About Shift ONE 

Shift ONE is a full-service B2B digital and marketing agency known for helping brands grow through authentic, creative, data-driven strategies. From creative campaigns to lead generation, websites, performance marketing and content production, the agency combines creativity with measurable business impact.

As Shift ONE grew, so did the complexity of managing its financial processes, client projects, and internal operations. The leadership team realised they needed a more integrated view of profitability across departments to make better strategic decisions - something their previous systems couldn’t provide. 

The Challenge: Gaining Visibility into Profitability and Performance 

Profitability was the main challenge that led Shift ONE to explore Magnetic. The agency needed a single platform that could integrate finance, time tracking, and project management to provide a complete, data-backed overview of its operations. 

Without that visibility, the team struggled to answer key business questions: 

• Which clients or departments were profitable? 
• Which projects were profitable?
• Where was time being lost or over-delivered? 
• How could they quote more accurately and manage scope creep? 

“We needed a platform that could integrate finance, time tracking, and project management so we could clearly see where we were overdelivering or underquoting and make strategic decisions based on accurate data,” explains Dylan Kohlstadt, CEO of Shift ONE. “Most platforms offer time tracking and project management, but it’s the financial component that we were missing.”

The Solution: A Unified Platform That Connects Finance and Operations 

After evaluating alternatives, Shift ONE chose Magnetic for its integrated financial functionality, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility to adapt to their agency workflows. 

Key features that stood out included: 

• Financial integration with tasks and time tracking, giving a clear view of profitability per project and department. ‍
• Customisable workflows, allowing the team to tailor Magnetic around their unique structure. ‍
• Real-time visibility into resource allocation and project progress. ‍
• Scalable implementation, so the system could be adopted in phases as the agency continued to grow. 

Implementation: A Collaborative and Customised Rollout 

Shift ONE’s implementation took place over a few months, intentionally paced to align with the agency’s internal rollout strategy. 

The process involved: 

• Defining how each department would use Magnetic. 
• Collaborating with the Magnetic team to customise the platform structure. 
• Uploading historical data and aligning existing workflows. 
• Ongoing training and support as each new functionality went live. 

The Magnetic team worked closely with Shift ONE through every stage, providing guidance, training, and hands-on assistance. 

“Once we decided how we wanted to use Magnetic, the team helped us build the platform around our needs, upload our data, and customise it for our business. Their support was exceptional throughout,” said Anet van Staden, COO at Shift ONE.

The Results: Data-Driven Decisions and Strategic Clarity 

Though Shift ONE’s rollout is still ongoing, the agency has already seen transformative benefits from using Magnetic: 

Operational Visibility 

Magnetic now provides a clear, high-level view of the business, revealing which areas require optimisation and where efficiencies can be gained. 

• Improved decision-making: Leadership can now make strategic decisions based on real-time data rather than assumptions. ‍
• Better scope management: The team can identify scope creep early and manage workloads more effectively. 

Financial Clarity 

By connecting time tracking and project management to financial performance, Magnetic has helped Shift ONE begin measuring profitability at every level - from client accounts to departments. 

• Accurate costing and improved quoting confidence. ‍
• Reduced manual admin, freeing staff to focus on higher-value tasks. 

Long-Term Transformation 

Short-term, the team is using data to drive operational improvements. Long-term, the goal is to run the entire business - from quoting to invoicing - within Magnetic, establishing a single source of truth for all agency operations. 

Looking Ahead: Building a Fully Integrated Agency 

Shift ONE’s journey with Magnetic is one of evolution, not overhaul. From the start, the platform has fitted naturally into the agency’s day-to-day operations - giving leadership instant visibility into performance, profitability, and resource use. 

Now, as the team continues to roll out new capabilities, Magnetic is becoming the central nervous system of the business - connecting every department, process, and project in one intuitive, data-driven workspace. 

With full visibility and confidence in their numbers, Shift ONE is scaling with intent: faster decision-making, stronger accountability, and a clearer path to profitable growth - all powered by a single, integrated platform.