What Is the Production Dashboard?
The Production Dashboard (also called the Production Master or Production Workbook) is the central operational hub for every project. It contains all tracking, scheduling, staffing, and logistics information in one spreadsheet. Every project gets its own copy from the template.
Setting It Up
- Duplicate the Production Master Template into the project's Google Drive folder
- Rename it:
[INT] PRODUCTION WORKBOOK - [Client] [Project Name] Dashboard - Fill out the Cover Sheet first (see below)
- Share with all resourced team members
- Link it from the project's Cover Sheet "Key Documents" section
Tab-by-Tab Guide
Cover Sheet
The project's front page. Fill in immediately at project kickoff:
- Event Description: 1-2 sentence summary of the activation
- Dates: All activation dates
- Hours: Operating hours
- Location: City/venue for each stop (if multi-market)
- Project Code: The Harvest/internal project code (e.g., TARG.WORL.01.26.NEW)
- Client Lead / Production Lead / Creative Lead: Names
- Key Documents: Links organized by department (Account, Creative, Production, Recap)
Hours Tracker
Tracks team hours against budget by week:
- Rows = team members grouped by department (Account, Production, Creative, Strategy, Content)
- Columns = weekly dates aligned to key milestones
- % BURN column auto-calculates hours spent vs. budgeted
- Tip: For client-facing versions, hide columns E onward (detailed weekly breakdown)
- Update weekly — this feeds into budget health monitoring
MOCHA (Roles & Responsibilities)
The MOCHA matrix clarifies who does what on every task:
- M (Manager): Assigns the work and holds the Owner accountable
- O (Owner): Does the work and is responsible for the outcome
- C (Collaborator): Contributes meaningfully to the work
- H (Helper): Assists when asked
- A (Approver): Signs off on the final output
Columns: SERVICE/DELIVERABLE, TASK, CATEGORY/DEPT, M, O, C, H, A, STATUS
How to fill it out:
- Start with the standard task list (Project Admin, Client Management, Production, Creative, Content)
- Get more specific as the project takes shape — the template tasks are starting points
- Assign names or roles to each MOCHA column
- Review with the full team at kickoff to confirm alignment
Production Timeline
The master task list with deadlines, owners, and status:
- Columns: DUE DATE, WORKSTREAM, ACTION ITEM, CATEGORY/DEPT, OWNER, STATUS, NOTES
- Organized chronologically — earliest deadlines at top
- Use the NOTES column for escalation rules, gates, and critical path flags
- Status values: Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Blocked, At Risk
- Escalation protocol in NOTES: Define soft escalation (daily follow-up) and hard escalation (leadership involvement) triggers for critical items
Client Hot Sheet
A simplified, client-facing action item tracker:
- Columns: OWNER, ITEM NAME, DESCRIPTION, DEADLINE, IN STATUS, QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
- Updated before every client call
- Only includes items the client needs to see or act on
- Group by week for easy scanning
Creative Asset Tracker
Tracks all creative deliverables from request to delivery:
- Header: Project name, activation dates, vendor assignments
- File naming convention:
ProjectName_Section-Item-R1 - Track: asset request, due date, status, creative brief link, final asset link
Staffing Plan
Complete roster for the activation:
- Columns: NAME, TITLE, PHONE, EMAIL, LOAD IN/OUT ROLE(S), OPERATIONAL ROLE(S), DATES, COMPANY/DESCRIPTION, REPORTING TO, IN LEAD
- Separate sections for: IN internal team, external partners/vendors, client team
- Include both load-in/strike roles AND operational (live day) roles — these are often different
Permit Tracker
Tracks permitting across all markets:
- Columns: Market, Store #, Address, Property Type, Activation Date, Load In/Out Dates, Initial Outreach Date, Permit Type/Jurisdiction, Permit Lead, Contact, Submission Requirements, Status, Approval, Cost, Notes
- One row per market/location
- Update status as permits move through the process
Production Schedule
Minute-by-minute schedule for each day:
- Columns: START TIME, END TIME, ACTION, LOCATION, WHO, NOTES
- Separate sections for each day: PREP, LOAD IN, LIVE DAY 1, LIVE DAY 2, STRIKE
- Header for each section:
DAY - MM.DD.YY - For multi-market tours, create a separate tab per market (e.g., "Prod Schedule ATL", "Prod Schedule LA")
ROS (Run of Show)
The live event timeline with all technical and talent cues:
- Columns: TIME OF DAY, SEGMENT, ACTION, VIDEO, AUDIO, LIGHTING, HOST, GUESTS, CATERING/LABOR, BAs + ACTORS
- Header: Event name, date, open hours
- Every time slot gets a row — even if nothing is happening (shows the team it's intentionally quiet)
Shipping Inventory
Tracks the full lifecycle of every physical item:
- Columns: PURCHASE DATE, VENDOR, QTY/AMOUNT, ITEM, SHIPPED TO, DATE SHIPPED, EST ARRIVAL DATE, TRACKING #, PRE-ACTIVATION STATUS, POST-ACTIVATION STATUS, WHERE/WHO?, MEANS OF RETURN, TRACKING #, FINAL STATUS
- Pre-Activation Status: Not Purchased → Ordered → Shipped → Received
- Post-Activation Status: On Site → Packed → Shipped → Returned → Disposed
Call Sheet
The daily operational document distributed to all crew:
- Program name and client logo
- Team roles and tasks by person (Technical Producer, Producer, Associate Producers, Junior)
- Key contacts section with name, role, phone
- Daily schedule with crew breakfast/lunch times, sunrise/sunset, weather
- Catering delivery details and dietary restriction contact
- Create a separate call sheet tab for each day and market
Vendor Payments
Tracks payment status for every vendor:
- Columns: Vendor/Folder, Deposit Invoice, Final Invoice, Total, Documents?, Contract, Submitted Payment?, Due Dates
- Link to vendor documents folder in the Documents column
Additional Tabs (As Needed)
- INT Team Whereabouts: Calendar grid showing who is where by date (for multi-market tours)
- Vendor Research Tracker: Company, contact, pricing, notes, sample feedback
- Metrics: Post-event KPIs by market (attendance, engagements, dwell time, sales lift)
- Deliverable Status: Cross-department deliverable tracking
- Copy Request Form: Standardized form for submitting copy requests to the content team
Maintenance Rules
- Update the Production Timeline and Hot Sheet before every client call
- Update the Staffing Plan as soon as any personnel change is confirmed
- Update Shipping Inventory tracking numbers within 24 hours of shipment
- Production Schedule should be finalized 1 week before load-in
- Call Sheets should be finalized and distributed 24 hours before each day