IPG: Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Reporting
At IPG, I led the scoping, vendor engagement, and feasibility testing for integrating Artificial Intelligence into the company’s media reporting deliverables. The objective was to automate quality control and reduce production time while maintaining consistent, high-quality business insights and data visualizations. This effort focused on streamlining the reporting process by evaluating three external AI vendors, standardizing output, and alleviating operational bottlenecks across the analytics team.
My Role
Project Manager
Team
Data and Analytics for Client Insights and Solutions
Timeline
Sept 2024 - Jan 2025
My Responsibilities:
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Spearheaded vendor engagement, leading negotiation and quote management across three AI data solution providers.
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Defined implementation requirements through stakeholder interviews and translated business needs into functional specifications.
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Conducted gap analyses to assess current-state inefficiencies compared to proposed AI-enhanced workflows.
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Tracked progress using KPIs, project milestones, and risk assessments to ensure alignment with business goals and data privacy compliance.
Tools and Methodologies Used:
To keep the project organized and data-driven, I used Asana to map out detailed Gantt charts comparing each vendor’s implementation timeline. This allowed us to visually assess risks, dependencies, and speed of deployment.
We applied a Waterfall methodology, which was especially useful in overlaying timelines when presenting implementation plans to senior stakeholders.
I developed project artifacts—including stakeholder alignment decks, risk registers, and vendor evaluation matrices—to help leadership make informed decisions at every step. Recurring stakeholder meetings ensured alignment throughout development, and allowed us to pivot quickly based on evolving needs.
Challenges & Solutions
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One of the biggest challenges we faced was the rigidity of vendor offerings. Most came to the table with out-of-the-box solutions that didn’t fully align with IPG’s unique needs. However, through detailed stakeholder input and clearly documented requirements, we were able to filter out misaligned offerings and focus negotiations on vendors willing to collaborate and customize.The turning point came when one vendor demonstrated a willingness to co-build a solution with us. They didn’t just meet the project’s baseline requirements—they helped us see how other parts of our reporting lifecycle could be improved through automation. Their tool generated PowerPoint decks automatically populated with accurate charts and AI-driven media insights, eliminating several manual steps and streamlining the entire process.
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Another challenge was ensuring data privacy compliance across IPG, our clients, and the AI vendor. I addressed this early by incorporating compliance reviews directly into the project timeline. By involving legal and data privacy teams from the start, we avoided last-minute blockers and maintained trust across all stakeholders.
Key Outcomes & Metrics:
The results of this project exceeded expectations. What once took two weeks to complete was now done in just two days—an 86% improvement in turnaround time. Reports that previously required manual compilation, kickoff meetings, media analysis, and final review were now automatically generated, error-checked, and client-ready in a fraction of the time.
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Beyond the time savings, our negotiations helped unlock additional features from the vendor that weren’t initially scoped, providing even greater value. The final product delivered consistent, data-driven insights, while giving the IPG analytics team more time to focus on strategic tasks rather than repetitive production work.
Lessons Learned:
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This project was a powerful reminder that embracing emerging technologies isn’t just about chasing innovation—it’s about solving real business problems. At first, there was hesitancy around changing a process that had worked for years. But when resources tightened and reporting volumes increased, it became clear that adaptation was necessary.
By staying open to new solutions, engaging the right stakeholders early, and negotiating beyond the standard offering, we transformed a high-effort process into a scalable, intelligent system. It not only served our immediate needs—it positioned the team for long-term success.
Project Artifacts
