Innovate to accumulate
In our latest weekly column, Stuart Hodgkinson, client services director, RMG Connect, looks at how new ways of working can help a business grow and succeed.
The question that every business is asking itself now is how can it continue to grow and achieve success, despite the difficulties caused by constant talk of recession, economic uncertainty and tightened purse-strings. Those firms that take the time to assess their own performance and have the courage to invest time, resources and money in self improvement are ultimately those that will have the best chance of succeeding when the recession lifts.
Looking at and changing a business’ processes and ways of working is not always easy, but the outcome of such changes can be hugely beneficial. In fact a company that is stuck in a rut and following outdated and ineffective procedures is actually endangering itself further in an already unstable business environment.
The most important thing for companies to remember is that relationships with clients and potential clients are more vital than they ever have been. Losing a customer or not winning a new one is far more damaging now than it would have been last year, and as a result, huge effort must be put into ensuring the service being provided can build trust, loyalty and satisfaction.
Our innovative working model, Worksmart, means that project managers are more intrinsically involved in every aspect of what we do. Project managers now sit alongside the creative and account handling teams, and are client facing. This means that project managers can update clients continually on where work is against a delivery timeline and budget, and can agree any changes directly. An added benefit for clients is that they are kept informed of and involved in the progression and development of tasks, and consulted when things need to be changed.
A way of working such as this enables us to take responsibility for our work and the progress of projects into one area; in this case, project managers have a specific remit to see everything is carried out effectively and efficiently. As a consequence, clients can be assured that their campaigns are being delivered efficiently, but also in an organised and measured manner that is easy to assess and track as the project progresses
The benefits of having a project management system or any new or revitalised working practice in place are numerous. Not only do such processes mean that you will have improved quality assurance within your business, it also serves as an early warning for any potential problems. If everything is being tracked and measured, it’s easy to see where possible issues could arise. It’s also a great way of providing rigorous financial tracking, so that budgets can be kept to and the clients can see the value of their investments. If companies can adhere to these practices and achieve these benefits, then their client relationships will be much stronger, and as a result they will be in a much better position when the economic upturn arrives.