Software for Agencies
Contents
In the agency business, efficiency is the decisive competitive advantage. Every day we juggle with a wide variety of customers and projects. Keeping track of progress, risks, times and inquiries from customers and employees is a challenge for agencies.
What agency software does
Agency software is used to ensure that customer projects succeed smoothly and that the entire agency works like clockwork with internal departments of the clients. Such software for agencies performs some or all of the following:
- Manage contacts
- Plan and manage appointments
- Plan, manage and control projects
- Accounting (entering and posting incoming and outgoing documents)
- Time tracking to track hours for permanent and freelancers
- Workforce planning and resource planning
- Document Management (DMS)
- Employee planning and working time management
- Import and export of data (billing, project management)
- Statistics and forecasts of business areas and projects
Find the best agency software
Which software is the best agency software depends on the circumstances of the agency. Large agencies have different requirements than freelancers or small teams. But the structure and availability of software solutions for agencies also plays a decisive role.
- Can the software be in the cloud? Then SaaS solution (Software as a Service) comes into question.
- Do you prefer to remain “master of your own data”? Then you usually want to host the software on your own servers.
- Is it not yet clear how to use the agency software optimally? Then modular systems have an advantage.
Agency software in comparison
There are many very different software solutions for agencies. At this point we would like to introduce some established programs. It is a rough overview, as a detailed agency software comparison would go beyond the scope.
Is software missing? Simply enter them in the Marketing Tools directory .
Deals & Projects
The agency software Deals & Projects of the company julitec from Nuremberg is one of the simplest solutions – in a positive sense. The tidy interface supports all processes from project acquisition and order to billing.
Tools are available for task management, contact management, appointment management, time tracking and accounting. The connection to various popular third-party providers is also possible, such as MailChimp, Outlook 365, Gmail, Sipgate, of course DATEV, zendesk and the automation tool zapier. For all other purposes, there is a REST API.
Only the missing mobile app disturbs the overall picture somewhat, but thanks to the responsive web interface, it can – provided a good data connection – also be used comfortably on the go. (Deals & Projects)
easyJOB
The agency software easyJOB from Because Software AG is interesting for small teams and larger agencies. The small variant called easyJOB [compact] is aimed at agencies that have up to 10 employees. It can be booked as a cloud subscription according to the usual SaaS model. Included are the basic functions that are important for all agencies, such as time recording, project management, resource planning, controlling and billing.
The full version of easyJOB can be used much more extensively, thanks to additional apps, modules and interfaces. Customers of this variant have access to functions such as change history, request management, calculation, media tools for ads, document management, OCR for receipts, payment overview and forecasts, approvals, a job assistant and advanced search in documents. For full-service agencies, easyJOB also offers exciting tools for media planning.
The usual proprietary RESTful API, DATEV, Jira, Personio, SAP as well as SEPA and rydoo are available as interfaces. The comprehensive app portfolio for smartphones and tablets is likely to be an exciting unique selling point for many agencies because it makes it somewhat more independent of the weak mobile network in Germany. This brings appointments, time tracking and dashboards to the mobile phone.
In terms of price, easyJOB is certainly in the upper segment, but it can also do a lot. (www.because-software.com)
MOCO
The agency software MOCO is quite lean and agile. This software, developed in Switzerland by hundertzehn GmbH, is aimed at agencies and other project-based service providers.
MOCO focuses on the interfaces zapier, API and WebHooks, which offers many possibilities. This makes it just as easy to offer events and data for collaboration with Trello and Jira as accounting or newsletter dispatch. However, this should not obscure the fact that in some cases it can only be regarded as an emergency solution according to the motto “better than nothing”.
What convinces MOCO is the tidy interface, the good speed and the moderate price. Time tracking is even possible with a mobile app under iOS and Android very conveniently. Whether MOCO is the best software for the purpose can be found out risk-free in a 30-day trial version. (MOCO)
Poool
Poool my office is offered as business and agency software. With a simple interface, the Austrian company Poool Software & Consulting GmbH presents the numerous functions, such as: project management, accounting, resource planning, outgoing invoices, appointment calendar, time recording, vacation planning, address book and ordering. There are Gantt charts, lead management (so as not to miss a deal) and tons of tools for communication and evaluation.
What makes poool my office stand out is the transparent pricing model. There are no modules or add-ons, only the all-in price. Billing is based on the employee’s license and function. The main user account is the most expensive. The simple time tracking accounts are available at half price. There are cheaper solutions, but as always, it depends on the needs and tastes of the agency. (www.poool.cc)
Troi
Troi is one of the most demanding software packages. It covers the full scope of agency activity, which is of course reflected in the learning curve and costs. Fortunately, all this is modular and represented in different packages: There are three variants of the software, for small agencies, medium-sized agencies and large agencies. As usual with such potential market leader systems, the costs vary greatly depending on the scope of services, but can only be determined in direct contact with the provider.
The basic version of the agency software troi consists of the modules desk, bulletin board, project tasks (a simple task list), contact management, appointment management, time recording and absences. In addition, there are modules for project management (plans, GANT charts, resources, project customers, protocols), detailed reporting (time evaluation, hour evaluation, sales forecasts), release management (have offers and invoices released), accounting, public relations and employee management.
In addition to the usual suspects, the list of interfaces includes the finance app say, the business intelligence tool Power BI and the HR specialist Personio. There is an API, but zapier is missing. With this, and due to the price structure, troi is more suitable for larger agencies from our point of view. The company’s consulting offer, in which the software is individually optimized for the agency processes, is also aimed at them. (www.troi.de)