Think managing projects is hard? Try juggling resources at an agency where demands shift by the minute, clients expect quick turnarounds, and your team might be one campaign away from burnout. Sound familiar? You’re in good company! Agencies thrive on creativity, but behind the scenes, staying profitable and keeping your team happy comes down to one thing: resource management. Manage this well, and you’re a hero. Drop the ball, and, well, you probably already know how that feels.
Why Resource Management Should Be Any Agency’s Superpower
Ever felt like your most talented designer is always “too busy”? Or maybe you’ve lost track of who’s available for that last-minute client request. At its core, resource management is about having the right people on the right projects at the right time. Do that, and you get:
- Happier staff (no more overload or underutilization)
- Projects delivered on time, and sometimes even under budget
- Realistic scheduling (goodbye, deadline chaos)
- Smoother client experiences
- Profit margins that actually make you smile
For agencies, resource management isn’t just best practice. It’s survival.
Three Challenges Every Agency Faces (And How to Deal)
1. Balancing Team Workloads Across Too Many Projects
Does it feel like your team is always working on five things at once? That’s the agency way, but it doesn’t mean constant chaos has to be normal! When workloads are lopsided, you’ll notice:
- A few key people drowning in work while others twiddle their thumbs
- More late nights than anyone wants to admit
- Sneaky feelings of burnout or boredom
Best Practices for Happier, Balanced Teams
- Know Your Team’s Skills and Capacity: Keep a cheat sheet of everyone’s strengths, preferences, and availability. Who loves high-pressure sprints? Who’s a spreadsheet wizard? Match projects to people, not just bandwidth.
- Prioritize with the Big Picture in Mind: When possible, focus on projects that move the agency forward—not just the ones making the most noise today. Sometimes saying “no” to a lower-value project saves a ton of stress.
- Spot Other Time Sucks: Don’t forget about “invisible” work (emails, onboarding, reviews). Build space in schedules for these tasks.
- Use Resource Tools: An all-in-one tool like Deltek WorkBook gives you a dashboard view of capacity, so you can see exactly who’s slammed and who’s not at a glance.
2. Crystal Ball Problems (A.K.A. Forecasting Resources)
Nothing tanks morale like landing new business only to realize you don’t have the staff to back it up. Or the opposite—having a full roster, then running out of projects. Without good forecasting, agencies end up:
- Scrambling for freelancers at the last second (and paying a premium)
- Hiring too late (hello, missed deadlines)
- Over-hiring and watching budgets bleed
Smarter Ways to Get Ahead of the Curve
- Pipeline Planning: Start assigning “future” roles as soon as a lead hits 75% probability. Even if you don’t have names, block the hours and skill sets you’ll need.
- Map Skills, Not Just Headcount: Track who can flex into different roles when needed. The more versatile your team, the easier it gets to weather busy seasons.
- Keep Revenue in View: Forecast both signed projects and likely wins, so you’re not left guessing when to hire or call in freelancers. Pair revenue predictions with resource gaps for a true big-picture view.
- Lean on Tech: Tools like Deltek WorkBook combine forecasting with real-time schedules so you can model different future scenarios (plus, WorkBook’s dashboards are actually kind of fun to use).
3. Keeping Everyone on the Same Page (And Time Tracking That Doesn’t Suck)
Even in small agencies, communication slips. Teams miss updates, tasks get lost, clients ping you at the last minute, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling. Add inconsistent time tracking, and your budget is toast. You might see:
- Missed deadlines (and blame games)
- Unprofitable projects (with no idea why)
- Unhappy clients who never get the quick responses they crave
What Actually Works
- Centralize Project Info: Ditch the scattered docs. Use one agency management platform where tasks, files, conversations, and time logs all live together.
- Choose a Time Tracking Tool Your Team Doesn’t Hate: Make it visual, fast, and mobile-friendly. Explain that it’s about fair workload—not just billing.
- Set Up Recurring Check-ins: Daily standups. Weekly project reviews. Automated reminders for time tracking. The rhythm beats missed details every time.
- Invest in Reporting: If you can’t tell at a glance who’s working on what and how long it’s taking, you’re flying blind.
- Celebrate Good Habits: Shout out team members who always stay on top of their time sheets or proactively flag resource concerns.
Your Secret Weapon for Winning Resource Management
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably thinking, “Cool, but who has time to build all these spreadsheets and keep them updated?” No one does! That’s why automation exists.
Meet Deltek WorkBook
WorkBook isn’t just another project tool. Here’s why agencies love it:
- All-in-One Dashboard: See current capacity, pipeline, schedules, and revenue forecasts in one place. No more hunting through a dozen tools.
- Forecasting Meets Flexibility: Model hiring plans or freelance needs months out so you staff up (or down) with confidence.
- Automatic Skills Mapping: Log everyone’s talents and use smart matching for new projects. No more “Who’s free?” Slack messages every hour.
- Real-Time Budget & Hours Tracking: Follow projects from scoping through delivery. Spot problems before they spiral.
- Pipeline Integration: Connect sales, account, and delivery teams so everyone knows what’s coming and who’s needed.
- Easy Reporting: Dashboards and graphs make it simple to share updates with clients or leadership without hours spent on PowerPoint.
What Makes WorkBook Stand Out?
- Grows with you (from 5 people to 500)
- Integrates with other platforms like Slack, Teams, and finance tools
- Designed for creative agencies by people who’ve actually worked at one
Don’t take our word for it. Agencies using WorkBook report:
- 30% reduction in scheduling conflicts
- 25% faster quote-to-invoice cycle
- Higher net promoter scores from both clients and employees
Give Burnout and Budget Chaos the Boot
Resource management at agencies is tough, but it doesn’t have to be a constant headache. When you put the right processes in place and leverage tools like Deltek WorkBook, you get to focus on what made you start your agency in the first place—doing great work with a happy team.
No more dread at the Monday morning standup. No more endless “Who’s available?” emails. Just data-backed confidence that your agency can deliver, grow, and thrive.
Want to see how WorkBook can help your agency master resource management? Book a demo with PCI and get a personalized walkthrough. Your team (and your future self) will thank you. Contact PCI for a WorkBook demo now!
