In case you missed our recent post, we are hiring as part of our ambitious growth plans for 2021 and beyond. We’ve been looking to fill a number of roles across development, design and marketing within the agency, but the priority was a Project Manager.
We’re delighted to say that we have found one, and his feet are very much under the table. James Potter joins AndAnotherDay, and brings with him over 20 years of project management experience in the technology and digital sector.
We’re not new to project management, and in fact, AAD is incredibly process-driven. Everyone from our junior developers or our founder are always looking for ways to unlock efficiencies, discover better ways of doing things, and optimising our workflows – all with the final product and the client in mind.
This may be a good time to check out some of our previous blogs whilst you’re here:
Less Haste, More Speed: Why Planning a Project Carefully Is Important
How We Work: Our Project Management And Development Process
Agency Pricing: Moving from Time-based to Agile & Value-based
Why digital agencies need project managers
Agencies in their infancy often absorb project management tasks into their existing staff. For example, the web developer will manage all aspects of the web build, whilst the designer manages all aspects of the design process. Or, the company founder will get involved periodically. This isn’t unusual and is a self-sufficient way to keep projects running as you build up revenue to hire new staff.
For us, a dedicated PM takes the burn away from delivery teams, allowing them to focus solely on what they are great at, and do what they’re there to do. They have more time to complete projects and don’t have to spend time responding to requests, referring back to the Statement of Work, writing new tickets, or worrying about time and cost.
A PM also keeps our clients in the loop. That’s not to say that our developers and designers didn’t, but for every phone call, Zoom or meeting, that’s time away from the project. A PM can lift the pressure and spend more time discussing new features, bug fixes, scope creep or feedback. This keeps the clients happy, as they have a dedicated point of contact with relatively good availability, and it also keeps the heat off the developers and designers should things get really busy.
We can also use a PM to unlock Keiron’s time to do more ‘founder’ tasks, such as concentrating on new business opportunities, catching up with other AAD customers and looking for additional people to join the team.
We don’t want anyone juggling command lines and phone lines – we want the AndAnotherDay machine to tick along efficiently.
It’s all about efficiency gains
You could argue that this all sounds like we are throwing more fuel into the machine so that we can run harder, better, faster. In a way, yes. But it’s also about slowing down too. We want everybody at AAD to have a healthy and enjoyable working life, and to not be juggling command lines with phone lines. Ultimately, we want the machine to tick along nicely, like an efficient EV, not roar, guzzle and wheelspin like a hellbent hotrod.
A PM adds a more efficient gear to the differential, keeps us moving forward and effectively makes our clients happier too. Of course, there’s the other end of the spectrum where teams are completely siloed and processes are suffocating. This is exactly what we don’t want. We strive for nimble, agile teams who can work together easily, at the same pace, with the same approach and a universal understanding of what the project or client requires.
Meet James
James is local to us, but has worked on global projects for a wide range of companies, from award-winning analytics businesses to FTSE 100 marketing agencies. Away from work, James is a keen photographer, enjoys cooking, and you may find him watching Bath Rugby or the F1. Welcome to the team, James.
We’re really excited to have James on board, and we can already feel the change. If you’re a developer, QA engineer, designer or marketing manager look for a career with a growing technology agency who put planet before profit, please do get in touch.