💡 Truth bomb: The average agency wastes 10 hours per month searching for information across disconnected project management tools and another 5 hours compiling reports manually.
That’s 15 hours lost every month—nearly a full workweek per quarter spent on inefficiencies instead of billable work.
We recently worked with a 150+ member agency that went through an extensive selection process, testing multiple tools, creating an RFI (Request for Information), and mapping out workflows. But what if you don’t have months to evaluate options?
Whether you’re running a large agency with 100+ people or a small team that needs a quick solution, this guide will show you how to choose the right agency project management tool without overcomplicating the process.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Get your sh*t together before you start comparing tools
Before diving into endless demos, take a step back. What does your agency actually need?
Scenario: The chaos of too many tools
Many agencies operate like this:
❌ Budgets? In Excel.
❌ Project planning? A random tool.
❌ Tasks? ClickUp, Asana, etc.
❌ Time tracking? Toggl, Clockify, etc.
❌ Finances? An accounting tool only the finance team understands.
❌ Reports? Manually built in Excel or Power BI.
And the worst part? None of these tools are properly integrated. In the best-case scenario, they use API bridges, but often, there’s no real connection at all.
For Large teams (100+ People)
📌 Pro Tip: Before evaluating tools, create a simple table listing:
Must-haves (e.g., budget tracking, time tracking, task management)
Nice-to-haves (e.g., Slack integration, AI-powered automation)
Deal-breakers (e.g., lack of reporting, bad UX, missing multi-client support)
For Small teams (Under 20 People)
If you’re smaller and more flexible, you don’t need a fully structured process. Instead:
👉 Start with one core feature, like budgeting or task management.
👉 Test a tool with a small group before rolling it out.
👉 Keep things agile—you can always scale later.
💡 Recommended tools to start with:
Allfred – The all-in-one tool built for agencies, with budget tracking, invoicing, and full workflow management.
Kontentino – A must-have if your agency works with social media scheduling and approvals.
Step 2: Understand that this will take time (or go step-by-step If you’re small)
The worst thing you can do is rush this decision and end up switching tools in 6 months.
Typical timeline for finding the right tool:
📌 1st Month – Researching & shortlisting tools
📌 2nd Month – Testing free trials & running internal evaluations
📌 3rd Month – Final decision, onboarding, and training
For small teams: You don’t have to implement everything at once. Start small:
Phase 1: Use Allfred just for budgeting or task management first.
Phase 2: Once your team adapts, add time tracking.
Phase 3: Integrate invoicing and financial reporting.
💡 Pro Tip: A phased approach lets your team adjust gradually without feeling overwhelmed.
Want to skip the guesswork? Book a 15-minute strategy call with Allfred’s team to see if it’s the right fit.
Step 3: Shortlist project management tools that actually fit your agency (not just what’s popular)
Not all project management tool is built for agencies. Most tools were designed for IT teams, startups, or general business use—and it shows.
What agencies need (That most tools don’t offer)
📌 Budget management & invoicing – Your agency lives and dies by margins.
📌 Client-friendly dashboards – So you don’t have to send 15 different reports.
📌 Simple time tracking – Because your team hates manual timesheets.
📌 Workflow automation – Repetitive tasks should take seconds, not hours.
Top Agency-friendly tools to consider:
Allfred – The ultimate end-to-end agency management software. (Seriously, it replaces 3-4 other tools.)
Kontentino – If content approvals and social media planning are a mess, this is your tool.
ClickUp – Great for task management, but lacks agency-specific financial tracking.
Asana – Clean UI, but you’ll likely need additional software for invoicing & financials.
💡 Pro Tip: Test at least 2-3 tools before committing. One demo isn’t enough—use free trials, invite key team members, and see what actually works in real scenarios.
Step 4: Avoid these common mistakes (or regret it later)
🚨 Mistake #1: Ignoring user adoption
If your team doesn’t use it, it’s useless. Make sure the tool is intuitive, easy to onboard, and not an admin nightmare.
🚨 Mistake #2: Choosing based on price alone
The cheapest option isn’t always the best. Consider long-term efficiency gains over monthly costs.
🚨 Mistake #3: Overlooking onboarding & support
Does the company offer workshops, knowledge bases, and live support? If not, onboarding will be painful.
Final thoughts: The right project management tool will save you hundreds of hours
The right agency project management tool isn’t just a convenience—it’s the difference between chaos and control.
✅ Reduce admin work and manual reporting
✅ Increase billable hours and revenue
✅ Centralize workflows & improve team collaboration
💡 Still unsure? See real agency case studies on how they transformed their workflow with Allfred:
📖 Read the stories here
🔗 Ready to simplify your agency workflow? Try Allfred today.
