In this CXOTalk interview, Rob O'Brien, Head of International Technology at ITV Studios, discusses the digital transformation of television production in response to the rise of streaming services. He shares how ITV is using innovative technologies like Zoho Creator and Zoho Analytics to centralize production data, enable quick decision-making, and support creatives in making the best TV shows possible. O'Brien emphasizes the importance of low-code development for rapidly building and adapting applications, as well as change management best practices for implementing new technologies across a globally distributed workforce. He also touches on ITV's multi-cloud strategy and their "watching brief" on the potential of generative AI in television production.
Episode HighlightsDigital Transformation in TV ProductionITV, the biggest commercial broadcaster in the UK, is increasing output for streaming platforms like ITVX to meet changing viewer demandsInnovation is key to creating the best possible programs in terms of both commercial value and customer propositionEnabling Creatives with TechnologyITV's Global Innovation Hub focuses on enhancing workflows, systems and processes with cutting-edge technologyThe goal is providing creatives and production teams with an efficient underlying tech stack to work quickly and effectively on showsImplementing Zoho for Streamlined ProcessesITV uses Zoho Creator and Analytics to track show development, manage group risk, and centralize previously unstructured production dataHaving a single platform enables quick access to data for leadership decision-making and reacting to the changing environmentImportance of Change ManagementWhile implementing the technology was quick, the harder part was change management and getting buy-in across the distributed global teamsKeys to success included communicating the "why", providing training, and having strong leadership support and mandateBenefits of Low-Code PlatformsLow-code enabled ITV to quickly build and adapt the system they needed, which would have taken much longer with traditional developmentHowever, governance is still crucial with low-code to ensure even small changes are properly vetted and communicated before implementationExploring AI in ProductionITV's Global Innovation Hub is researching potential applications of AI and machine learning to create production efficienciesHowever, the technology is not yet mature enough, and there are regulatory and copyright issues to resolve before implementing AIZoho's Compliance and Global CapabilitiesITV values Zoho's strong compliance features like encryption at rest and in transit, GDPR certifications, and SOC/ISO standardsAs a global business, ITV appreciates partnering with Zoho which takes compliance seriously from an international perspectiveKey TakeawaysEnabling Creatives with Innovative TechnologyITV's Global Innovation Hub focuses on enhancing workflows, systems, and processes with cutting-edge technology to provide an efficient tech stack for production teams. The goal is to enable creatives to work quickly and efficiently on their shows, ultimately creating the best possible programs in terms of both commercial value and viewer experience.
Leveraging Low-Code Platforms for Rapid DevelopmentImplementing Zoho Creator and Analytics allowed ITV to quickly build a centralized system for tracking show development, managing group risk, and accessing production data for leadership decision-making. Low-code platforms enabled ITV to rapidly develop and adapt the systems they needed, which would have taken much longer with traditional development. However, proper governance is still essential with low-code to ensure even small changes are vetted and communicated before implementation to avoid disruptions for end-users.
Change Management is Key to Successful ImplementationWhile the technology implementation was fast, effective change management was the harder part of the journey. Keys to success included communicating the "why" behind the changes, providing training, and having strong leadership support and mandate. ITV is also exploring potential applications of AI and machine learning in production, but the technology is not yet mature enough for implementation due to regulatory and copyright issues that need to be resolved.
Episode ParticipantsRob O'Brien is head of international technology at ITV Studios. He is always on the lookout for new technology that can allow the company to work more flexibly and develop new workflows.
Based in the UK but with operations in 12 other countries, ITV Studios is a television production and distribution company owned by the British broadcaster ITV plc. Best-known for its output for UK channels such as ITV and Channel 4, ITV Studios is also intensively involved with broadcast production and distribution in the US, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Israel, France, Spain and Scandinavia.
Michael Krigsman is an industry analyst and publisher of CXOTalk. For three decades, he has advised enterprise technology companies on market messaging and positioning strategy. He has written over 1,000 blogs on leadership and digital transformation and created almost 1,000 video interviews with the world’s top business leaders on these topics. His work has been referenced in the media over 1,000 times and in over 50 books. He has presented and moderated panels at numerous industry events around the world.
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