The Business Side of Design: Systems That Support Studio Growth
Needless to say, running a design studio is more than just your creative endeavours.
Sound familiar?
You have a tonne of projects coming your way. Invoices go missing. Clients have unrealistic deadlines. You’re churning out amazing work, but your business admin is about as consistent as an old fan spinning on its last legs.
…the studios that never invest in building systems to take care of the business side of things eventually hit a wall.
And they can’t seem to scale past that wall no matter how good their design work is.
Contents
In this article:
- Why Design Studios Need Business Systems?
- ERP Implementation Services Demystified
- Scaling Studio Operations With Technology
- How to Choose your Implementation Partner
Why Design Studios Need Business Systems?
The global design agency market size was valued at $256.7 billion in 2023. The competition is real.
If you want your slice of the billion-dollar pie, then your studio needs to stand out.
And when we’re talking standing out in a competitive industry. Operational excellence is what sets winners apart from also-rans.
It’s no fun growing your team from 5 to 20 people. Sudden growth is stressful for any business.
Spreadsheets you used to manage projects become overwhelming. It takes hours to compile financial reports that used to take minutes.
This is exactly why design studios need robust business systems.
Enterprise resource planning software is essentially all of your business operations in one convenient place. Finance, projects, resource scheduling, and even client information all in one place.
If you’re looking to scale your design studio, then ERP implementation services enable that growth by laying down the business systems needed to operate efficiently at a larger scale.
Partnering with seasoned Oracle netsuite partners can greatly reduce your risk and maximize your chances of a successful implementation.
Keep in mind…
Research shows that 50% of ERP implementations fail on their first try. Yikes.
But that doesn’t have to be you.
The informed studios that do their research and know what to expect defeat the odds and come out on top.
ERP Implementation Services Demystified
ERP implementation services takes care of everything related to implementing business software.
From start to finish. They guide studios through the process of deploying new technology.
The implementation process typically involves the following steps:
- Determining your business requirements
- Setting up the system how you want it
- Migrating data from your old tools
- Training users on the new software
- Going live
Your design studio probably isn’t running on a single software tool right now.
You use project management software to track projects. Accounting software to manage your books. Time tracking software to record payroll.
Using ERP implementation services will allow you to bring all these tools together under one software umbrella.
And the benefits are huge.
You’ll have visibility into the profitability of every project. You’ll be able to plan resource allocations based on data instead of assumptions. Forecasting actually works because your books are accurate.
…but that doesn’t just happen.
Careful planning with a qualified ERP implementation partner is required.
Scaling Studio Operations With Technology
Most ERP software is made with larger enterprises in mind. Factories. Manufacturers. Supply chain giants.
…but what about design studios?
Workflows don’t revolve around products that get shipped overseas.
Client relationships are paramount.
Deadlines are flexible. Project requirements change all the time. And last-minute revisions are just part of life.
For these reasons, it’s critical that your ERP implementation services provider understands the design industry.
What can studios expect when they implement the right technology?
Let’s take a look at how the proper tools change everything:
- Project Managers instantly know who has availability when planning resources.
- Finance teams automatically generate invoices when a project reaches certain milestones.
- Studio Owners have visibility into REAL profitability by client and project type.
These are just a few of the game-changing benefits of modern ERP software.
The key is ensuring your implementation partner has experience with studios like yours.
Cookie-cutter implementations rarely work because they try to force your studio into workflows designed for other industries.
ERP Implementation: 3 Things That Successful Studios Do
Studio owners that have gone through a successful implementation have a few things in common:
- They ensured leadership was fully on-board.
ERP implementations are stressful. Make sure your leadership team is leading the charge and championing the change.
- Implementation timelines were realistic.
Successful implementations at SMB’s take anywhere from 3-9 months. Plan accordingly.
- Users were trained adequately before going live.
Change is scary. Your employees will resist the new ways of working imposed by an ERP system. Without proper training and change management, they’ll fall back to how things used to be done.
And your shiny new system will become nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
Common Mistakes Studios Make
What happens when studios fail during ERP implementation?
The number one reason studios fail?
Poor project scoping.
Expecting an ERP implementation to be smooth and automatic is wishful thinking. There’s a lot of work that goes into making the new system run how you want it to.
Say you decide to migrate all of your client data into the new ERP. Each client has multiple projects associated with them. Projects have multiple tasks and financials.
Taking detailed notes and documenting your current processes cannot be stressed enough.
Skimping on training is another mistake studios make.
Can’t wait to go live? Training usually gets cut short because studios are eager to start using the new system.
Your staff knows the old ways way too well. Don’t give them enough time to train on the new software and expect things to run smoothly.
Employee frustration leads to useless ERP systems and staff turnover.
Going over budget is a pain that no studio wants to feel.
Add more features during initial scoping? Expect customization requests down the line. Underestimate the implementation timeline? You guessed it. Budget increases.
Things happen. But your ERP implementation service should account for surprises.
Build buffer into your budget.
How to Choose your Implementation Partner
ERP implementation services aren’t created equal.
How you go about selecting your implementation partner can mean the difference between success and failure.
Talk to vendors with experience implementing studios.
Factories and manufacturers don’t know how design studios operate. You need someone who knows how to configure and customize an ERP for your industry.
Ask questions until you’re satisfied with the answers.
- How many studios have you implemented?
- How long did your average studio implementation take?
- What does your change management and training process look like?
- What kind of support do you offer after go-live?
Speaking with other studios who’ve been through an implementation can provide invaluable insight too.
Don’t sign with the cheapest implementation vendor.
Sure they’ll say everything you want to hear. And sure they may even come in way under-budget.
But they’ll probably fail miserably.
Failed implementations force you to start over. Frustrated employees quit and take your valuable business knowledge with them. Lost productivity from drawn-out implementations eat away at your margins.
You get the picture.
The upfront cost of implementation will pale in comparison to long-term benefits your studio reaps by doing it right.
Wrapping Things Up
If you want your design studio to grow, then invest in the systems and software needed to make that growth possible.
By having a clear understanding of your business operations, you’ll empower yourself to make data-driven decisions that will benefit your studio in the long run.
ERP implementation services are how studios bridge the gap between creative genius and business operations.
Remember:
- You need robust business systems to scale your studio
- ERP implementation services offer those systems
- But not all ERP vendors are cut out for the design industry
- Do your research when selecting a vendor
