marketing, projects, and product,” Nicholls adds. “This further facilitates decision-making, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see teams unite.”

Looking ahead, Foxtel Group plans to continue focusing on automation to find more areas for improvement. “We’re only a year into our journey, and there’s still much to do, but it’s working brilliantly,” Nicholls concludes. “Smartsheet has created a truly significant impact, and we’re excited to continue evolving and adapting.”