Time spent preparing partner reports
The direct saving, and a check that automation replaced the spreadsheet rather than adding to it.
Marketing agencies · KPI and pipeline dashboards
See which clients and services make money, every week
Agency owners usually know revenue and cash in the bank. Harder questions take a spreadsheet exercise: what is our effective hourly rate by client, which services are profitable, how utilized is the team, how much revenue comes from the top three clients, and is the pipeline enough to cover next quarter. By the time the answers arrive, the quarter is over.
How it often works today
- Partners pull time data, invoices and pipeline into a spreadsheet each quarter, which takes days and is out of date when finished.
- Effective hourly rate by client is unknown, so unprofitable retainers continue at the same fee year after year.
- Utilization is tracked inconsistently, and time entries are often missing or vague, making capacity decisions guesswork.
- Pipeline in HubSpot is not compared with capacity, so the agency hires late or takes on work it cannot staff well.
We would agree a short list of agency measures, define them clearly, and build a weekly dashboard from Harvest or your time tracking, the project tool, HubSpot and QuickBooks Online. Partners would use it in a short weekly review, so decisions on staffing, pricing and new business are based on current numbers.
The improved workflow
Agree the core measures
Choose eight to ten measures such as utilization, effective hourly rate by client, gross margin by service, revenue concentration, pipeline value and days sales outstanding.
Fix time tracking habits
Set simple time entry rules in Harvest or the project tool, with reminders for missing entries, since most agency KPIs depend on accurate time data.
Connect the sources
Pull time, project, CRM and accounting data into one place on a schedule, using native integrations or a light connector before any custom work.
Build and review weekly
Create a dashboard in Looker Studio or Power BI and review it for 20 minutes each week, with one or two decisions recorded.
How we deliver this: AI automation for small business or fractional CTO leadership, scoped in writing and run over 90 days. See pricing or the sample scope.
What we would measure
Time entry completeness
Without accurate time data, profitability and utilization numbers cannot be trusted.
Decisions made from the dashboard
A dashboard earns its place by changing pricing, staffing or client decisions.
Where people stay in control
- Individual utilization data is shared according to a policy partners agree, since it affects morale and performance discussions.
- Financial and client profitability data is restricted to partners and leads with a need to see it.
- Measure definitions are approved by partners and changes are recorded so trends stay comparable.
Example
Partners questioning a large retainer
For example, in an illustrative 22-person agency, the partners suspect their largest retainer is less profitable than it looks. After time tracking rules are tightened and a weekly dashboard is built from Harvest, HubSpot and QuickBooks Online, they can see effective hourly rate by client and service. Within two months they have the data to propose a scope change at renewal. Whether to raise the fee or reduce scope is still their call.
Tools typically involved
What the first 30 days look like
In the first 30 days we would interview partners about the decisions they make each month, check the quality of time data, and list what each system can export. We would then agree the first measures and definitions and build a working draft from real data.
Common questions
Which KPIs matter most for a marketing agency?
Common ones include billable utilization, effective hourly rate by client, gross margin by service, revenue concentration, pipeline coverage for the next quarter and days sales outstanding. The right list depends on your model. We would start with measures tied to decisions you make regularly.
Our team hates time tracking. Can we skip it?
If you sell retainers or hours, profitability numbers depend on knowing where time goes. Simpler rules help, such as tracking to client and service rather than every task, plus friendly reminders. Some agencies on fixed-fee models track less, but they still need some measure of effort per client.
Do we need a dedicated agency management platform?
Possibly. Platforms that combine projects, time, resourcing and finance can work well for agencies of a certain size. They also mean a migration. We would compare that path with connecting the tools you already have, based on cost, effort and what partners need to see.
The business case
Does it pay for itself?
Illustrative defaults for a marketing agency. Replace them with your numbers.
What this workflow costs today
a month in staff time, before any lost sales
Monthly fee + assumed tools +
Break-even: new clients a month (at first-year value)
Or: staff hours recovered and redeployed
Break-even additional revenue
Value of +1 point of win rate
First 90 days, service fee
Worth a closer lookTest the assumptions
Illustration only, not a forecast or guarantee. Recovered staff time becomes a cash saving only if spending actually declines or the time goes into paid work. Tool costs are an assumption; we replace every number here with yours before recommending a scope.
KPI and pipeline dashboards in other industries
Architecture firmsAuto repair shopsConstruction and general contractorsDental practicesElectrical contractorsEngineering firmsHVAC companiesIT managed service providers
KPI and pipeline dashboards: full guide
Related guides
Your first 90 days with a fractional tech leadHow to automate invoicing in QuickBooks OnlineA practical guide to CRM data cleanupHow to automate recurring client reports
Terms used here
Next step
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