Driving Digital Success: Hallam's Partnership with Forecast

Introduction to Hallam

Full-service digital marketing agency, Hallam, merges strategic focus with an extensive range of services including organic marketing, paid media, brand development, and web solutions. The agency is distinguished by its commitment to a strategic approach, ensuring the delivery of the right solutions to the right audience. Jon Martin, Operations Director at Hallam, oversees the agency’s delivery, ensuring projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. Jon spoke to us about Hallam’s partnership with Forecast.

Hallam's Challenge

Hallam's journey from budding digital marketing startup to full-service agency, notably merging with web agency BigSpring in 2017, presented numerous operational challenges. Initially, simple tools like spreadsheets were sufficient for managing resources and projects. However, as the team expanded from a handful of employees based in one location to over 60 employees, 5 office hubs across Europe and with many colleagues working remotely, the complexity of their operations grew exponentially.

Key challenges included:

• Resource Management: Allocating resources effectively became increasingly difficult as the team and project volume grew.
• Project Tracking: With numerous concurrent projects, maintaining a clear overview of each project's status and profitability was challenging.
• Administrative Overhead: The manual entry of data across multiple disconnected systems consumed significant time and reduced overall productivity.
• Remote Work Dynamics: The shift to remote work exacerbated these challenges, necessitating robust systems for project and resource management.

These challenges had significant consequences. Without a centralized system, Hallam risked inefficiencies, potential delays in project delivery, and difficulties in maintaining a clear overview of business performance. This situation threatened to compromise their ability to deliver high-quality services consistently and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.

Finding Forecast

Hallam’s search for a comprehensive project management solution led them to Forecast. Having previously used an earlier version of Forecast, they were familiar with its capabilities but recognized the significant advancements made in the system. They chose Forecast for its integrated approach, which combined resource management, project planning, and task management into a single platform.

Why Forecast?

Jon explains that their decision was driven by two main factors: reducing manual overhead and improving user experience. Previous systems required significant time for data entry and were cumbersome to use, detracting from productivity and job satisfaction. Forecast's user-friendly interface and streamlined processes promised to alleviate these pain points.

1. Integration of Functions: Forecast combined resource management, project planning, and task management, which allowed Hallam to consolidate their tech stack. Previously, they had to rely on multiple systems to cover these functions, which led to inefficiencies and increased administrative work.
2. User Experience: The intuitive design of Forecast was a significant draw. Hallam's team, which includes UX practitioners, found the platform easy to use, reducing the frustration often associated with clunky systems. The user-centric design approach taken by Forecast, where they actively engaged with users to understand their pain points, resonated deeply with Hallam.
3. Data-Driven Insights: Forecast’s advanced reporting capabilities provided Hallam with exceptional insights into their operations. The ability to generate customizable reports enabled the leadership team to track key metrics such as billable utilization, project profitability, and overtime, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the agency's performance.

Implementation

To implement Forecast, Hallam undertook a strategic rollout, ensuring all teams were trained and the system was configured to meet their specific needs. This included:

• Training Sessions: Comprehensive training was conducted to familiarize the team with Forecast’s features and functionalities.
• Custom Configuration: The system was tailored to align with Hallam's specific workflows and business processes.
• Phased Rollout: A phased rollout ensured a smooth transition, allowing teams to adapt progressively and minimizing disruptions.

Results & Benefits

The transition to Forecast yielded significant benefits for Hallam. One of the most notable improvements was a 20% reduction in administrative time for key personnel, translating to nearly four days saved per month per individual. This efficiency gain allowed team members to focus more on value-added activities rather than mundane data entry.

"The time saved and the reduction in busy work have greatly improved our team's morale and productivity."

Quantifiable Improvements

1. Efficiency Gains: The reduction in manual data entry saved approximately 20% of time for certain roles, particularly within the client services team. 
2. Enhanced Project Management: Forecast enabled Hallam to manage projects and finances more effectively. Project managers could track budgets accurately, while account managers gained a clear view of profitability across all projects, whether fixed-price or retainer-based.
3. Data-Driven Decision Making: The advanced reporting capabilities provided deep insights into various aspects of the business. Metrics such as lifetime customer value, team profitability, and project margins became easily accessible, enabling informed decision-making.

"Having a centralized system that provides real-time insights into project status and profitability has been a game-changer. We can make better decisions faster."

Specific Challenges Addressed

Forecast addressed several immediate challenges for Hallam:

1. Operational Insight: Forecast’s reporting tools allowed the leadership team to understand the underlying business performance better. This was crucial for making strategic decisions and ensuring long-term success.
2. Empowering Department Heads: The customizable reports enabled department heads to set clear KPIs and accountability measures, driving better performance across their teams.
3. Long-Term Resource Planning: The combined heat map view feature allowed Hallam to balance short-term task planning with long-term resource allocation. This was vital for making informed hiring decisions and managing capacity effectively.

Jon notes, "The combined view helps us balance short-term task planning with long-term resource management, providing great optics for our heads of departments and project managers."

Looking ahead

Hallam envisions a bright future, leveraging Forecast's capabilities to continuously optimize their processes. Jon and his team are committed to staying at the forefront of digital marketing by embracing technological advancements and refining their workflows. The strategic use of Forecast plays a central role in this vision, enabling Hallam to scale their operations, improve client satisfaction, and maintain their competitive edge: 

1. Continuous Improvement: Hallam aims to tweak their usage of Forecast to get the most out of the system. As new features are released, they plan to adapt their processes to leverage these enhancements fully.
2. Expanded Adoption: Hallam intends to deepen their adoption of Forecast’s features, ensuring they utilize all available tools to optimize their operations further.
3. Process Optimization: The combined view feature will shift their capacity planning from a short-term focus to a more balanced approach, enhancing their ability to manage resources effectively.

Final Thoughts

Jon praises Forecast’s user-centric approach, stating, "Your user researchers really understand our pain points and build solutions around our needs. This dedication to user experience sets Forecast apart and is a big reason for our success." Adding, "Forecast is not just a tool for today but a partner for the future. As we grow and face new challenges, we are confident that Forecast will continue to evolve and support us."

The partnership between Hallam and Forecast exemplifies how a strategic approach to technology adoption can drive business success. By addressing key operational challenges and enhancing user experience, Forecast has empowered Hallam to deliver exceptional value to their clients and achieve sustainable growth. 

Hallam’s journey underscores the importance of choosing the right tools and partners to support business growth. With Forecast, they have not only streamlined their operations but also set the stage for continued innovation and excellence in the digital marketing landscape.