Lamorinda
Weekly
automated
its workflow.

The Business Challenge

Lamorinda Weekly is a long-running local newspaper serving a small community, produced on a tight monthly schedule with limited staff. For years, publishing the website required manual steps, hardcoded pages, and a proprietary platform. When the original publisher retired, a new system had to be built.

The Strategic Solution

We automated Lamorinda Weekly’s production by separating content intake from presentation, and building a streamlined editorial system designed for non-technical contributors and editors. We created a custom CMS with a workflow that preserved familiar habits—email submissions and informal drafts—while eliminating manual rework and human error behind the scenes.

• Automated Intake: Articles submitted via email and simple forms are automatically structured and stored, reducing copy-paste errors and back-and-forth.
• Editor-First UX: A visual editor mirrors the reader experience, allowing staff to manage issues, articles, authors, and ads without touching code.
• Production Acceleration: Reusable templates and ordering tools replaced hardcoded pages, dramatically reducing time spent assembling each issue.

The Measurable Outcome

• 90% faster production compared to the previous manual process.
• 2 hours total production time per issue, end to end.
• 100% positive response from readers, editors, and stakeholders.

Key Takeaways for Business Leaders

1. Automation Doesn’t Have to Disrupt Familiar Workflows: Preserving existing habits while modernizing infrastructure speeds adoption.
2. Design for the Operator, Not Just the End User: Editor-focused tools unlock disproportionate efficiency gains.
3. Small Systems, Big Impact: Even modest automation can radically improve productivity, morale, and consistency in lean organizations.