5 Ways to Maximize the Benefits of Your Software Solution

It often feels like implementation is the biggest hurdle when you have a new software, and rightly so. Rolling out a creative agency project management software to your team requires time and effort that you often don’t have to spare. That’s why there’s a certain relief when the rollout is complete and you can move on with your workload.

Having worked with agencies for the past 22 years, we’ve seen how this approach can lead to unforeseen roadblocks down the road. Here are 5 of our top tips to ensure you’re maximizing the benefit from your project management software.

1. Find Your Power User

Having someone at your organization who know the deepest parts of your project management software is like waking up and realizing you have an extra hour to sleep. Power users are a blessing not to be overlooked.

Training power users should be treated as a project with fixed hours and fixed goals. On a continuous basis, there should be at least one person who learns and applies the advanced skills. Even dedicating an hour a week to this can make a difference.

2. Establish a Knowledge Transfer Process

All organizations face changes. People come, people go, products and services evolve – you know the drill. That’s why, especially when it comes to the tools your team uses, it’s important that there’s a clear and reliable way to transfer knowledge within the organization.

Whether it’s a new hire, or a regular user getting promoted to a power user, there should be an established approach to the training. Organizations that have an established process of knowledge transfer can train new staff quicker, maintain efficiency steadier and reach goals more consistently.

Related: Why You Need a Customer Success Manager With Your Software

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3. Go From Data to Insights

Not using the analytics offered by your project management software would be like putting a cake into the oven but not eating it when it was finished baking. Your creative project management software holds all the information about how profitable your projects are, how all your resources are allocated, and how efficient your team is working. It’s a gold mine of data available at your fingertips that can help you make better business decisions. The more information you can squeeze out, the more educated decisions will you be able to make.

Related: The Simple Way to Make Better Business Decisions with BI Reporting

4. Don’t Go at it Alone

Your software provider will likely have people dedicated to supporting your use of their tool. It’s always a less chaotic option to put a stop to misuse or improper workflows at the beginning, but oftentimes issues will come up, regardless. 

The way we do it at Function Point is to specifically dedicate a Success Manager to each of our clients. This way the person who helped you build your workflow is the same person who is answering questions for you down the road. We’ve seen the result of organizations trying to go at it alone when an issue occurs and usually the process is more tedious and frustrating than it would be if they had just reached out.

5. Documentation is Your Best Friend

We touched on the importance of documentation when talking about knowledge transfer. The same applies to your team’s specific workflows. Especially if your creative project management software solution is complex, improper use can lead to issues that cost time and money. Everyone from power users to basic users should understand the workflows and the importance of following them. The most efficient way of making sure this happens is to have the documentation you can point to. That way, if anyone is ever unsure, they can make adjustments before any serious issues arise.