Sony Pictures Imageworks stays on the bleeding edge of productivity and collaboration through adopting Google Workspace with support from partner SADA.
Sony Pictures Imageworks is a global leader in the field of animation and visual effects and has created stunning sequences for more than 100 live-action and animated productions over its 28-year history.
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United States - Canada
Sony Pictures Imageworks stays on the bleeding edge of productivity and collaboration through adopting Google Workspace with support from partner SADA.
Google Workspace Results
International collaboration for hundreds of visual effects employees
• Smoother collaboration between offices in the US and Canada
• Automation of production reporting
• Swifter resolution of internal issues using in-house chatbots
• Seamless transition to working at home during COVID-19 lockdowns
• Inspires teams to collaborate on creative and technical solutions in a common interface
“SPI’s culture is based on pushing the boundaries of technology, including our business systems. That’s why we enjoy working with SADA. They constantly search for new ways for employees to collaborate and be creative while ensuring that we get the most from our investment in Google Workspace.” -- Mike Ford, SVP Software Development and Systems Engineering, Sony Pictures Imageworks
From science-fiction blockbusters to super-hero thrillers,
“A major film production involves hundreds of employees who must communicate seamlessly, both internally and externally, to meet demanding studio deadlines,” says Mike Ford, SVP of Software Development and Systems Engineering at SPI. “These are huge, multi-million-dollar projects where the ability to make the right decision and execute is fundamental to influencing how the next blockbuster movie performs at the box office.”
The creative and technical teams working on these multi-million dollar projects are spread out over many locations, with employees working from home in Vancouver, Canada, and Culver City, California. No wonder the studio puts so much emphasis on teamwork to meet demanding studio deadlines while allowing the talents of its artists and developers to shine.
“We rely on clear communication to solve problems quickly and bring creative breakthroughs to life,” says Mike. “But our previous productivity and collaboration tools added friction to this process. Employees spent too much time toggling between communication apps and tracking down the latest document versions rather than moving projects forward.”
Inspiring innovation, enabling collaboration
“Collaboration and culture were the two drivers behind our decision to go with Google Workspace. We needed a set of tools that delivered a more consistent communication experience, and better supported our reputation for innovation.” -- Mike Ford, SVP Software Development and Systems Engineering, Sony Pictures Imageworks
To help employees collaborate more efficiently, SPI turned to the
Because Google Workspace is built in the cloud and browser-based, users enjoy maximum flexibility and accessibility across desktop and mobile devices.
“Collaboration and culture were the two drivers behind our decision to go with Google Workspace. We needed a suite of tools that delivered a more consistent communication experience, and better supported our reputation for innovation,” says Mike.
Having presented the advantages of Google Workspace to the business and won the backing of key stakeholders including SPI’s senior leadership, Mike and his team enlisted the support of Google Cloud Premier Partner
”It was a highly complex project that impacted close to a thousand people, but SADA ensured that the changeover went without a hitch,” says Mike. “This was vital given that the teams at SPI work nonstop and cannot afford a moment’s downtime.” SADA also delivered change management services and training for all users so that they could work uninterrupted from day one of the switch over.
Solving problems faster, bringing ideas to life
Google Workspace has transformed the way that teams collaborate on projects at SPI. Whether they’re sharing
Above all, it’s much easier for teams to solve problems and realize their creative visions. “It doesn’t matter whether discussion involves two or three people, or a larger team. You can bring people into the conversation with a quick question via Google Chat, or set up a group conference at short notice with
Freedom to collaborate in a secure environment
“This ability to bridge Google Workspace with our existing systems, through APIs and Google Scripts, makes a huge difference to the value we get from the platform.” -- David Miya, Executive Director, Network Services, Sony Pictures Imageworks
Developers at SPI have also warmed to Google Workspace. For them, Google Workspace is much more than the sum of its parts; it is also a platform that can be extended to the needs of the business. “Trust me,” says David, “if there is an API, they will use it. For example, developers have automated production workflows by pulling data from SPI’s production tracking systems and then using internal scripts that automatically update the production status in Google Sheets.”
In addition, developers have built ‘help chatbots’ based on Google Chat using
Alongside the freedom to collaborate, Google Workspace offers cutting-edge security that protects SPI’s unique visual content and other sensitive data. This includes Google Drive security settings such as Data Loss Prevention and
Keeping the business at the cutting edge
“SADA ensured that the changeover from the legacy collaboration system to Google Workspace went without a hitch. This was vital given that the teams at SPI work nonstop and cannot afford any downtime.” -- Noah Chandler, Customer Success Manager, SADA Systems
The SADA team worked closely with SPI to ensure that they remained a leader in the industry, optimizing the up-and-coming Google Workspace features. This includes access to the Google Alpha Platform, so that SPI personnel can absorb the latest developments before they are released and test their suitability for the business. “What I really like about the relationship with SADA is that we get more than just a heads up about new features, we get use cases that fit our specific business.” Mike says.
This approach led to the early adoption of
SPI has also deployed
“Animation often relies on actually seeing a performance acted out, and Google Meet has really brought our teams together to be more creative even if they are thousands of miles apart,” says Mike.
The simple, unified, and easy-to-use communication toolset Meet provides allows creative teams to work closely together across studio locations, as well as in the heavier work from home environments.
“SPI’s culture is based on pushing the boundaries of technology, including our business systems. That’s why we enjoy working with SADA. They constantly search for new ways for employees to collaborate and be creative while ensuring that we get the most from our investment in Google Workspace.”
**Jamboard is winding down.
Deployment Partner (G Suite authorized reseller)
SADASADA is a Google Cloud Premier Partner that helps businesses maximize the collaboration and communication potential of their Google Workspace deployments with consultation, migration, and change management services.