New developments in the market never stop and 2023 was a year full of new developments, especially for digital agencies. The home office remained strong, online strategies became increasingly prominent and clients, as well as consumers, became increasingly demanding.
Amidst so many points to consider and an increasingly present technology (ChatGPT and artificial intelligence were a great success in 2023), more and more entrepreneurs are seeing the need to go further, looking for ways to make everyday processes more efficient every day.
Speaking specifically about digital agencies, a survey carried out by Master GP Institute and through the supplier-client approval tool Collabee, it showed the relationship between agency-client in project management and the search for optimizing interactions in each new demand.
Below, we will share some of the main data from the study and explain how digital agencies see automation.
The delay in approval is the biggest challenge for digital agencies
More and more people are looking to remain present in the online environment, that’s a fact. However, many clients still find it difficult to organize themselves and take this process so seriously.
Therefore, among the 83 survey respondents, 75% pointed out that the delay in approving projects is the biggest challenge in the agency-client relationship. This challenge is followed by scope changes (70%) during project execution.
The reality is that most clients who currently look for a digital agency want positive results immediately. However, few understand the importance of initial alignment for the success of the project and let the approval time pass or, even, change the scope in the middle of the project, directly harming the expected results and the expected completion time for such demand.
The impact that improving the approval flow between agency and client can bring
With such challenges in mind, the survey asked respondents about the impact that improving the approval flow can provide. Thus, 87% of respondents indicated that they saw medium or high potential for improvement in the agency-client approval flow when demand management solutions were implemented.
Additionally, 59% said they experienced an increase in productivity and efficiency, while 58% said automation simplified the process.
It is worth noting that, when we talk about approval flow, WhatsApp and Email are still the most used options. 76% of respondents pointed out that both are the main tools used in approving customer demands.
Considering that entrepreneurs have the notion that improving the approval flow can have a strong impact on their daily lives and when asked about the current receipt of demands, 41% of those interviewed pointed to a poorly structured flow, with materials sent exclusively by email. Furthermore, 4.8% point out that this process is done completely informally, without any organization or project management platform/tool.
On the other hand, we also had entrepreneurs who are already looking for project management platforms/tools, with 34.9% pointing out that they have a structured flow.
Main services offered by digital agencies and difficulties in completing projects
A digital agency tends to offer a wide catalog of options to its clients. From social media campaigns to systems development. According to those interviewed, display media campaigns were listed as the main requests from customers.
Campaigns for social networks, campaigns with influencers and institutional websites also came out on top among the main types of projects.
Along with the main projects, we also have challenges to be faced. In addition to the aforementioned setbacks with deadlines and changes in scope, digital agencies still face challenges related to inadequate funding (57%), communication failure (40%), lack of client collaboration (36%) and inefficient planning (27) .
How did we arrive at these numbers?
The data presented in this article were collected through an interview with 83 entrepreneurs, including managers (36.1%), directors (24.1%), coordinators/supervisors (12%), CEO (10.8%), analyst (7.2%), among other positions.
The majority were national and independent communication/advertising agencies (44.6%) and communication/advertising agencies that are part of an international group (30.1%). Furthermore, 49.4% of the agencies interviewed have more than 100 people on their team, while 37.3% have between 11 and 99 employees.
The research was carried out in October 2023, with the majority of participants living in the state of So Paulo, representing 87% of participants.
Will we see more focus on the agency-client relationship in project management in 2024?
One thing is a fact: entrepreneurs and leaders of digital agencies understand how automation and, above all, the agency-client relationship in project management is important for the day-to-day running of their company. With new technologies (such as artificial intelligence) coming even more strongly in 2024, we will likely see approval management tools coming to the fore next year.
Ease, practicality and success in executing projects is what every digital agency seeks. Considering an increasingly faster internet and the concern about specific campaigns being lost, an organized approval flow becomes increasingly a priority. Therefore, nothing better than good tools to assist in this process.
Furthermore, we cannot forget the improvements obtained by using a demand management solution. Mapping and reducing risks (78.3%), efficient alignment (71.1%) and increasing productivity and efficiency (59%) are among the main ones, in the opinion of those interviewed.
It’s time to review strategies and look for the best. The focus on success and investment in resources and tools to achieve this result is more than essential. Finally, don’t forget to check out how to choose an approval management tool successfully and improve your workflow.
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