How to Align Procurement, VM, and Creative Teams on Display Projects
7 5 月, 2025
Bridging Cross-Functional Teams for Smoother, Smarter Rollouts
Table of Contents
By Yan Luo | Samtop Display
Aligning creative, visual merchandising, and procurement teams from the start of a display project ensures visual quality, cost control, and on-time delivery. Use shared briefs, cross-team reviews, and collaborative checklists to streamline every stage.
Sample approval checklist used across departments
Creative loves the design, but procurement says it’s over budget. VM needs modularity, but the sample is too bulky. Misalignment wastes time and money.
When teams don’t speak the same visual and operational language, retail campaigns suffer: missed deadlines, off-brand execution, and internal friction.
Use a unified workflow — where design, sourcing, and store execution teams review together, plan together, and approve together.
👥 Understand Each Team’s Priorities
Department
What They Care About
Creative / Design
Visual storytelling, brand expression
VM
Display placement, in-store fit, modularity
Procurement
Cost, timeline, materials, logistics
✅ Step 1: Host a 3-team kickoff call ✅ Step 2: Build consensus on success criteria
📐 Start with a Shared Display Brief
🛑 Common Issue: Teams give suppliers 3 different briefs ✅ Fix: Use a centralized cross-functional document
Section
What to Include
Campaign Objective
Sales goal, season, messaging
Product Dimensions
SKU, tester shapes, bottle height
Brand Guidelines
Colors, fonts, material restrictions
Quantity & Markets
Rollout scale by country or region
Budget Frame
Unit price + tooling target
Sustainability Goals
Reusable? FSC wood? No PVC?
💡 Share this before requesting designs or costing.
🎨 Review Designs as a Cross-Functional Group
Don’t silo approvals.
🎨 Creative: approves form, tone, color
🛒 Procurement: flags complexity or over-spec
🛍️ VM: checks in-store logic, setup fit
✅ Use PDF markups + Zoom review ✅ Build a shared approval checklist
🧪 Define Sample Approval by Role
Team
What They Approve
Creative
Form, finish, color accuracy
VM
Dimensions, placement, install flow
Procurement
Cost, assembly logic, material spec
✅ Create a Sample Sign-Off Matrix ✅ Use labeled photos or video to support remote approvals
🧰 Confirm Assembly and Rollout Logic Early
Ask together:
Is this tool-free?
Is training or QR install video needed?
Can store staff install without risk?
✅ Unified rollout = fewer calls, faster setup
📦 Final QC: Shared Sign-Off Pre-Shipment
Each team reviews what matters:
Creative → logo, tone, visual flow
VM → shelf spacing, tester fit
Procurement → packaging, carton labeling
✅ Samtop provides photo + video QC sets for remote approval
🔍 Real Brand Case: Global Holiday Display
🟨 Brand: European beauty house 🟨 Teams: Creative (Paris), VM (Singapore), Procurement (HK)
🟩 Samtop Coordination:
Unified brief across all regions
Render approved via 3-way call
Prototype reviewed via video + PDF
Final QC photos reviewed across time zones
✅ Result: Campaign launched 1 week early, no rework, under budget
💬 FAQ
Q: Can teams approve remotely?
A: Yes — with high-res photos, Pantone panels, videos, and labeled PDF reviews.
Q: What tools support alignment best?
A: Shared folders (e.g. Google Drive, Notion), annotated PDFs, and sample checklists.
Q: What’s the #1 mistake teams make?
A: Reviewing renders or samples in isolation — instead of approving together.
🎯 Conclusion: Collaboration Is the Most Valuable Display Material
✔️ Align teams before design starts ✔️ Review visuals + samples together ✔️ Use structured tools (checklists, shared folders) ✔️ Choose suppliers fluent in cross-functional execution
📩 Want us to help streamline your next display project?
