The Hard Truths About Changing Account & Project Management Software (And How to Avoid Them)
If you've ever thought, "We just need better software," I'm here to tell you the hard truth: software is rarely the actual problem.
At Mertz Design, we recently went through the process of moving from Insightly to ClickUp. While the change has brought some major benefits to our team, what we learned along the way was that implementing new software is far more complex than selecting a platform and migrating your data.
For creative agencies especially, the challenge isn't just finding software that works. It's finding software that works for everyone.
The Agency Software Challenge
Design agencies operate differently than many other businesses.
We juggle project management, client communication, time tracking, resource planning, accounting metrics, production schedules, approvals, revisions, and reporting. Then add in the reality that every project can have its own unique workflow.
What works for a web design project may not work for a branding engagement. What works for a retainer client may not work for a one-time marketing campaign.
We needed a solution that could:
- Track business and accounting metrics
- Manage projects and workloads
- Handle time tracking
- Support multiple workflow types
- Provide real-time reporting
- Be flexible enough for a creative environment
- And, let's be honest, look good enough that our design team actually wanted to use it
Finding all of that in one platform proved harder than we expected.
The Biggest Mistake Companies Make
Many organizations approach software selection with one question:
"What software has the most features?"
That's the wrong question.
The better question is:
"What problems are we actually trying to solve?"
Before making our transition, we spent time interviewing team members across the company to understand their challenges, frustrations, and wish lists.
Those conversations were incredibly valuable. But they also taught us an important lesson.
Sometimes people can clearly identify what's frustrating them, but they can't always identify the root cause or the best solution.
For example, a team member might request a specific feature because they think that feature will solve a problem. Often, what they're really describing is a workflow issue that could be addressed in an entirely different way.
Listening to your team is critical. But your job as a leader is to understand both what people are asking for and what they actually need.
The Hidden Cost of Flexibility
One of the most surprising lessons we learned is that highly flexible software isn't necessarily easier software.
In fact, the opposite can be true.
A platform with endless customization options allows you to build processes that match your business. That sounds great until you realize you're responsible for designing, testing, refining, and maintaining those processes.
Flexible software often requires companies to answer questions they may have never formally addressed before:
- How should projects flow from start to finish?
- What statuses should be used?
- Who owns each stage?
- What metrics matter most?
- How should time be categorized?
- When should information be visible to leadership versus the project team?
The software doesn't magically answer these questions.
Your organization does.
The software simply forces you to finally make decisions about them.
Change Takes Longer Than You Think
Another hard truth: implementation isn't a project.
It's multiple projects.
There is data migration, process design, training, testing, reporting, troubleshooting, adoption, refinement, and ongoing maintenance.
Even after the software is technically "live," the work isn't over.
People need time to build habits.
Teams need opportunities to provide feedback.
Processes need tweaking as real-world scenarios emerge.
What looks like a three-month project on paper can easily become a year-long journey of continuous improvement.
That's normal.
The Wins We've Experienced
While the transition came with challenges, we've seen significant benefits.
The biggest win has been visibility.
Today, we're able to pull live information and gain insights into projects, workloads, and business performance much faster than before. Having access to real-time data helps us make more informed business decisions instead of relying on gut feelings or manually compiled reports.
On the project management side, we've created a system that supports:
- Time tracking
- Project status monitoring
- Task management
- Team accountability
- Checklists and process consistency
- Reporting across projects and departments
The result isn't perfection.
It's clarity.
And in a creative business where priorities shift and projects evolve quickly, clarity is incredibly valuable.
What We'd Do Again
If we were starting the process over tomorrow, there are a few things we'd absolutely repeat:
- Involve the Team Early
The people using the system every day should have a voice in the process.
- Focus on Problems Before Features
Understand the problems you're solving before evaluating software options.
- Expect Ongoing Refinement
No system launches perfectly. Plan for continuous improvement.
- Document Workflows
Software implementation often exposes inconsistencies in how work gets done. Documenting processes early saves significant headaches later.
- Be Patient
Adoption takes time. Change management is just as important as software selection.
Final Thoughts
The reality is that changing account management and project management software is one of the biggest operational changes a company can make.
It's not just a technology decision. It's a process, people, and culture decision.
The right software can absolutely create efficiencies, improve visibility, and help your team make better decisions. But even the best software won't fix unclear processes or inconsistent workflows.
At Mertz Design, we've come a long way since beginning this transition. We've gained better reporting, improved project visibility, and stronger operational insights. But perhaps the biggest lesson was realizing that software implementation isn't about finding the perfect tool.
It's about building the right system for your business.
And that takes far more intention, collaboration, and patience than most people expect.
