Insights - Business Intelligence for Financial Services | GK3 Capital

6 Reasons Why GK3 Uses an Agile Approach to Managing Client Work

Written by John Gulino | May 25, 2023 4:00:00 PM

The word “client” has a certain weight to it. It carries respect. And what do most agencies seem to do with that weight? Use it to lock down an inflexible contract that relies on prescriptions instead of partnership. 

GK3 has broken out of that mold by adopting an Agile approach to our client work. Agile emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer focus, and iterative progress.

The Agile methodology was originally created for software development but has since been adopted across many industries. With its focus on tackling critical priorities first, data-based decision-making, and adaptability, the outcomes are clear: higher success rates in reaching long-term goals at a faster pace. 

At GK3 Capital, we use the Agile methodology in our process because of six valuable benefits. Now let's take a closer look at what they are and why they matter to our clients.

6 Major Benefits of an Agile Approach to Agency Work 

An agile approach enables a streamlined workflow, simpler task prioritization, and rapid adjustments — all of which improve overall efficiency in marketing and sales activities.

Streamlined workflow

Using Agile lets us break projects down into smaller tasks and focus on the completion of these tasks in a prioritized manner. This approach minimizes bottlenecks and ensures optimal utilization of resources.

Prioritization of tasks

Our team prioritizes tasks based on their impact on your business objectives, enabling us to focus on the most critical tasks first. This prioritization process ensures that our efforts yield maximum results for you.

Rapid adjustments

Times are always changing. Using the Agile methodology allows us to make rapid adjustments to our plans and strategies in response to changing market conditions or to our client’s evolving requirements. This adaptability helps us maintain efficiency and progress amid ever-evolving business needs.

Cross-functional teams

Agile marketing encourages the formation of cross-functional teams, where members from various departments come together to work on a project. That level of collaboration fosters creativity, innovation, and problem-solving, so progress — instead of stalling out — becomes a natural consequence of working together.

Daily stand-up meetings

Daily stand-up meetings are a key component of the Agile methodology. We don’t require our clients to attend a meeting daily, though; instead, these short, focused, internal meetings enable our team members to share updates, discuss challenges, and coordinate efforts, promoting greater collaboration and alignment of your deliverables.

Shared ownership

Working in teams, we share responsibility for the success of a project. This shared ownership fosters a sense of accountability and commitment, driving us to work together more effectively. 

The structure provided by the Agile methodology bakes communication right in. 

Regular touchpoints

Our team maintains regular touchpoints with our clients’ teams, keeping them informed of progress and gathering feedback. Ongoing communication helps us keep priority items as the priority, and allows us to make adjustments as needed as we work toward results. Working in 30-day sprints inside of 90-day plans further facilitates total clarity on priorities and a commitment to progress. 

Transparency

Transparency is a core principle of Agile. By sharing project updates, challenges, and successes with you, our team fosters an open and collaborative relationship, ensuring you feel heard and that you know how much you’re valued. Speaking of….

Client involvement

You play an active role in using Agile successfully, providing input, feedback, and direction throughout the process. This involvement ensures that the final deliverables align with your expectations and objectives.

The foundation of flexibility on which Agile lets your company build is how you prevent earthquake damage when a shakeup inevitably occurs. 

Market changes

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, our team needs to be agile and adaptable. The Agile methodology allows us to respond quickly to market changes, making data-driven adjustments to strategies and tactics as needed.

Client feedback

By incorporating your feedback as we progress toward a deliverable, our team can adapt our approach to better meet your needs. This iterative process enables us to deliver tailored solutions that drive success.

Continuous improvement

Agile marketing emphasizes continuous improvement, with our team learning from each project iteration and applying those learnings to future work. This approach fosters a growth mindset and drives ongoing innovation, and is a key tenet of Agile There is always room to improve — and improvement doesn’t have to be messy or stop/start. 

The continuous nature of Agile also means you get more done, faster. We know it sounds unbelievable. But there’s a reason industries of all shapes and sizes have adopted this methodology. 

Shorter project cycles

Agile marketing breaks projects into smaller, manageable tasks, with our team working in short cycles known as sprints. This approach enables faster delivery of high-quality and high-impact work, ensuring you see results sooner.

Minimized downtime

By focusing on task prioritization and efficient workflows, Agile marketing minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity. This efficiency allows our team to deliver more work and waste less time, benefiting both ends of our partnership. 

Iterative process

The iterative nature of Agile means that our team can deliver smaller yet impactful pieces of work more quickly. You can see results and provide feedback earlier in the process, ensuring ongoing alignment and success. If something doesn’t work? We adjust based on what we’ve learned. It really is that simple. 

When it comes to what “works” and what doesn’t work, Agile helps you index toward success with every data-backed decision. 

Key performance indicators

Our team tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of our efforts. These metrics help us make data-driven decisions, optimize strategies, and demonstrate the value of our work to you.

Data-driven decision making

Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of Agile at GK3 Capital. By leveraging data and analytics, we can identify trends, make informed decisions, and optimize our approach for maximum impact.

Quantifiable success

By focusing on measurable results, the value of our work is more readily visible to you. This quantifiable success helps reaffirm the decision you made to place your confidence in GK3 and keeps us working toward a repeat.

Embracing Agile in Marketing and Sales

Adopting an Agile approach to managing your work offers numerous benefits, including improved efficiency, enhanced collaboration, better communication, increased adaptability, faster delivery, and measurable results. By using Agile within our agency/client relationships, we are able to serve you better and drive your success in the ever-changing competitive landscape.