Creative agency resource management software

Project management software and resource management software can sometimes be confused, but they have different purposes. While most project management tools are primarily built for task management, resource management tools are centered around the people actually doing the tasks.

Used correctly, resource management software makes it easy to assess employee workloads and availability in real-time, and allocate work effectively across projects and teams.

This is particularly beneficial in a creative agency, where Resource Managers, Traffic Managers, and Studio Managers act as gatekeepers for the influx of work that comes from Client Services teams.

Without specialist software, there is a risk that overlapping projects will put excessive strain on creative resources, leading to project delays.

Resource management tools make the project planning process much more efficient. The end result is the right people working on the right projects at the right time.

By implementing resource management software at your creative agency you can:

• Quickly find the people and resources you need for upcoming projects
• Create realistic project timelines that are based on real-time team availability
• Avoid double-bookings, overallocation, and team burnout
• Identify skill gaps and missing resources before they become bottlenecks
• Analzye utilization rates, capacity, and billable hours for better project forecasting
• Account for vacations, sick leave, and absences when planning projects

In many cases, creative agency resource management software replaces a more manual process, often involving a spreadsheet.

Managing resources this way is slow and inaccurate, as information doesn’t update dynamically. If people change working hours or roles, gain new skills, or if project needs shift, it’s much harder to reassess and reschedule resources on the fly. That can impact project timelines and lose you clients in the long run.

Both internal and client-facing creative teams can benefit from implementing a resource management solution. The bigger and busier the creative team, the more impact it can have! It can be used to manage the workloads of any of the following roles (and more):

• Art Directors
• Copywriters
• Creative Directors
• Graphic Designers
• Illustrators
• Motion Graphic Designers
• Production Artists
• UX/UI Designers
• Web Developers

At most creative agencies, it’s the Resource Manager, Studio Manager, or Traffic Manager that manages incoming creative requests, so they are often the primary users.

However, Team Leads, Managers, and Directors will also appreciate how a resource management tool helps keep projects running smoothly and gives accountability by tracking billable hours and utilization rates.

As with most software, there are various solutions out there to choose between.

The right choice for you will depend on the features offered and how they match up to the way you run your agency and how you manage workloads and teams. After that, there may be a preference based on the cost, user experience, and support offered.

Here are a few of the top features you should look for when choosing a resource management solution:

• Resource management – Can you browse all available people and resources in one place? Can you keep track of important information, like specialist skills, locations, departments, and time zones?
• Resource scheduling – Can you assign work to people and other resources easily? Is it clear who’s working on what and when? Is it easy to view all assigned work in a schedule and edit or delete assignments as required?
• Clash management – Is there a system to prevent double-bookings or excessive overtime? Is it easy to see when scheduling issues arise and can you solve them on the fly?
• Capacity planning – Can you see how much work each person has assigned to them? Is it clear who is overloaded and who is under-utilized? Can you easily plan ahead based on future capacity?
• Leave management – Can vacation and other types of leave be managed alongside working hours? Is it easy to see when someone is out of the office and unavailable?
• Reporting and forecasting – Is it possible to analyze workloads and how many hours are assigned to each person, team, client, or project? Can you report on billable and non-billable hours, utilization rates, and downtime across your agency?
• Integrations – Can you connect to other important systems you use in your workplace? Can you synchronize external calendars with project schedules so all time commitments are in one place?

Features aren’t the only important consideration. A good resource management tool for creative agencies will be easy to use and affordable too. When choosing a solution, the elements below may also weigh into your decision:

• Cost – Is the tool affordable for your business? Will it cost more as your team grows? Are there options to upgrade and add extra features? If so, what do they cost?
• Usability – Is the tool easy to use or will it take a long time to upskill and onboard your team? Can everyone complete their daily tasks with minimum fuss? Is the interface clear or confusing?
• Customer support – Is there help on hand if needed? Is there a Help Center to answer common questions?

You should evaluate creative agency resource management software based on all the above factors.

You may find that no one tool does everything perfectly, or there is more than one that meets your needs, so create a shortlist and try them out for yourself. Many tools offer a free trial which gives you the chance to see how it works for your team.