Agency processes that hold up when you step away.
“Everyone's talking about AI and we haven't really started.”
We work with owners of £100k to £3M agencies on processes, CRM and AI in delivery. We look at where the hours go, connect the client journey and build repeatable work into the tools your team uses. Human judgement stays with the team.
Signs your systems are holding you back
- We copy the same information into three different tools.
- Every new starter needs me to show them everything.
- We keep fixing the same mistake on different projects.
- The CRM doesn't tell us what actually happens after a sale.
- We've tried AI, but nobody checks what goes out.
How we fix it
- Follow one client through the tools
- We trace enquiry, deal, project and invoice using a consistent client or project ID. We agree which system owns each part of the record and the fields the team must complete. That gives us a reliable picture of the whole journey.
- Document the work people ask about twice
- We use the Asked Twice rule to choose what to capture first. Short recordings show how the work is done; written checklists cover steps people need during a task. Each process has an owner and a review date.
- Make the CRM carry the handover
- We define stages, owners and dated next actions. A won deal should create the project, assign delivery responsibility and start the agreed onboarding and invoice steps. We review the data each week so the process stays useful.
- Automate work worth repeating
- We measure how long a repeated task takes and how often it happens before deciding what to automate. Folder creation, reminders and routine handovers are useful starting points. We keep client updates consistent through the Monday Morning Email system.
- Bring AI into a defined workflow
- We choose one or two repeatable jobs where AI can remove busy work. We connect them to the information the team already uses, agree review and approval points, and measure the hours returned. A human reads and signs off client work before it leaves.
What changed at Phantom
All major clients onboarded to automated booking, scheduling, and invoicing
“I'll be honest, the investment made me nervous at the start. But within a few months I could see exactly where the money was going. Connor didn't just give me advice. He built us a platform that runs our entire operation. The revenue growth alone paid for the programme several times over, and that's before you factor in the admin costs we've cut. I'd have paid double knowing what I know now.”Read the Phantom case study
Connor McAuley, Founder. As specialists join, each area gets its own lead here.
Read more on agency processes and AI
Build the process
Connect the tools
For agencies under £100k, start with the Scorecard and the YouTube channel. We do not book calls below this level.
Questions on agency systems
Which agency processes should we document first?
Start with the ones causing repeated questions or mistakes. Client onboarding, project delivery and invoicing are useful first choices. Record the actual work as you do it, keep each process short and assign someone to keep it current.
Do we need to replace our CRM?
Define the fields, stage criteria and handovers first. The tool needs to support those rules and be used by the team. Buy an existing system where it fits, and run old and new tools alongside each other during a planned migration.
Where should we start with AI in agency delivery?
Choose a repeated task with a measurable time cost. Research, first drafts and routine admin can be useful candidates. Connect the workflow to reliable information, agree who checks it and keep human approval before any client work goes out.
Can you build the systems with us?
Yes. We look at where the hours go, agree what to build and its cost before starting, then build it with the team and hand it over. The work can include CRM, client portals, dashboards and AI in delivery. See our Systems and AI projects page for the offer.
Start with your systems.
Score this area alongside the others and see which one to fix first.