Agentursoftware & Tools im Vergleich

Agency Software Definition: What is an Agency Program?

Agency software is, in a sense, the "fairy godmother", "man for special tasks", "jack of all trades" or simply a universal organisational aid for relevant companies. Agency software usually presents itself as an All-in-One solution for managing workflows in agencies. It simplifies, rationalises, and scales every aspect of running and managing an agency business.

Such programs streamline many typical agency processes that have traditionally been awkwardly and decentralised managed using (Excel) lists, emails, meetings, whiteboards, calculators, word processors, etc. An agency program naturally offers not only a management platform but also numerous tools that significantly simplify and partially automate relevant processes.

In detail, agency management software can provide support in the following areas:

• Project Management
• Recording of own services and third-party services
• Time Tracking
• (Remote) Collaboration
• Master Data Maintenance
• Controlling
• Accounting
• Creation of Quotes
• CRM
• Personnel Matters
• Document Management
• Customer Transparency through Member Areas

Why should agencies use Process Management Software?

Agencies have a significantly high number of recurring tasks everyday, the handling of which is associated with a great deal of effort. These to-dos often significantly distract employees from their core tasks.

Project managers often spend hours documenting individual campaigns instead of being able to focus on directing project participants and customer care. Web designers too often need to check with third parties (who may not even have exact knowledge) about upcoming project steps and then have to search in various databases for the necessary assets, wasting a lot of productive time. Or perhaps there is simply not enough workforce for a project already accepted, and this is only recognised at the start of implementation?!

Creative processes and measures for customer satisfaction, which account for a significant part of good agency work, often lose out to numerous standard tasks in day-to-day business. In extreme cases, this can lead to a loss of image and significant revenue losses!

Agency software can significantly minimise the work on relevant tasks or simplify it. It is of interest to agencies of all types and sizes, and in some cases even to freelancers. Such a solution is particularly worthwhile when the organisation of daily agency life with traditional means is no longer sufficient.

And often, in agencies, many separate island solutions for process management are used. This is of course also not ideal. Although a lot runs more smoothly and safely than with Excel spreadsheets, email etc., harmful barriers and an increased susceptibility to errors and multiple edits due to the inevitable media disruptions still exist. Agency software offers effective remedy.

How does Software for Agencies work?

Agency software is most often provided in the cloud. This is known as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) agency software. Such programmes can (ideally) be used with almost any internet-enabled device.

In addition to such agency software, offered online, there are still traditional on-premise solutions. These are installed on your own computers or servers.

Finally, a large number of specialised programmes for different types of agencies are available. These solutions address industry-specific requirements. Apart from software for advertising agencies, the market offers tools for media agencies, press agencies, trade fair agencies, web agencies, design agencies, publishing agencies, artist agencies, insurance agencies, and also commercial agencies.

Listing all the specific features and functionalities here is of course not possible. The following, however, is a typical and generally valid example of functionality:

In agencies with many employees and/or larger projects, there is a higher risk of error. It is relatively common for tasks to be processed incompletely or late, processes to not fit together perfectly, and essential assets or even personnel are missing. Agency software can counteract this.

It forms a common starting point for all project processes. Here, central documents, the scheduling, tasks, staff coordination, notes, chats, and even necessary assets come together. Each participant has access to the relevant information, files or workflows. Project managers and other responsible persons can control the various positions and processes with little effort via the software.

In the end, everyone stays securely up to date, works efficiently together and communication can improve significantly.

What are the pros and cons of Digital, Marketing, Event or Advertising Agency Software?

Regardless of whether it is for advertising agencies, media agencies, press agencies or other agency businesses – specialised agency tools provide many type-independent advantages. Some of these were outlined above. Here is a summary of the central benefits.

In fact, there are many more benefits. Because each of the many tools of agency software – from project management tools to accounting applications - comes with its own potentials. However, it would hardly be productive to list them all here.

• Unified Basis: In agencies, a diverse set of colleagues usually work together on a project. Therefore, it should be ensured that all participants get exactly the information and assets they need at any given time. Agency software usually includes project and task management tools as well as storage for various documents, files etc. Using these tools, those responsible can always inform project participants where the implementation stands, what needs to be done, when it needs to be finished, where to find which assets, etc. This contributes to having more time given for the core tasks and increases general work efficiency.

• Document Organisation: Agency work typically generates a large number of documents. From contracts to briefings to meeting minutes and emails, numerous document formats need to be organised and made optimally usable in the long term. Manual, possibly analog management always causes a large amount of time to be lost. Likewise, document-based approval processes are also very time-consuming. In software for agencies, such management processes are combined in one central location and much faster to handle thanks to specific tools and automations. The result is (at best) highly optimised or more flexible, purposeful, and secure workflows. Once again, a lot of time is saved that can then be used for more important things.

• Optimal Interaction of the Used Tools: An agency program not only offers many different tools but also different interfaces to platforms that are typically used together with such solutions. Of course, the tools united within an agency software work perfectly together. The users here do not have to fear unclean processes or barriers. But even with prefabricated APIs to other software, everything usually runs smoothly. The respective agency software is best matched to the third-party providers when such connections are present. The increase in work efficiency that can be achieved compared to island solutions is enormous!

• Flexible working: Most of today’s agency tools are cloud solutions (web-based agency software) that can be used via a browser or a special app. They are therefore available across operating systems – for both Macs and PCs. More and more providers also have mobile apps on offer. In other cases, a practical web app is available. In any case, users can work very flexibly with different devices and from different locations with the solutions. This is of course particularly beneficial given the increasing prevalence of remote work in the agency area.

The use of agency software thus has many advantages. Unfortunately, there are also some disadvantages - or at least possible problems. These should not be left unmentioned. The following case particularly often represents a significant challenge.

• Establishment: A modern agency software usually does not just deliver one tool for a particular application area. As a rule, it encompasses different modules that affect a wide variety of - perhaps partly firmly anchored - workflows. These – possibly long-established – processes are often completely overhauled by the solution. That this can lead to significant frictions with the involved parties does not need to be further elaborated. In this context, but also when completely new digital processes are added, the introduction of agency software can be a sheer feat of strength.

Finding the Best Agency Software: How to choose the right solution from the Agency Software Comparison?

Finding a suitable agency software, due solely to the diverse tools it includes, is a real challenge. Furthermore, the market offers a wide range of choices for various applications and agency types. To efficiently end up with the perfect collection of tools, interested parties should take particular note of the following factors.

Specialised Solutions There are now specially coordinated solutions available for a number of agency types. PR agency software, artist agency software or promotion agency software are just a few examples. Traditional advertising agency providers are particularly widespread. They usually offer broad-based all-in-one solutions.

However, if there is one or more specific agency softwares in your own field, these should be inspected first. As such systems normally take into account the relevant industry requirements, they are typically more efficient.

Customisable Workflows All customers are different. This means that agencies and their managers or employees cannot rely on a single strategy. Sure, it always makes sense to manage templates and patterns that are then adapted accordingly. Nevertheless, a certain degree of flexibility is required in order to create perfect procedures for individual customer requirements.

The chosen agency software should be flexible enough to be adapted to different customers as well as the team’s processes. If software with too strict workflows is used, it generally has a negative impact on process efficiency, creativity, and ultimately on the quality of results. An agency program should always work for the agency and the team and not the other way round.

Seamless Communication When it comes to the relationship between agencies and customers, communication is one of the most important factors.

The right agency software increases transparency and trust between agencies and customers. On the one hand, this happens by giving clients – for example in a member area - direct insights into the project's progress. This makes it easy for everyone to exchange ideas, give feedback, and discuss work.

On the other hand, all communication can be managed and optimised in agency programs - keyword "CRM". Thus, project managers can oversee all important information before or during customer contact. They are informed about all peculiarities of the projects and customers and always have the right answer.

Transparency, customer proximity, obvious expertise and communication strength convince, form a positive image and ideally bring recommendations. Accordingly, interested parties should look for a solution that supports their communication on as many levels as possible.

Collaborative Editing The collaborative revision and approval process can pose a significant hurdle for agencies. Files constantly change owners, communication is limited, certain team members are left behind with outdated versions, and important requests for revision are overlooked. These processes can, amongst others, lead to customers feeling unheard and frustrated.

These are actually only a few of many negative examples that result from insufficient cooperation. Therefore, interested parties should look for an agency software that supports good collaboration on as many levels as possible.

At the base here are tools that allow to work together on project elements, or at least to add comments and suggestions for changes to individual project sections. It is generally important that all parties involved are well informed about the processes that concern them.

Reports Even when using the most powerful agency software, process optimisation is an important topic. Of course, overall great work can be recognised by customer satisfaction, increased sales, repeat orders and recommendations.

Nevertheless, certain deficits could hide in the grand scheme of things that may eventually lead to a more significant negative effect. Especially with processing delays it easily happens that these add up over time and then one or even several projects are delayed.

Specific analytics and reporting functions of agency software help to avert such or similar effects. The chosen solution should facilitate the creation of reports from real-time data.

How many projects do the teams complete each month for different clients, how much time do they spend with certain queries, and where were obvious problems in the past? The ability to answer questions like these quickly and to capture hard evidence in reports to substantiate corresponding answers, helps those responsible to improve project processes.

What does Software for Agencies cost?

The above agency software comparison shows that there is a very large price range for such solutions. Inexpensive licenses are already available between approximately 20 and 40 Euro per month. But expenses of 100 or several hundred Euros per month can also occur. Sometimes the prices are calculated individually according to requirements.

The cost of an agency program depends on various factors. Decisive are the payment intervals, the deployment models, a possibly modular structure and of course the general range of functions. Those who need not much more than a project management software for agencies will get off relatively cheaply. But usually, an agency software combines project management and various other tools. This combination is one of the main incentives for purchase.

Another important cost factor concerns the number of users. Before executives decide on an agency software, they should definitely check how many licenses are needed. Probably not all employees in the agency necessarily need their own access to the system.

In addition, here and there one-time additional costs for implementation, setup, and/or other services (e.g., for transferring master data) may occur. Depending on the scope, this can mean one-time payments of several thousand euros.