4 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Ad Agency Software

When it comes to building out a project management toolkit, selecting your project management software will be your crown jewel. A good ad agency software will help you with project planning and scheduling, resource management, budgeting and client communications, all while offering your managers and creatives a home base for all agency workflow.

Ad agency software can be a significant investment, especially when you’re a newly growing agency. While there is the obvious investment of cost, you’ll also need to consider the amount of time it will take for your agency to transition and adapt to working with a new software program. Whether you’re already working with a software program that isn’t checking all your boxes or you’re starting up a new agency that hasn’t worked with project management software before, you’ll want to take the time to ensure you’re selecting the right features for your needs. Don’t make these rookie mistakes when it comes to selecting the perfect software for your ad agency.

1. Not Selecting Agency-Specific Software

There are a wide range of project management platforms on the market, but only a select few are specifically designed for the unique needs of a creative agency. While other project management programs may be functional enough to get the job done, agency-specific tools offer a better return on your investment.

Your agency software should provide you—and your clients—with an easy workspace to collaborate and track project progress. Function Point comes equipped with the ability to work collaboratively with your clients, offering digital proofing and approving options that reduce e-mails and improve project clarity.

2. Not Considering Scalability

Unless you enjoy going through the hassle of changing software providers every couple years, you’ll want to invest in a project management tool that is able to scale up with your agency as you grow. Just because you’re a small team managing 8 projects today doesn’t mean you’ll be in the same boat a year from now or five years from now.

3. Not Giving It a Test-Drive

You might download a car, but you wouldn’t purchase one without giving it a test-drive. After you’ve conducted your preliminary online research, selected your must-have features and narrowed down to a few software programs you’re interested in, it’s time to schedule a demo. Select a team of users to test the software—they’ll be the ones using it, after all.

Select a team representing each department of your agency to demo the program and identify what is and isn’t working for them. Once you decide to move forward with your top choice, you can also use this information to plan your onboarding and adoption phase.

4. Not Planning for an Onboarding Period

The best ad agency software is one that members of your team will actually use. Many agency rookies make the mistake of assuming that by simply having project management software, their project management headaches will disappear. If your project manager is the only team member who is utilizing features like time tracking and project scheduling, your kickoff won’t be a success. Even the most tech-savvy teams can become creatures of habit, and it may take some encouragement and training to bring them on board with new processes.

At Function Point, we provide our clients with a 30-day onboarding process that will ensure your entire management and creative teams are ready to use your new platform once it goes live. With ongoing customer support, it’s our mission to ensure you’re getting the most out of your new tool.

________________________

While most project management software will offer similar features and end-results, no two programs are exactly alike. Selecting the right software for your agency can be a lengthy process, but once you’re set up with a software that helps drive project progress you’ll be glad you invested the time. Function Point has been providing project management software for over 20 years. Ready to give us a trial run? We’d love to offer you a free demo of our software.