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"Running a business is like riding a bike – except the bike is on fire, you're on fire, everything is on fire, and you're just trying to stay upright."
This is exactly why business management tools exist. They have become crucial for professional service companies, as they streamline operations, manage timelines, and increase productivity by automating the automatable.
There is a wide variety of business management tools available, including project management software, CRM systems, time-tracking tools, and all-in-one software like Magnetic that takes care of the lot.
In this article, we’ll look at why you should consider a business management tool, key features to look out for, and how to choose the right one. And of course, we’ll give you our 10 favourite business management tools to help you decide.
Professional service companies face a unique and interesting set of challenges in managing their business operations. It’s heavily reliant on expertise, problem-solving, client relationships, project-based deliverables and outcomes.
Resource Management: Unlike product-based businesses, professional service firms must manage human resources as their primary asset. Balancing the workload, avoiding burnout, and ensuring that the right expertise is available for the right projects are ongoing challenges.
Client Relationship Management: Maintaining strong client relationships is critical, as these organisations often depend on repeat business and referrals. Managing client expectations, communication, and delivering consistent value can be complex, especially when dealing with multiple clients with varying needs.
Project Workflows: Professional services often involve customised, project-based work, which requires meticulous planning, execution, and monitoring. There are often multiple projects, each with its own deadline, budget, team, and deliverables.
Time Tracking and Billing: Accurate time tracking is essential for billing and profitability. Professional service firms need to ensure that billable hours are tracked efficiently, while also managing non-billable activities. Inaccuracies can lead to revenue leakage or unhappy clients.
Knowledge Management: These firms generate and rely on a wealth of intellectual property. Capturing, organising, and sharing this knowledge across the organisation to avoid duplication of effort and enhance service delivery is a continuous challenge.
Regulatory Compliance: Depending on the industry, professional service firms may need to adhere to strict regulatory requirements. Ensuring compliance while maintaining operational efficiency requires constant vigilance and adaptability.
Scalability and Growth: As companies grow, scaling operations without compromising quality or client satisfaction becomes increasingly difficult. Finding the right tools and processes to support growth while maintaining the firm's core values is a critical challenge.
These challenges require tailored strategies to optimise operations, which is why business management tools can be so useful. They provide a whole bunch of features that can help solve these problems, but depending on the needs of your business, you’ll need to look out for the individual features that are most relevant to you.
Project Management
This is essential for planning, executing, and keeping tabs on projects. Project management features handle everything from task assignments and timelines to milestones and resource allocation. For firms that juggle multiple complex projects at once, efficient project management ensures that everything gets done on time, within scope, and on budget. For example, a consulting firm might use project management software to divvy up tasks among team members, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time, making sure client deliverables are met without delays or cost overruns.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
These systems are all about managing interactions with both current and potential clients, keeping track of contact information, communication history, and client preferences. Strong client relationships are key to repeat business and referrals in professional services. A good CRM system helps firms stay on top of client information, improve communication, and offer more personalised services. Take a law firm, for instance – they might use a CRM to track all client interactions, ensuring lawyers are always up-to-date on client needs and preferences, which leads to more tailored and effective legal advice.
Financial Management
Another must-have feature for most professional service companies. They take care of the financial side of things, like invoicing, expense tracking, budgeting, and financial reporting. Accurate financial management is crucial for keeping a company profitable and ensuring smooth cash flow. These tools help firms manage their finances efficiently, avoid losing revenue, and make smart financial decisions. For example, an architectural firm might use financial management software to generate invoices based on time tracked, keep an eye on project budgets, and analyse financial performance, which helps them stay within budget and maximize profitability.
Reporting and Analytics
It’s 2024 – data is everything. Business management tools generate detailed reports and analyse business data, covering everything from project performance and financial metrics to client satisfaction. Having access to real-time data and insights allows you to make informed decisions, spot areas for improvement, and optimize your operations. A marketing agency, for instance, might use reporting and analytics tools to measure how well client campaigns are doing, track how resources are being used, and forecast future workloads, allowing them to tweak strategies and allocate resources more effectively.
Human Resources (HR)
This feature helps you manage employee-related tasks like recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance evaluations, and leave tracking. In professional service firms, where people are the most valuable asset, efficient HR management ensures that employees are well-supported, motivated, and aligned with the firm’s goals. For example, an IT consulting firm might use HR management software to automate payroll processing, track employee performance, and manage talent acquisition, which helps them retain top talent and align their workforce with business objectives.
Not all business management tools have all these features, but you know your business best – have a look at the list below and choose the one that’s right for you.
While other tools on this list are focused on specific areas of business management, Magnetic covers them all. As the go-to business management software designed for professional services firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Magnetic takes care of project management, account management, finance, Customer Relationship Management and resources in one place.
Key features
Pricing
Click here to see how Stratitude – a strategic creative agency committed to developing rewarding relationships between businesses and their audiences – streamlined its operations with Magnetic's CRM for creative agencies.
Zoho One is a unified platform for businesses of all sizes, offering a wide range of applications to manage various aspects of operations. Zoho is particularly strong when it comes to integration and customisation, and considers those key strengths.
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Click here to see a case study from Rain For Rent, a happy Zoho customer.
Atlassian is a behemoth in the world of business management tools. While it is not an all-in-one solution, the company offers an entire suite of popular standalone products, each of which offers individual tools that cover the best of business management software. Their popular products – many of which are for software development teams – include Jira (software development), Confluence (team collaboration), and Trello (project management).
Key features
Key differentiators
Click here to see some quotes and case studies from Atlassian’s many customers.
Like Magnetic, Bitrix24 positions itself as an all-in-one solution, combining CRM, project management, and communication tools. It’s flexible, customisable, and open-source, boasting features for communication, collaboration, project management, and task management.
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Click here to see how KMPG used Bitrix to good effect.
Asana’s work management platform helps teams organise projects, track tasks, and collaborate effectively. Its main focuses are work management and team collaboration, and it’s mighty easy to use no matter the size of your business or the industry you’re in.
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Click here to see a case study of Asana in action.
Wrike stands out as one of the best business management tools due to its comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance productivity and streamline operations across various teams and industries. Its powerful real-time analytics, intuitive interface, and customisable workflows make it easy for organisations to manage complex projects and daily tasks efficiently.
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
See how The Huntercombe Group used Wrike over here.
Honeybook is designed for creative and professional services companies, with tools for project management, client management, and payments. It’s quite focused on client experience, (which is a nice touch), and also integration of payment and contract management.
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Click here to see Honeybook in action.
NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP solution for mid-sized and large businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of applications for finance, HR, and customer relationship management (CRM).
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Monday.com is a self-proclaimed "Work OS" that empowers teams of all sizes to manage projects and workflows with confidence. It sets itself apart by being highly customisable, with a visual interface and a focus on both team collaboration and individual work management
Key features
Key differentiators
Pricing
Click here to read a customer case study on Monday.com
ClickUp has highly customisable features, allowing teams to manage tasks, projects, and workflows in a way that fits their unique needs. It offers robust integrations, real-time collaboration, and comprehensive reporting, making it a versatile solution for businesses of all sizes to streamline operations and boost productivity.
Key features
Key differentiators
ClickUp's unique hierarchy helps you create the perfect structure that scales with your needs. Each level of ClickUp gives you more flexibility and control to organise everything from small teams to enterprise companies.
Pricing
Click here to see a ClickUp case study.
Here’s a look at a side-by-side comparison of the tools mentioned above.
1. Identify your business needs, listing the specific tasks and processes you need the software to manage (e.g., accounting, inventory, customer relations). Consider your business size and growth potential.
2. Set a budget, deciding how much you are willing to spend, considering both upfront costs and ongoing fees (like subscriptions).
3. Research available options, looking into different software options that cater to your needs. Read reviews and case studies to understand how the software works for businesses similar to yours.
4. Evaluate features and integrations, weighing them up against each other. Ensure the software integrates well with your existing tools and systems.
5. Check user-friendliness, requesting demos or trial versions to test the user interface. Consider how easy it is for your team to learn and use the software.
6. Assess customer support. This one is important. Evaluate the customer support provided by the software vendor. Check the availability of help (e.g., live chat, phone support, training resources).
7. Consider Scalability and ensure the software can grow with your business and handle increased demands.
8. Make the final decision based on the considerations above.
9. Plan implementation, and develop a rollout plan including training for your team and setting up necessary integrations.
10. Monitor and review regularly, assessing the software's performance and make adjustments as needed.
Business management tools have become essential for professional service firms, offering solutions to the unique challenges faced by these organisations.
With features like project management, CRM, financial management, and time tracking, business management software has been designed to solve those problems and help companies deliver projects on time, on budget and at a standard expected by clients.
While many of these tools specialise in one or other aspect of business management, Magnetic does it all. It seamlessly integrates project management, CRM, finance, and resource management into a single platform tailored for professional services, offering unparalleled efficiency and cohesion in managing business operations.
Why not schedule a demo and get a free 14-day trial to help you make your decision?
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Magnetic is an all-in-one workflow management platform designed and built for professional services firms.
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