Advertising operations, often referred to as “ad ops,” are where strategy, execution, and revenue come together. But for many media teams, ad ops is also a major source of workflow friction. Manual steps, disconnected tools, and repetitive tasks slow down teams, introduce errors, and eat into revenue-producing time.
In fact, a common theme Ad Orbit hears from prospective clients is that their current systems don’t give real-time visibility into availability, leave them chasing assets and approvals, and force workarounds that reduce efficiency.
The good news is that many of these challenges stem from inefficient processes rather than structural limitations. Modern automation is well-suited to address them. Below, we explore the top five challenges in ad ops and how automation, particularly as implemented in platforms like Ad Orbit, helps solve them.
1. Lack of Real-Time Inventory Visibility
One of the most fundamental challenges in ad ops is knowing what you actually have to sell. Traditional workflows often rely on periodic inventory exports, manual spreadsheets, or static reports that are quickly outdated.
This creates a ripple effect:
- Sales teams may promise inventory that is no longer available.
- Operations teams scramble to reconcile conflicts.
- Forecasting and revenue projections become unreliable.
Without real-time data, teams are forced to operate reactively instead of proactively.
How Automation Fixes It
Automation transforms inventory management from a manual, periodic lookup into a live source of truth. By centralizing inventory and updating it at the moment orders are created, modified, or cancelled, teams gain:
Live inventory status across all products and formats
Instant availability checks at the point of sale
Reduced risk of overbooking or missed opportunities
In platforms like Ad Orbit, this real-time inventory sync is built into the core order management system. This ensures sales and ad ops teams see the same data at all times, without spreadsheets or manual refreshes.
2. Manual Order Management and Workflows
In many organizations, order management is scattered across multiple tools and human touchpoints. Sales teams close deals in a CRM, operations manually enter orders into ad servers, traffic teams coordinate delivery via email or task tools, and finance handles billing in another system. Each handoff introduces an opportunity for delay or error.
Manual workflows also increase workload:
- Teams spend time copying data between systems.
- Status updates are delayed or inconsistent.
- Approvals and missing assets get stuck in inboxes.
How Automation Fixes It
Automation brings order management into a single, connected workflow. It replaces manual handoffs with rules and triggers that advance work automatically. With automation:
Order details entered once propagate to every downstream step automatically.
Campaign statuses update in real time based on delivery or asset progress.
Teams are alerted when approvals, creative files, or other inputs are missing.
Ad Orbit’s automation engine lets teams build rule-based triggers so that common events, such as a missing artwork file or an overdue approval, generate alerts and assign tasks without manual follow-up.
This not only speeds up execution but also ensures work doesn’t fall through the cracks.
3. Inefficient Asset Collection and Creative Approvals
For almost every campaign, whether it’s display, email, podcast sponsorships, or print ads, creative assets and approvals are critical prerequisites for delivery. Yet in many traditional ad ops workflows, collecting files and approvals becomes a process of:
- Chasing advertisers via email
- Logging attachments manually into systems
- Tracking version updates through back-and-forth threads
Not only is this inefficient, it also leads to lost files, version confusion, and delayed launches.
How Automation Fixes It
With the right automation tools and client interfaces:
- Advertisers can upload creatives directly into a branded portal.
- File and specification requirements can be enforced at upload.
- Automated reminders and status tracking replace manual follow-ups.
Ad Orbit’s advertiser portal and workflow automation bring creatives and approvals into the platform where the rest of the campaign data already lives. This minimizes email clutter and centralizes all campaign assets, reducing delays and errors.
4. Fragmented Reporting and Forecasting
Accurate reporting and forecasting are crucial for understanding sales performance, pacing campaigns, and planning revenue. However, in traditional setups, data often lives in separate systems such as CRM platforms, ad servers, and finance tools. That data must then be stitched together manually.
This fragmentation leads to:
- Inconsistent metrics and definitions
- Delayed visibility into revenue and inventory trends
- Reactive decision-making rather than proactive planning
How Automation Fixes It
Automation consolidates reporting by:
- Feeding real-time data from sales, delivery, and finance into unified dashboards
- Normalizing metrics across products and channels
- Providing instant insight into pacing, sold versus available inventory, and revenue projections
In platforms like Ad Orbit, dozens of built-in reports help teams monitor contract sales, ad sales, and inventory activity, all without exporting and combining spreadsheets manually.
5. Operational Overhead and Burnout
Perhaps the most pervasive challenge isn’t any one task. It is the cumulative effect of repetitive, manual work that drains teams of time better spent on strategy or client service. Industry voices emphasize that ad ops teams often feel stuck in repetitive loops of manual tasks, which can cause burnout and inefficiency if left unchecked.
These tasks include:
- Manual campaign setup and tracking
- Repetitive data entry
- Cross-tool coordination
- Manual billing reconciliation
How Automation Fixes It
Automation frees teams from rote work and allows them to focus on higher-value activities by:
- Removing repetitive manual tasks
- Standardizing routine work through workflows
- Giving teams visibility and control without constant oversight
By automating daily activities, from campaign tickets to email reminders and status updates, teams spend less time managing systems and more time optimizing performance and growing revenue.
Conclusion: Automation Is Not an Option, It’s a Strategic Advantage
The challenges facing ad ops today, from disconnected systems to manual workflows, are not unique. But as automation technology evolves, so do the expectations for how fast and accurately media companies can operate. Automation doesn’t just reduce busywork. It enables teams to be proactive, scalable, and focused on revenue-impacting work.
Platforms like Ad Orbit combine purpose-built CRM, order management, delivery workflows, reporting, and automation in one system. This allows ad ops teams to eliminate manual bottlenecks and operate with confidence and speed.
Whether your team is struggling with inventory accuracy, creative tracking, reporting, or operational overhead, automation offers a clear path forward. The result isn’t just faster operations. It’s better performance, stronger revenue outcomes, and teams that can focus on strategy, not busywork.
