projects.
How work moves through Zeal. A defined chain of roles, phases and systems — designed so projects never drift, ownership is always clear, and nothing relies on memory alone.
the short version.
Projects at Zeal are always visible, ownership is always clear, and work moves forward predictably. Nothing runs on memory.
If you only read one paragraph: every project has a Project Manager and a Creative Lead from day one. Status lives in Monday.com, files live in Dropbox, kit and money live in CurrentRMS. If a decision happens on WhatsApp or a phone call, the outcome goes back to Monday.com — or it didn’t happen.
Skip ahead to the section that applies to you using the role tabs above.
the three roles.
Roles exist so decisions are made at the right level, creative intent is protected, and information flows clearly. They are not titles for hierarchy. Ownership does not split.
project manager
Owns successful delivery within agreed time, budget and resource. Coordinates people, process and decisions. Owns the delivery relationship with the client.
- Planning, timelines, milestones
- Budget tracking and cost control
- Risk, issue and change management
- System accuracy and follow-through
- Project-level client relationship
creative lead
Owns creative intent from first response to final delivery. Interprets the brief, makes creative decisions, protects intent during trade-offs. Creative ownership doesn’t stop at concept.
- Vision, narrative and experience
- Interpreting brief and feedback
- Creative decisions throughout
- Protecting intent in trade-offs
- Final creative sign-off
account manager
Client-level role, not a project role. Owns the long-term relationship across multiple projects and over time. Senior escalation point. A 2026 priority for Zeal.
- Continuity across projects
- Account health and growth
- Strategic context to PM and CL
- Senior escalation if required
- Not assigned to delivery
AMs own the long-term relationship. CLs own the creative relationship. PMs own the delivery relationship. They collaborate closely, but they are not interchangeable.
the project lifecycle.
Every project moves through five phases, tracked in Monday.com. A project should never exist without a Project Manager, a clear status, and a clear next step.
discovery
Early scoping, brief understanding, initial commercial conversation.
development
Creative, technical and commercial development of the proposal.
pre-production
Planning, prep, paperwork, kit lists, crew assignment.
delivery
The show, the install, the live work.
debrief
Learnings captured, recognition given, account follow-through.
decision authority — RACI.
The reference for who decides what on every project. When uncertainty arises, decisions are tested against role ownership, SPED principles, and the client outcome. Escalation is a tool, not a failure.
| area · decision | creative lead | project manager | account manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interpreting client brief | R | C | I |
| Creative concept and story | A/R | C | I |
| Creative response to feedback | A/R | C | I |
| Budget feasibility vs creative intent | A | R | I |
| Creative trade-offs | A | R | I |
| Project schedule and milestones | C | A/R | I |
| Change control (scope, cost, time) | C | A/R | I |
| Project delivery management | I | A/R | I |
| Final creative sign-off | A | C | I |
| Final delivery sign-off | C | A | I |
| Client relationship — project-level | C | A/R | I |
| Client relationship — long-term | I | I | A/R |
| Account health and continuity | I | I | A/R |
| Project documentation and system accuracy | C | A/R | I |
the five core systems.
Five systems run projects at Zeal. Each owns a specific layer of work. Crossing wires between them — using Teams for project decisions, dropping files in Monday.com — breaks the system and creates work for everyone.
central project hub
owns Project status and ownership. Accountability and visibility. High-level coordination. Automated prompts and reminders.
does not own Quoting or pricing. Equipment selection. Detailed schedules or technical paperwork.
commercial & equipment
owns Quotes, variations and pricing. Equipment selection and availability. Commercial scope and accuracy.
does not own Project coordination. Task management. Project ownership or accountability.
file storage
owns Project files. Client assets. Deliverables. Shared team resources, OS docs, finance and HR records.
does not own Status, tasks or conversation. Commercial records. Crew schedules. Code. Receipts and invoices.
delivery execution
owns Crew schedules and allocations. Detailed timings and call sheets. Delivery paperwork and operational detail.
does not own Project oversight. Creative decision-making. Commercial control.
conversation tools
owns General company communication (Teams). Urgent on-site comms and quick calls (WhatsApp / phone). That’s it.
does not own Project status. Project tasks. Project decisions. Official project records. Anything project-specific belongs in the Monday.com item’s Updates section — not in Teams, not in a WhatsApp thread.
If a decision is made on a call, it becomes an Update in Monday.com. If an action is agreed on WhatsApp, it becomes a sub-item. Chat tools support conversation — Monday.com records outcomes. If it isn’t in Monday.com, it didn’t happen.
monday.com — item & sub-item.
Monday.com is built around a deliberately simple two-level structure: items and sub-items. This keeps things visible and consistent across every project — no per-project channels, no nested complexity.
item — the project
The status overview and conversation home. Carries every key data field. All project conversation lives in Updates.
- Project status & lifecycle phase
- Assigned PM and Creative Lead
- Project dates, client name
- Dropbox links: client & crew folders
- All updates, decisions, questions, context
sub-item — a task
Tasks only. Deliberately simple: a name and a done / not done status. No additional columns. No complexity.
- Task name
- Done · not done
- Assignee (where useful)
- That is the entire model
- If it’s done, it’s marked done. If not, it’s visible.
Connected boards removal & Zapier automation. Connected boards are being replaced by a Zapier-based sync — less complexity, less fragility. Revision number automation for quotes and document versions is also in development. Both currently in build.
how a project starts.
From the moment a project is live, ownership is fixed. Here’s the path from first sign of work through to the project being properly set up — visible to everyone who needs it.
Ownership does not shift informally during a project. If responsibility genuinely changes, it is made explicit and visible in Monday.com — not a quiet handover in a corridor.
where files live.
All project files live in Dropbox, following a Client > Year > Project structure. The PM creates each project folder by copying _TemplateFolder at setup. Client logos sit at the client root — not duplicated per project. Personal scratch belongs in personal Dropbox, not the team folders.
The _ClientFolder and _CrewFolder Dropbox links go into the Monday.com link columns and feed straight through to the portal — that’s how the project page gets one-click access to the right files from any view.
dry hire.
Dry hires do not follow the same lifecycle. Instead, all dry hires are allocated a Zeal Project ID of ZP-DH so they’re still visible on the portal, but don’t require the same resources.
quick reference.
frequently asked.
Can I run a project conversation in a Teams channel?
No. There are no per-project Teams channels. Project conversation lives in the Monday.com item’s Updates section. Teams is for general company comms only.
The PM is on leave — can I just take over?
Ownership doesn’t shift informally. If a handover is needed, it is made explicit and visible in Monday.com — reassign in the system, post an Update, and confirm with the Creative Lead and AM.
A creative trade-off is needed against budget — who decides?
Creative trade-offs sit with the Creative Lead (accountable). The PM is responsible for surfacing the budget impact. The CL makes the call. The PM makes it happen.
Why isn’t the AM on every project?
AMs own the long-term client relationship across many projects, not the day-to-day delivery of one. They’re informed, available for senior escalation, and carry context the PM can draw on — but they aren’t a delivery role.
Where do I store a kit list?
Equipment selection lives in CurrentRMS. Technical specs, production packs and advance packs go in Dropbox under 04_Plans, Specs, CAD. Don’t keep parallel copies in Monday.com.
Sub-items feel too simple — can we add columns?
No, on purpose. Sub-items are task name and done / not done. Anything more complicated belongs as an Update on the item, or in CurrentRMS / Dropbox / TeamTrack.
change log.
| version | date | author | summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 26 Apr 2026 | Steve | Initial playbook published. |