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REMOTE WORKING

Agency SMEs: tools to thrive in a hybrid world

By our News Team | 2021

The world has got used to remote working, but do creative agencies have the best solutions in place to manage it?

If marketing and creative agencies are going to have staff working remotely – with all the benefits that brings – do they have the best solutions in place to expand their own businesses?

In March last year, companies suddenly found that working from home had gone from being a perk to a necessity. And within an average of 11 days (according to consulting firm McKinsey), they’d put new processes and systems in place to make it happen. So, the question becomes whether the solutions adopted in the pandemic will still be fit for purpose afterwards?

Hybrid: Photo by HubSport blog

Remote working at an agency

This situation is particularly challenging for creative agencies, because so much of what they do relies on collaboration within and across teams. This is exacerbated among smaller agencies by the tendency for them to be operating siloed management systems for different areas of activity: project management, collaboration, finances and CRM (customer relationship management), for example.

These are the problems enterprise software company Silversoft aims to address within the agency space. With success in the South African advertising industry, Silversoft has now expanded into the UK.

“A small agency can run on Google Sheets or Excel with an appropriate accounting system. But when that team starts to scale, there is an inherent need for a strong time-tracking solution, and often another separate solution for managing resources. This is often bolstered by further solutions for managing clients, projects, tasks and deliverables,” says Iain Ravenhill, sales director, UK and Europe at Silversoft.

“By the time the agency is 20-plus people [strong], it’s not uncommon to see a myriad of platforms strung together to create visibility of their work.

“If C-level executives now understand that they can trust their staff to work remotely, then we provide them with a platform. This platform helps them maintain control of their business while giving their team the creative latitude to do what they do best in the way that suits them best,” Ravenhill explains.

Source: The Drum

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Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.