Your Agency Infrastructure Health Score:
Your Agency Infrastructure Health Score:
Your Agency Infrastructure Health Score:
Your operational backbone is critically broken. Based on your answers, you're likely using 11+ disconnected tools, your team asks "where is it?" multiple times per day, and projects consistently start 10-14 days late because you're chasing client assets.
This isn't a training problem. It's not a people problem. Your infrastructure wasn't designed to handle the volume you're running.
What This Costs You
Time waste: Your team spends 10-15 hours/week just finding information that should surface automatically. At $50/hr average, that's $26K-39K/year hunting for files instead of doing actual work.
Project delays: Starting 10-14 days late means you can handle roughly 30% fewer projects per year. If your average project is $8K, that's $96K in lost revenue capacity.
SaaS bloat: 14+ tools at an average of $30-50/user/month across a 5-person team = $6K-10K/year on tools that don't talk to each other and create more work than they solve.
Total annual cost of broken infrastructure: $130K-150K
And that doesn't count the stress, the client frustration, or the opportunities you're turning down because you know you can't handle more volume.
The Top 3 Fixes (In Order of Impact)
Single Source of Truth for Client Data
The Problem:
Right now your client data is scattered across 4-6 different tools. When someone asks "where are we on the Johnson project?" your team has to check ClickUp, then Drive, then email, then Slack to piece together an answer.
This Creates:
10-15 hours/week of information archaeology
Duplicate records across multiple systems
Conflicting information with no clear "correct" version
Team members who can't trust the data they're looking at
The Fix:
Everything about a client lives in ONE central database. Every other tool in your stack feeds into it, but nothing duplicates it. When information changes in one place, it updates everywhere automatically.
This isn't about picking your "main tool" - it's about building actual infrastructure underneath your tools so they can finally work together.
The Result:
Questions get answered in 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes
"Where is this?" stops being asked because there's only one place to look
Your team operates from actual data, not tribal knowledge
Eliminates 60-70% of your daily operational friction
Zero-Touch Asset Collection
The Problem:
You're chasing clients for assets 10-14 days after kickoff. Your editors can't start. Your PMs are playing homework cop. Your calendar gets pushed back two weeks on every project.
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build an onboarding system that automatically detects and requests missing assets without your team lifting a finger. When a client submits their intake, the system validates what came in, identifies what's missing, and sends automatic follow-up requests with specific instructions for each missing item.
Everything that does come in routes directly into your project workspace, organized correctly, with your team automatically notified. The system tracks what's outstanding and sends escalating reminders until everything is complete.
The system does the chasing, not your PMs. Clients get clear, automated communication about what's needed. Your team only gets involved when everything is ready to go.
The result:
Projects start on time, every time
Editors can begin work immediately on day one
PMs focus on actual project management, not asset hunting
You look professional instead of disorganized
Increases annual project capacity by 25-30%
Automated Information Routing
The Problem:
When a client emails a revision request, someone has to manually:
Read the email
Create a task in ClickUp
Upload attachments to Drive
Notify the right team member
Update the project status
Log the communication
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build routing logic into your infrastructure so client feedback flows directly to the right team member without manual handoffs. When a client submits revision requests, the system parses the feedback, identifies which project and deliverable it applies to, looks up who's responsible, and creates a task with all the context they need.
This requires custom integration work - connecting your review process to your project management system with proper logic to route based on your team structure. But once it's built, it runs automatically. No PM playing telephone. No one hunting through feedback threads.
The result:
Reclaim 8-10 hours per week per person of manual data entry
Nothing falls through the cracks
Team focuses on actual work instead of administrative overhead
Response times get faster because information moves instantly
Single Source of Truth for Client Data
The Problem:
Right now your client data is scattered across 4-6 different tools. When someone asks "where are we on the Johnson project?" your team has to check ClickUp, then Drive, then email, then Slack to piece together an answer.
This Creates:
10-15 hours/week of information archaeology
Duplicate records across multiple systems
Conflicting information with no clear "correct" version
Team members who can't trust the data they're looking at
The Fix:
Everything about a client lives in ONE central database. Every other tool in your stack feeds into it, but nothing duplicates it. When information changes in one place, it updates everywhere automatically.
This isn't about picking your "main tool" - it's about building actual infrastructure underneath your tools so they can finally work together.
The Result:
Questions get answered in 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes
"Where is this?" stops being asked because there's only one place to look
Your team operates from actual data, not tribal knowledge
Eliminates 60-70% of your daily operational friction
Zero-Touch Asset Collection
The Problem:
You're chasing clients for assets 10-14 days after kickoff. Your editors can't start. Your PMs are playing homework cop. Your calendar gets pushed back two weeks on every project.
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build an onboarding system that automatically detects and requests missing assets without your team lifting a finger. When a client submits their intake, the system validates what came in, identifies what's missing, and sends automatic follow-up requests with specific instructions for each missing item.
Everything that does come in routes directly into your project workspace, organized correctly, with your team automatically notified. The system tracks what's outstanding and sends escalating reminders until everything is complete.
The system does the chasing, not your PMs. Clients get clear, automated communication about what's needed. Your team only gets involved when everything is ready to go.
The result:
Projects start on time, every time
Editors can begin work immediately on day one
PMs focus on actual project management, not asset hunting
You look professional instead of disorganized
Increases annual project capacity by 25-30%
Automated Information Routing
The Problem:
When a client emails a revision request, someone has to manually:
Read the email
Create a task in ClickUp
Upload attachments to Drive
Notify the right team member
Update the project status
Log the communication
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build routing logic into your infrastructure so client feedback flows directly to the right team member without manual handoffs. When a client submits revision requests, the system parses the feedback, identifies which project and deliverable it applies to, looks up who's responsible, and creates a task with all the context they need.
This requires custom integration work - connecting your review process to your project management system with proper logic to route based on your team structure. But once it's built, it runs automatically. No PM playing telephone. No one hunting through feedback threads.
The result:
Reclaim 8-10 hours per week per person of manual data entry
Nothing falls through the cracks
Team focuses on actual work instead of administrative overhead
Response times get faster because information moves instantly
Single Source of Truth
for Client Data
The Problem:
Right now your client data is scattered across 4-6 different tools. When someone asks "where are we on the Johnson project?" your team has to check ClickUp, then Drive, then email, then Slack to piece together an answer.
This Creates:
10-15 hours/week of information archaeology
Duplicate records across multiple systems
Conflicting information with no clear "correct" version
Team members who can't trust the data they're looking at
The Fix:
Everything about a client lives in ONE central database. Every other tool in your stack feeds into it, but nothing duplicates it. When information changes in one place, it updates everywhere automatically.
This isn't about picking your "main tool" - it's about building actual infrastructure underneath your tools so they can finally work together.
The Result:
Questions get answered in 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes
"Where is this?" stops being asked because there's only one place to look
Your team operates from actual data, not tribal knowledge
Eliminates 60-70% of your daily operational friction
Zero-Touch Asset Collection
The Problem:
You're chasing clients for assets 10-14 days after kickoff. Your editors can't start. Your PMs are playing homework cop. Your calendar gets pushed back two weeks on every project.
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build an onboarding system that automatically detects and requests missing assets without your team lifting a finger. When a client submits their intake, the system validates what came in, identifies what's missing, and sends automatic follow-up requests with specific instructions for each missing item.
Everything that does come in routes directly into your project workspace, organized correctly, with your team automatically notified. The system tracks what's outstanding and sends escalating reminders until everything is complete.
The system does the chasing, not your PMs. Clients get clear, automated communication about what's needed. Your team only gets involved when everything is ready to go.
The result:
Projects start on time, every time
Editors can begin work immediately on day one
PMs focus on actual project management, not asset hunting
You look professional instead of disorganized
Increases annual project capacity by 25-30%
Automated Information Routing
The Problem:
When a client emails a revision request, someone has to manually:
Read the email
Create a task in ClickUp
Upload attachments to Drive
Notify the right team member
Update the project status
Log the communication
This happens because:
Your intake system doesn't capture everything upfront
No validation to catch missing items
No automatic organization of what does come in
No clear handoff process from sales to production
The Fix:
Build routing logic into your infrastructure so client feedback flows directly to the right team member without manual handoffs. When a client submits revision requests, the system parses the feedback, identifies which project and deliverable it applies to, looks up who's responsible, and creates a task with all the context they need.
This requires custom integration work - connecting your review process to your project management system with proper logic to route based on your team structure. But once it's built, it runs automatically. No PM playing telephone. No one hunting through feedback threads.
The result:
Reclaim 8-10 hours per week per person of manual data entry
Nothing falls through the cracks
Team focuses on actual work instead of administrative overhead
Response times get faster because information moves instantly
What This Actually Looks Like in Practice
Most agencies think "fixing infrastructure" means buying another tool or writing more SOPs. It doesn't.
Here's what it looks like when it's done right:
Example: Asset Collection & Project Kickoff
Before: Client emails assets to PM. PM downloads them, checks if anything is missing (often misses things), uploads to Drive in whatever folder structure makes sense at the time, creates ClickUp tasks manually, sends Slack message to editor with file links and instructions.
Takes 15-20 minutes per project. Files end up in inconsistent locations. Missing assets aren't caught until editors start looking for them days later.
After: Client submits intake form with assets. System validates file types and completeness automatically, flags anything missing and sends specific follow-up requests. Assets that are complete upload to the correct project folder structure. Project tasks auto-create with proper file links and assignment. Editor gets notification with everything they need to start.
This required custom integration work connecting the intake form to file storage and project management, but once built, it handles every new project the same way. Zero manual steps. Projects start same day with everything in place.
Example: Project Status Visibility
Before: "Where are we on the Johnson project?" requires checking ClickUp for task status, Drive for latest file versions, Slack for recent client communication, email for any revision requests. Takes 5-10 minutes to piece together an answer. Half the time the answer is "let me check and get back to you" because the information is scattered.
After: One dashboard pulls real-time data from your PM system, file storage, and communication tools. Shows every active project with current phase, next deliverable due date, outstanding client requests, latest file versions, and team assignments. Anyone can answer "where are we?" in 10 seconds with complete accuracy.
This required building a custom database layer that sits underneath your existing tools and aggregates information from multiple sources. Takes engineering work to set up, but once it's running, it stays current automatically.
Most agencies think "fixing infrastructure" means buying another tool or writing more SOPs. It doesn't.
Here's what it looks like when it's done right:
Example: Asset Collection & Project Kickoff
Before: Client emails assets to PM. PM downloads them, checks if anything is missing (often misses things), uploads to Drive in whatever folder structure makes sense at the time, creates ClickUp tasks manually, sends Slack message to editor with file links and instructions.
Takes 15-20 minutes per project. Files end up in inconsistent locations. Missing assets aren't caught until editors start looking for them days later.
After: Client submits intake form with assets. System validates file types and completeness automatically, flags anything missing and sends specific follow-up requests. Assets that are complete upload to the correct project folder structure. Project tasks auto-create with proper file links and assignment. Editor gets notification with everything they need to start.
This required custom integration work connecting the intake form to file storage and project management, but once built, it handles every new project the same way. Zero manual steps. Projects start same day with everything in place.
Example: Project Status Visibility
Before: "Where are we on the Johnson project?" requires checking ClickUp for task status, Drive for latest file versions, Slack for recent client communication, email for any revision requests. Takes 5-10 minutes to piece together an answer. Half the time the answer is "let me check and get back to you" because the information is scattered.
After: One dashboard pulls real-time data from your PM system, file storage, and communication tools. Shows every active project with current phase, next deliverable due date, outstanding client requests, latest file versions, and team assignments. Anyone can answer "where are we?" in 10 seconds with complete accuracy.
This required building a custom database layer that sits underneath your existing tools and aggregates information from multiple sources. Takes engineering work to set up, but once it's running, it stays current automatically.
Most agencies think "fixing infrastructure" means buying another tool or writing more SOPs. It doesn't.
Here's what it looks like when it's done right:
Example: Asset Collection & Project Kickoff
Before: Client emails assets to PM. PM downloads them, checks if anything is missing (often misses things), uploads to Drive in whatever folder structure makes sense at the time, creates ClickUp tasks manually, sends Slack message to editor with file links and instructions.
Takes 15-20 minutes per project. Files end up in inconsistent locations. Missing assets aren't caught until editors start looking for them days later.
After: Client submits intake form with assets. System validates file types and completeness automatically, flags anything missing and sends specific follow-up requests. Assets that are complete upload to the correct project folder structure. Project tasks auto-create with proper file links and assignment. Editor gets notification with everything they need to start.
This required custom integration work connecting the intake form to file storage and project management, but once built, it handles every new project the same way. Zero manual steps. Projects start same day with everything in place.
Example: Project Status Visibility
Before: "Where are we on the Johnson project?" requires checking ClickUp for task status, Drive for latest file versions, Slack for recent client communication, email for any revision requests. Takes 5-10 minutes to piece together an answer. Half the time the answer is "let me check and get back to you" because the information is scattered.
After: One dashboard pulls real-time data from your PM system, file storage, and communication tools. Shows every active project with current phase, next deliverable due date, outstanding client requests, latest file versions, and team assignments. Anyone can answer "where are we?" in 10 seconds with complete accuracy.
This required building a custom database layer that sits underneath your existing tools and aggregates information from multiple sources. Takes engineering work to set up, but once it's running, it stays current automatically.
What You Can Do This Week
Even if you're not ready to rebuild everything, you can start making progress:
Audit your tools: List every tool you pay for. For each one, ask: "What would break if we stopped using this tomorrow?" If the answer is "we'd figure it out" or "not much," you're paying for bloat that's making things worse, not better. Cancel anything that's not clearly essential. Most agencies can eliminate 3-5 tools immediately without any real impact.
Pick your source of truth: Which tool currently has the most complete project and client data? That's your temporary hub.
Make a rule: everything about a client has to live there or link from there. No exceptions. Stop the bleeding of information spreading to new locations. This won't fix everything, but it stops things from getting worse.
Map one client journey: Take your most recent project. Document every single place information about that client exists - every tool, every folder, every spreadsheet.
You'll probably find the same information duplicated in 4-5 places. That's your redundancy map. That's what you're currently paying people to manually maintain. Even if you don't fix it yet, at least you'll see the scope of the problem clearly.
Even if you're not ready to rebuild everything, you can start making progress:
Audit your tools: List every tool you pay for. For each one, ask: "What would break if we stopped using this tomorrow?"
If the answer is "we'd figure it out" or "not much," you're paying for bloat that's making things worse, not better. Cancel anything that's not clearly essential. Most agencies can eliminate 3-5 tools immediately without any real impact.
Pick your source of truth: Which tool currently has the most complete project and client data? That's your temporary hub.
Make a rule: everything about a client has to live there or link from there. No exceptions. Stop the bleeding of information spreading to new locations. This won't fix everything, but it stops things from getting worse.
Map one client journey: Take your most recent project. Document every single place information about that client exists - every tool, every folder, every spreadsheet.
You'll probably find the same information duplicated in 4-5 places. That's your redundancy map. That's what you're currently paying people to manually maintain. Even if you don't fix it yet, at least you'll see the scope of the problem clearly.
Even if you're not ready to rebuild everything, you can start making progress:
Audit your tools: List every tool you pay for. For each one, ask: "What would break if we stopped using this tomorrow?"
If the answer is "we'd figure it out" or "not much," you're paying for bloat that's making things worse, not better. Cancel anything that's not clearly essential. Most agencies can eliminate 3-5 tools immediately without any real impact.
Pick your source of truth: Which tool currently has the most complete project and client data? That's your temporary hub.
Make a rule: everything about a client has to live there or link from there. No exceptions. Stop the bleeding of information spreading to new locations. This won't fix everything, but it stops things from getting worse.
Map one client journey: Take your most recent project. Document every single place information about that client exists - every tool, every folder, every spreadsheet.
You'll probably find the same information duplicated in 4-5 places. That's your redundancy map. That's what you're currently paying people to manually maintain. Even if you don't fix it yet, at least you'll see the scope of the problem clearly.
What Happens Next
If you want to see what proper infrastructure would look like for your specific operation, book a 15-minute infrastructure diagnostic.
I'll ask you 5-10 questions about your current setup and show you:
→ The 3-4 places your infrastructure is actually breaking (usually different from where you think)
→ What order to fix them in for maximum impact with minimum disruption
→ Realistic scope and timeline - what this would actually take to build
No pressure, no pitch. Just a clear breakdown of what's broken and what it would take to fix it properly. If it makes sense to work together after that, we can talk about it. If not, you walk away knowing exactly what needs to happen.
Why I Build Infrastructure Differently
I spent ten years as an automation engineer in manufacturing, building systems that don't get to break. Assembly lines that run 24/7. Factory floors where downtime costs six figures per hour. Systems that have to work, every single time, for years.
Now I help agencies rebuild their operational backbone the same way. Not with more disconnected tools or process documentation, but with actual infrastructure - custom applications, unified databases, and automation built specifically for how your agency operates.
Most consultants will sell you another tool to add to your stack or write you another SOP to maintain. I build you the engineering layer underneath that makes everything work together as one system.