Month: November 2022

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The Scary Truth About Overworked Employees (and what to do about it)

The simple answer is that overworked employees puts your agency at risk. But the real, underlying answer is much scarier. The truth is that overworked employees can lead to disgruntled colleagues (which jeopardizes your client relations), Scope Creep, and a host of other problems. So, let’s look at each of these in turn.

Disgruntled Employees: When an employee is overworked, it’s only a matter of time before it impacts their work. And when a change in performance is reflected on a client’s project, it reflects poorly on the agency. Your best performers, when overworked, now become your agency’s biggest liability.

Scope Creep: Another big problem with overworked employees is that they’re more likely to engage in Scope Creep. Scope Creep is when an employee starts doing tasks outside their scope of work to try and meet an unrealistic deadline. This inevitably leads to even more work and lower-quality output overall. In the end, everyone loses. 

Turnover: Finally, one of the scariest truths about overworked employees is that they’re far more likely to leave an agency. This turnover can be incredibly costly, not just in terms of the money spent on recruiting and training new staff but also in terms of morale. When good employees leave, it can ripple effect throughout the agency, leading to even more turnover and decreased productivity overall. 

Accountability’s Integrated agency management lets you control your financial position and client profitability with comprehensive project financials, time tracking, production billing, and accounting capabilities designed exclusively for agencies. And by automating manual tasks, this frees up time for your colleagues to focus on higher-value tasks (the ones your clients really care about)!

The truth is that overworked employees are a massive liability for advertising agencies. To avoid these problems, manage your team’s workloads carefully and ensure that everyone has enough time to rest and recharge. Your employees (and clients) will thank you for it in the long run! 

See our platform in action and learn more about how Accountability can deliver strategic financial insights to drive profitable business outcomes. Schedule a demo today.  

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10 things we are thankful for this Thanksgiving

From daily brainstorming sessions to finding that perfect pixel, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget what we’re thankful for. So, this Thanksgiving, we’re taking a step back and reflecting on things that make us love our jobs (and agency partners). So here are 10 things we are thankful for this holiday season.

  1. Brainstorming sessions that turn into happy hours. 
  2. Our clients have become our friends. It’s always felt like a community and we know that’s rare.
  3. Really good coffee.
  4. The ability to work from wherever we want (thanks, laptops!). 
  5. Counting how many times someone has said “you’re muted” on Zoom calls each day. 
  6. Customer feedback that initiates new and exciting projects keeps us on our toes (and ahead of the competition). 
  7. Seeing the fruits of our labor come to life and knowing, together, we’re making a difference. 
  8. Starting the day in Mumbai and finishing in Shanghai.
  9. The work days fly by and our calendars are filled means we’re in high demand! 
  10. Most importantly, the relationships we’ve built with our clients and coworkers over the years—we couldn’t do it without you! 

From brainstorming sessions turned happy hours to relationships built over the years, we have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season! So, here’s hoping your Thanksgiving is just as full of things to love as ours is! 

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Signs that your ERP is underperforming

There are a few key signs that your ERP system is overburdened and not performing as well as it should be. Here are some things to look out for:

  • Your system is slow or crashes frequently. This can signify that your system doesn’t have enough processing power or memory to handle all the tasks you’re asking it to perform. If this is the case, you may need to switch to a cloud-based solution.
  • You constantly must work around the limitations of your system. If you find yourself having to use Excel spreadsheets or other manual processes to combine data from your ERP with your project management system, it’s a sign that you have disconnected software. This inefficiency costs you time and money.
  • Your employees are unhappy with the system. If your employees constantly complain about your ERP system’s usability, this is a flag that requires some exploration. Is it a training issue? Or is the platform not meeting their needs? A sound ERP system should be intuitive; if yours isn’t, it may be time for a change.

Now that we’ve looked at signs that your ERP system may be underperforming let’s discuss how you can ensure it’s up to the task. Here are a few tips:

  • Don’t try to do too much with one system. No system can be the best at everything. You should consider best-of-breed solutions. Your ERP system should be focused on core business functions such as accounting, inventory management, and order fulfillment. Using one system for everything—including human resources, project management, and CRM—will inevitably disappoint.
  • Work with a reputable vendor. When choosing an ERP vendor, make sure you choose one with a good reputation and a track record of success. Avoid vendors who make promises they can’t keep or offer rock-bottom prices; these vendors are likely to cut corners and deliver subpar products.
  • Choose a specialist! Accountability works with agencies, period. Our sole focus is our core proficiency – providing the best financial accountability for advertising agencies. That’s what our ERP was built for and that’s what we support.

Control your financial position and client profitability with comprehensive project management, time tracking, production billing, and accounting capabilities designed exclusively for agencies. Download our product sheet here.

A connected ERP system is critical to the success of your organization; it handles all your data and drives your day-to-day operations. So, it’s essential that you invest in one that future-proofs your agency. Following the tips in this blog post, you can ensure your ERP system is running smoothly and efficiently—and keep your organization running like a well-oiled machine!

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A Time to Remember and Honor Those Who Have Served

Veterans Day

Veterans Day is an important holiday commemorating the service of men and women in the United States Armed Forces. It is a time to remember the fallen and honor those who have served our country.

The History of Veterans Day
Veterans Day was initially called Armistice Day and was established to mark the end of World War I. On November 11th, 1918, representatives from Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside of Compiegne, France. The agreement went into effect at 11 a.m.—the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the month.” In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11th Armistice Day, a day dedicated to “the cause of world peace.”

In 1938, Armistice Day became a national holiday in the United States. In 1954, after veterans’ groups lobbied for the name to be changed to Veterans Day, Congress passed legislation changing the holiday’s name. Veterans Day is now observed on November 11th every year.

How to Observe Veterans Day

This Veterans Day, take some time out of your day to remember and honor those who have served. Visit a war memorial or cemetery, fly the flag at half-staff, or attend a local Veteran’s Day parade or event. Most importantly, if you know a veteran, thank them for their service.

National WWI Museum and Memorial Kansas City,MO

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From Certified Accountability ERP Specialist to Customer Experience Lead

At Accountability, our primary mission is to support the financial transformation of the most innovative agencies, while continuously looking for ways to empower and advance women’s leadership in the industry. Earlier this year, we launched a certification program exclusively for women looking to return to the marketing and advertising industry. Each candidate goes through each phase of the agency’s financial workflow while learning the Accountability platform and the company’s implementation process. Upon completion of the program, a candidate becomes part of Accountability’s certified network of implementation and support specialists. Unlike big-box ERPs, Accountability certified specialists are an extension of the Accountability team, ensuring a consistent customer experience.

We caught up with Jennifer Ventrudo, Director of Customer Experience, to learn more about her journey and how Accountability’s ERP Certification program has helped her confidently re-enter the industry after taking some time off to focus on her family.

Tell us a little about yourself. 

I am a mother of two wonderful boys, Vincent, and Luke. Being a mom is one of the best jobs I have ever had and seeing them grow into beautiful human beings gives me such joy. I started in finance as an accountant and got my CPA. Even when I took the time to raise my children, I was very hands-on with my husband’s business, handling all the finances.

Family, ERP Certification, Accountability
Jennifer with her husband and children

What made you decide to return to work?

After taking some time off, I realized I missed working in the industry. I loved helping streamline an agency’s financial operations through creative problem-solving and a best-in-class platform. I’m an accountant by trade but have spent over a decade implementing and supporting financial systems for holding companies, including a stint at Mediaocean, Grey, and Harris. However, I knew it would be challenging to re-enter the workforce after being out for so long. That’s when I heard about Accountability’s ERP certification program. 

Please tell us a little bit about the certification process.  

The certification process covered everything from financial accounting to project management. It was also very flexible, which was important for me since I still cared for my family while completing the program. The program allowed me to brush up on my skills and knowledge to hit the ground running when I returned to work. 

How has the program helped you?  

It has allowed me to hit the ground running and contribute from day one. Additionally, it has given me confidence in my abilities and made me feel like a valuable team member. In addition to having access to the Accountability platform to apply what I’m learning, I also had the opportunity to work on an actual client implementation while I was completing the certification. This hands-on approach was crucial. I’m now running a global implementation and having a great time!

Tell us more about the program

Accountability’s ERP Certification Program was designed to provide our agencies access to our company’s network of ERP specialists. The difference between us and our competition is that the specialists are hired by Accountability as freelancers or full-time employees. The program launched during International Women’s Day was focused on recruiting women who want to transition back into the workforce, so it was a safe space to learn with others who are in the same position.

To learn more about Accountability’s Certification Program, send us an email at info@counta.com and follow us on LinkedIn for an update on the next class.