The Problem with Generic ERPs

Most agencies are running their finances on systems never designed for them. NetSuite, SAP, and other “big box” ERPs are powerful—if you’re a manufacturer or retailer. But agencies live and breathe differently: projects instead of products, time instead of units, and margins that are razor-thin and client-dependent.

That mismatch creates friction:

  • Endless customizations and workarounds just to mirror agency workflows.
  • Reports that require a “translation layer” between system logic and agency reality.
  • Implementation timelines that drag on for 6–12 months, often requiring costly outside integrators.

In short: generic ERPs force agencies to fit into their mold, rather than flexing to fit the way agencies operate.

The Reality of Agency Finance

Agency CFOs and COOs face unique challenges:

  • Tracking work-in-progress (WIP) with real-time revenue recognition.
  • Managing multi-client and multi-job billing.
  • Forecasting revenue and staffing with accuracy.
  • Handling multi-currency, multi-entity consolidation across global offices.

Generic ERPs weren’t built to solve these. That’s why finance leaders end up patching together spreadsheets and manual processes—losing valuable time and risking costly errors.

What Agencies Actually Need

Agencies don’t need “another module.” They need a platform built from the ground up around agency finance. That means:

  • Real-time visibility: Profitability dashboards at the job, client, and portfolio level.
  • Seamless integration: Playing nicely with CRM, project management, and media tools—not competing with them.
  • Fast, focused implementation: Go-live in under 90 days, not a year.
  • High-touch partnership: An extension of your team, not just a vendor.

Why Accountability Works

Accountability was founded by a former agency CFO who lived these frustrations firsthand. Our purpose-built platform solves one problem exceptionally well: agency finance.

With features like structured data for automation and AI, in-house onboarding (no third parties), and a mobile app designed for time and expense tracking, Accountability is trusted by agencies from Wieden+Kennedy to Crossmedia and Barkley.

We don’t ask you to bend your business around our system. We built our system to fit your business.

The Bottom Line

Generic ERPs fail agencies because they weren’t built for them. Accountability was.

Agency finance isn’t a module—it’s our entire platform.

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