ADVERTISING and marketing agencies are seen as slick, fast and exciting businesses in which everything happens at a breakneck pace.
Begins a spokesperson at Cofficient Ltd: “The glamour of ‘Mad Men’ undoubtedly has coloured people’s perceptions of the industry.
“But, in essence, agencies aren’t much different from other businesses in that they are challenged by inefficiencies and systems which can slow them down.
“So, what are the major IT-related challenges facing marketing and advertising agencies at the moment?
“High-growth businesses – as agencies often are – may find that their systems can’t keep up with their operations. A typical example would be a company with an acquisition agenda, multiple offices or a requirement to keep staff mobile. The systems are often manual and differ across the business.
“Similarly, many agencies like their staff to have the ability to work remotely from an inspiring location such as home, or outside. So there is a need to ensure all staff have access to the systems through mobile platforms.”
The spokesperson adds: “Challenges like this can lead to issues such as poor forecasting, resources and time wasted, poor visibility of cost per client or profitability reporting. These kinds of problems can take the focus off the core business.
“In these circumstances, Cofficient can offer a viable and cost effective solution which is scalable with your business. By taking you through a series of ‘discovery’ sessions, our IT experts can offer solutions which will help your business gain maximum efficiency.
“Cloud-based ERP products, NetSuite and SAP Business By Design, have integrated modules and dashboards which are easy to navigate and can include a live system perspective which allows a ‘helicopter view’ of the entire business.
“Our job is to help you understand which modules you need – and, crucially, those you don’t.
“We take your people through the deployment so that the system is fully-integrated into your business by the time we leave it.”
And the spokesperson continues: “We have a number of developers whose role it is to adapt the software so that it fits around your business perfectly rather than your business trying to fit around it.
“Ultimately, the software will let you gain complete visibility around your business to enable better decisions.
“The most crucial decision is to make sure you use an expert. Your business will only become more efficient if you use the software well.
“Commission a company which will take the time to get to know your business and to understand what your needs are.
“It pays to work with someone who can envisage how you might use the system in the future as well – someone who can anticipate your needs as well as react to them.
“The implementation process can be arduous and difficult – especially when it comes to staff buy-in.
“So, make sure you agree employ a partner who is prepared to stay with you after implementation to ensure that everything is running smoothly and you’re not stuck with software which you cannot use.”
Emma Stewart is sales & marketing director at Cofficient, the business enabling specialists.
For further information, contact Cofficient Ltd, Hillington Innovation Centre, 1 Ainslie Road, Glasgow G52 4RU. T: 0845 6439 126. E: info@cofficient.co.uk.
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Cofficient contact details…
Contact: Emma Stewart
Email: emma.stewart@cofficient.co.uk
Website: http://www.cofficient.co.uk
