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Implement a New Project Management Tool

September 24, 2024

How to Implement a New Project Management Tool in Your Agency

Struggling to integrate new software into your workflow? Hoping to implement a new project management tool in your agency, but aren’t sure where to start?

Don’t worry—you're not alone! We’re here to help with our tips on getting started, creating a strategy, supporting your agency team, and moving forward after implementation.

Get support from agency leadership first

Getting leadership support is crucial for the successful adoption of any new tool. Buy-in from executives and leaders can make a huge impact on how your team reacts to change.

First, include your managers in your project management tool selection process. You’re showing them and the rest of your team that their opinions matter. Plus, a new project management system has to align with their existing workflows! It’s best to involve leadership from the jump to avoid disruptions down the line.

Presenting the benefits and ROI (return on investment) to leadership will help win them over, too. Tell them what this new project management tool for your agency will do, problems it will solve, or results it will produce. Lower costs, better efficiency, more deadlines met — be specific in explaining what’s in it for them.

Have a plan for training, rollout, and adjustments

Create a strategy

It’s crucial to develop a comprehensive training strategy before implementing your new project management tool. One key decision is whether to roll it out all at once or in phases.

Rolling out all at once:

  • Pros: Everyone is onboarded at the same time, creating uniformity and allowing the entire team to begin using the tool immediately. This can speed up the adoption process and help teams get aligned faster.
  • Cons: It can overwhelm the team, especially if they’re learning a completely new system. There’s also a higher risk of missed steps or incomplete understanding, which could lead to inefficiencies.

Phased rollout:

  • Pros: A more gradual introduction allows the team to adjust in stages, reducing overwhelm. It also provides opportunities for feedback and refinement after each phase, helping to improve training and tool customization.
  • Cons: The team may experience inconsistencies as different departments or individuals are using different systems simultaneously. This could temporarily disrupt workflows until everyone is fully onboarded.

Choosing the right approach depends on your team’s size, complexity of processes, and readiness to adapt. Both strategies can work well, but tailoring the rollout to fit your agency’s needs is key to success.

Here are a few other ideas you can use to train your team:

  • Host a live walkthrough or demo of the new software
  • Plan webinars or workshops so that team members can dig deeper into the tool
  • Schedule hands-on sessions for employees to practice using the software
  • Make training resources like FAQs, case studies, and tutorials easily accessible to your team (more on that in a minute)
  • Update training resources regularly

For more tips on implementing new tools for your agency, check out our blog “How to Build Systems in Your Agency (and the Best Tools for the Job)”!

Keep your team in the loop with internal resources

One of the best things you can do for your agency is have an SOP Library in place, not just for your new project management tool, but to house all your resources. We highly recommend having one source of truth that everyone on your team can access when they have a question.

We also like using ClickUp for our SOP Library so much so that we created a template. You can grab our FREE SOP Library Template from the ClickUp Community Center!

Always be iterating and learning

Is the new software a hit with your team, or not so much? You won’t know unless you check in with how things are going after the tool has been fully implemented. Not just one check in, either. Schedule regular follow-ups to make sure your team is satisfied and that the tool is doing its job.

You also won’t know in measurable terms unless you set KPIs (key performance indicators) at the beginning. KPIs will tell you what’s working with the new project management system, what’s not, and where there’s room for improvement.

When measuring the effectiveness of a new project management tool, agencies should focus on specific, actionable KPIs that directly reflect improvements in workflow, efficiency, and team performance. Here are some targeted KPIs to consider:

  1. Task Completion Rate: Track how often tasks are completed on time versus overdue. A higher completion rate signals improved team efficiency and project flow.
  2. Time to Project Completion: Measure the average time it takes to complete projects before and after implementing the tool. A decrease here indicates streamlined processes.
  3. Resource Utilization: Assess how effectively your team’s time and skills are being used. You can track the percentage of team members’ capacity used for billable versus non-billable work.
  4. Task Turnaround Time: Evaluate how long it takes for individual tasks to be completed. This is a good indicator of how much the PM tool is speeding up workflows.
  5. Client Satisfaction Scores: Use client feedback or post-project surveys to see how the tool has impacted project delivery, communication, and overall satisfaction.
  6. Team Communication Metrics: Monitor how often teams use in-platform communication features, such as comments and updates. This can show if the tool is improving collaboration and reducing email clutter.
  7. Workload Balance: Track workload distribution across team members to ensure work is evenly spread, preventing burnout and ensuring optimal use of team capacity.
  8. Error Rate/Quality Control: If the tool is properly implemented, errors or rework should decrease. Tracking the number of revisions or corrections needed per project can show how the tool impacts quality.
  9. Cost of Project Delivery: Compare the total cost of delivering a project, including time, resources, and labor, before and after using the PM tool. Efficiency gains should lead to reduced costs over time.

By focusing on these specific KPIs, agencies can get a clear view of how effectively the project management tool is improving their operations.

Use templates to speed up adoption

Project management tools can be overwhelming. It’s not just a different way of doing things; all those features and customization options can intimidate anyone in an agency. If you find your team stalling because of this, consider using templates to do the heavy lifting.

Templates pre-built for your chosen project management tool can save you time. A template lets you skip the trial-and-error phase and shows you and your team members what your new software can do. They often come with helpful instructions and tutorials to get you acquainted with the tool, too.

What kind of templates might you use in your agency? Here are a few:

You can find these templates and more in our very own Template Shop!

Focus on the system, not the tool

Your new project management system is just one part of the larger machine that is your agency. You’re not changing everything. Most importantly, this new tool (if you’ve chosen right) will support your existing workflows and systems, not disrupt them.

A good, systematized workflow ensures every task is clearly defined, assigned to the right team member, and has a set deadline. For example, in a well-structured agency workflow using ClickUp, a new client project follows a clear pipeline: onboarding tasks are automatically triggered upon contract signing, assigned to the appropriate departments, and progress is tracked in real-time via Dashboards. Each step flows seamlessly into the next, minimizing confusion, reducing manual work, and allowing the team to focus on value-added tasks.

On the other hand, a bad workflow lacks clarity and organization. Tasks might be assigned informally over email or chat, leading to missed deadlines and duplicated work. Without a centralized tool, team members spend time searching for updates or figuring out who’s responsible for what, causing bottlenecks and delays.

When a strong tool like ClickUp is aligned with a good workflow, it ensures smooth transitions between tasks, automates repetitive processes, and provides visibility into progress, making things easier for the entire team. A poor workflow, however, can make even the best tool ineffective, leading to more manual work, miscommunication, and inefficiencies.

Not sure whether this project management tool is best for your agency? Try these tips:

  • Remind yourself of your agency’s goals. Will this new software help you achieve that goal? For example, if you want to bring in more leads in the next quarter, and your tool will automate your process for responding to your leads, then yes, it’ll help!
  • Map out your workflows. Ideally, you should do this before picking a new tool because it can help you choose the best one for your agency. But it doesn’t hurt to do it again after you’ve begun training!
  • Get feedback. Ask your team what they think of the software and how it fits into your current workflows. Listen, and take note of any objections or challenges your team members are facing.

Remember to think big picture when implementing a new project management tool for your agency. Positive changes are happening to support your team! Even if there are hiccups along the way.

Make sure your agency is open to change

What does it take to successfully implement a new project management tool? Careful planning, training, and ongoing adjustments. Get leadership on board from the start, support your team, and focus on system integration. You’ll enjoy a smooth adoption of your new software and reap its benefits much faster!

One final thought we’ll leave you with: encourage an adaptive mindset for your agency.

Successful agencies are flexible and open to change. They’re constantly looking for ways to improve their systems, so that their client-facing work gets better, too! This mindset comes from the top-down, so leaders, project managers, and account managers: it’s on you to show your team the way.

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