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Join Decideware at ProcureCon Marketing, June 6th-8th!

Posted by Joseph Herrada on May 24, 2023 3:17:06 PM

 

Actual Benefits of Performance Evaluation Programs

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 27, 2022 6:47:52 PM

Most managers in Strategic Relationship Management (e.g. Marketing Agencies or Strategic Suppliers) can list a fair number of reasons why relationship evaluations should be conducted on a regular basis.   A typical list is shown below.   The problem with these sorts of lists is that the benefits are all a little theoretical and lack direct practical relevance.   Forget the theory, how do relationship evaluations really help?   What practical help can I get from them?

Decideware Continues Long Relationship with ProcureCon Marketing

Posted by Steven Wales on Sep 27, 2021 12:48:49 AM

I am pleased to announce that Decideware is once again proud to sponsor ProcureCon Marketing, to be held in La Jolla, CA. 5-8 December 2021.

The ANA & Ford & Decideware – Webinar; Ford’s Journey in Automating their Agency Management Process

Posted by Robin Seasock on Apr 28, 2021 8:47:19 PM

 

In this webinar, hear from members of Ford's Global Agency Management Team as they share their experience in automating their scope of work and performance evaluation processes globally across all divisions and under tight timelines.

 

Decideware Continues To Grow ...

Posted by Robin Seasock on Jan 28, 2021 8:53:04 PM

 

 

Decideware grew during the GFC.

And through the next decade.

And we’re growing during COVID 2020/21.

That’s because we help advertisers manage their agency relationships – thru’ the good times and the bad.

Is AI the End of Agencies As You Know Them?

Posted by Robin Seasock on Apr 17, 2020 1:42:15 AM

 

 

On 10 April, the Association of National Advertisers published a new article;

"Is AI the End of Agencies As You Know Them?"

which features comments by Decideware, Inc. CEO Richard Benyon. 

Agencies and their Views of Evaluation Programs

Posted by Richard Benyon on Sep 8, 2019 11:03:41 PM

Agencies are valued partners in advertisers’ evaluation programs. They act as respondents in the relationship surveys our clients conduct, often they’re invited to play a role in shaping the program, and certainly they will engage to act on the findings.

ANA Webinar: Deliver Value Beyond Savings: Helping Marketing Achieve Objectives Using Optimized Agency Management

Posted by Robin Seasock on Jul 17, 2019 11:04:49 PM

Most agency management programs help companies manage their agency relationships, deliver process efficiencies and savings. But did you know there is more untapped value that Marketing isn’t getting that can help brand teams make more informed decisions and deliver insights to the leadership team to help drive Marketing strategy? During this webinar, Decideware and LinkRFx will share with you how to move up the value pyramid to deliver more strategic value. 

In this webinar, you will learn:

  • Stronger marketing investments are possible when Marketing, Operations, Procurement, and Finance collaborate and optimize agency management
  • Marketing Procurement isn’t all about cutting costs, they can be enablers for marketing leadership for brand planning and measuring brand/agency activity against topline marketing strategies  
  • A well-designed agency management program delivers insights for swift decision making

https://www.ana.net/magazines/show/id/forward-2019-07-decideware-beyond-traditional-agency-management


In-House vs External Agency Evaluation - Is there a double standard?

Posted by Decideware Staff on May 28, 2019 6:40:17 PM

 

Do you have all the ingredients to write effective agency evaluation comments? A Decideware Snippet

Posted by Richard Benyon on Jan 23, 2019 10:43:40 AM

Which president is this quote attributed to... "Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining"?

So what can you do to get the comments you need from your agency evaluations for meaningful action planning?

 

HubSpot Video

Treble & Bass...are you getting your scope of work mix right? A Decideware Snippet

Posted by Richard Benyon on Jan 15, 2019 9:54:27 AM

Are you simply using the "volume control" for your scopes of work? Or are you making sure you have the right mix?

HubSpot Video

Will you avoid the agency evalaution 360-feedback "black hole"? A Decideware Snippet

Posted by Richard Benyon on Jan 9, 2019 8:30:16 PM

How will you avoid the evaluation black hole?

HubSpot Video

How to keep your agency evaluation program relevant! A Decideware Snippet

Posted by Richard Benyon on Dec 10, 2018 7:44:16 PM

 

Bored, tired, listless? Is your agency evaluation process getting  stagnant?

 

HubSpot Video

 

Are You Taking Advantage of Mid-Year Agency Evaluations?

Posted by VJ Ratnam on Aug 9, 2018 11:00:38 AM

Take advantage of the summer

 

The middle of the year provides a timely opportunity to touch base with your agencies.

These Northern Hemisphere summer months offer advantages in that the speed of business is relatively a little slower.

Marketers and agency teams might have a little more time to step back, think about their client-agency relationships and complete an evaluation survey.

Improving ROI with Business Intelligence in the Scope of Work Process - An Upcoming Webinar

Posted by Decideware Staff on Apr 11, 2018 9:30:00 AM

To register for the webinar, visit:   http://www.ana.net/webinars/show/id/COMWWP-180419

What Is Agency Evaluation and What Are Its Benefits?

Posted by Decideware Staff on Oct 2, 2017 9:30:00 AM

There is no such thing as a perfect agency. While many companies place a considerable amount time selecting which agencies they choose to partner with, sometimes even the "perfect agency" seems to lose its shine after the actual workload begins.

Decideware to Present at Upcoming WFA Agency Evaluation Webinar

Posted by Decideware Staff on Sep 15, 2017 9:29:00 AM

Decideware, in partnership with the World Federation of Advertiser, will present "Agency Evaluation: Results from a 2017 Joint Survey" on September 21st at 10:00 am EST. 

Decideware's "Advancing the Agency Evaluation Process", ANA Procurement Series Webinar

Posted by Decideware Staff on Jun 21, 2017 9:30:00 AM

Richard Benyon, CEO of Decideware presented  "Advancing the Agency Evaluation Process" at a April ANA Procurement Series webinar, along with client-side input from Jim Zambito of Johnson & Johnson and Joyce Costello of IBM.

"Why the Right Scope of Work is So Important"- ANA June Forward\

Posted by Decideware Staff on Jun 6, 2017 1:39:38 PM

The ANA has just released the June issue of FORWARD, and included is a cutting-edge thought-leadership article by Richard Benyon, CEO of Decideware, titled"Why the Right Scope of Work is So Important: An Effective Scope of Work Ensures the Right Work Gets Done in the Right Way".

Decideware to Present at Upcoming ANA Procurement Series Webinar

Posted by Decideware Staff on Apr 6, 2017 9:40:00 AM

Richard Benyon, CEO of Decideware, will present  "Advancing the Agency Evaluation Process" in an upcoming ANA Procurement Series webinar, along with client-side input from Jim Zambito, Executive Director, Agency Relations and Finance Controller of Johnson & Johnson.

ANA/Decideware Survey: “Use of Data to Manage Agency Relationships”

Posted by Decideware Staff on Oct 31, 2016 5:44:36 PM

In August 2016, the ANA and Decideware conducted a survey to better understand how companies are using data to manage agency relationships and how learnings from this survey can be applied to optimize client-agency performance.

The Benefits of Action Planning after Agency Evaluations

Posted by Decideware Staff on Oct 27, 2016 10:30:00 AM

Many organizations find it so challenging to administer and manage an agency relationship management program that they end up skipping one of the most important phases – Action Planning.

How to keep your agency evaluation process relevant and powerful

Posted by Decideware Staff on Sep 6, 2016 12:03:52 PM

Over time, agency evaluation programs can run out of steam. Some reasons for this can include:

How to make sure your evaluation program actually drives results

Posted by Decideware Staff on Aug 11, 2016 11:30:00 AM

Agency evaluation programs are important but they do have challenges. One of the most important is designing what happens after the people working on the business have completed their questionnaire.

Four key categories for successful question sets

Posted by Decideware Staff on Jun 3, 2016 10:30:00 AM

One model you can use to help understand agency performance looks at a “Value Multiplier” – the two main elements all agencies should excel at; Strategy (their thinking) and Core Outputs (including creative ideation). In order to deliver this, the agency needs a set of “Enablers”, specifically their people, and their processes (including their financial management).

How do you achieve post evaluation success

Posted by Decideware Staff on May 20, 2016 10:30:00 AM

Once advertisers have collected their assessments, and analyzed the data, it's time to share comments with their agency and start taking steps to improve operations. Advertisers want to deliver in-depth, but constructive feedback to continue to enhance their relationship with their agencies.

Key criteria to consider when developing agency evaluation question sets

Posted by Decideware Staff on May 11, 2016 10:30:00 AM

To make better decisions, it is vital to have data you can rely on. An evaluation is nothing without a strong, in-depth question set. Designing questionnaires or scorecards can be one of the more complicated portions of the process, as advertisers need to include input from the various departments interacting with the agency, and in many cases the agencies themselves.

Program elements to consider for successful evaluation programs

Posted by Decideware Staff on May 4, 2016 10:30:00 AM

There are key elements that advertisers should consider when developing agency evaluation programs. Frequency, assessment models, and rating scales should all be carefully considered and developed to ensure the success of the program. 

How to write action-oriented comments in an agency evaluation

Posted by Decideware Staff on Apr 26, 2016 10:30:00 AM

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.” This same principle can be applied to agency performance evaluations.  Too often, free-text comments are used to simply complain about an issue, but they don’t provide a proposed solution or action.

Tips for increasing participation in agency evaluations

Posted by Decideware Staff on Apr 12, 2016 11:01:00 AM

Advertisers use evaluations to gauge and manage the success of their relationships with agency partners. These results are typically distributed to client and agency teams. However sometimes, stakeholders aren't properly engaged in the process. Without high rates of participation, advertisers can't fully learn how to improve their agency relationships. Therefore, it's important for advertisers to increase participation in their evaluations to ensure their relationships are strong, the work is good and that it yields the intended results. Here are some steps advertisers can take to do just that:

How to maintain good relationships with agencies

Posted by Decideware Staff on Jan 27, 2016 11:00:01 AM

As the marketing space becomes more complex, advertisers find themselves managing an increasingly diverse roster of agencies and vendors. While maintaining relationships with these partners has always been challenging, it's more difficult now than ever. The better your relationships with agencies, the better their work will be.

Using 360-degree agency evaluations to make you the best client

Posted by Richard Benyon on Jan 6, 2016 10:59:00 AM

A few years back I attended an excellent ANA course in San Francisco. The day's workshop, 'Optimizing the Client/Agency Relationship', focused on relationship management and was run by Joanne Davis, a leading light in this space. One of the key learnings I took from the day was how important it is to be a 'great client'! So how does this apply to agency evaluation?

How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape (Pt 4)

Posted by Vlad Komanicky on Nov 2, 2015 11:00:00 AM


 

This is the first article in a series of excerpts from our paper on How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape. The article discusses business-to-consumer companies’ brand portfolio strategy trends, its effect on the creative agency industry, and how you should reflect those in your agency sourcing strategies.

Lessons Learned from the Implementation of a New Agency Performance Management Framework

Posted by Vlad Komanicky on Oct 26, 2015 11:00:00 AM



Agency Evaluation Principles

 

I recently wrote an article about whether or not agency evaluation processes should be modified based on how some companies (such as Adobe, Deloitte and Accenture) have revised employee evaluation programs. Agency evaluations are ultimately performance evaluations of teams and individuals. Although obviously not your employees, your agency teams are often extensions of your marketing departments. Therefore, you can apply the same thinking when developing their evaluation programs.

How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape (Pt 2)

Posted by Vlad Komanicky on Oct 14, 2015 11:04:00 AM


 

This is the first article in a series of excerpts from our paper on How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape. The article discusses business-to-consumer companies’ brand portfolio strategy trends, its effect on the creative agency industry, and how you should reflect those in your agency sourcing strategies.

How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape (Executive Summary)

Posted by Vlad Komanicky on Sep 30, 2015 11:02:00 AM

 

This is the first article in a series of excerpts from our paper on How Modern Brand Strategies are Affecting the Agency Landscape. The article discusses business-to-consumer companies’ brand portfolio strategy trends, its effect on the creative agency industry, and how you should reflect those in your agency sourcing strategies.

Will the Revolution in Performance Evaluations Affect the Way You Evaluate your Agencies?

Posted by Vlad Komanicky on Sep 7, 2015 5:12:00 PM

 

Critical Changes Occuring

 

The best-practice of performance evaluations for individuals in the workplace is currently going through critical structural changes. Many blue-chip organisations have started to abolish the traditional annual performance review process. Adobe was one of the first companies to let go of an annual performance review process in favor of fluid, more frequent performance discussions that are focused on the delivery of specific tasks.  Many more companies (i.e. Deloitte and Accenture) have adopted similar approaches.

Lessons from a 50 Year Client-Agency Relationship

Posted by Richard Benyon on Aug 19, 2015 5:12:00 PM

 

Back in 2007, Adweek highlighted the 50 year relationship between Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett and insurance giant, Allstate.

At a time when so much is written about the decline of long term client - agency relationships, this one receives plenty of interest.

The article reveals the five things Lisa Cochrane, Allstate EVP of integrated marketing and Nina Abnee, Burnett EVP of account management learnt from having survived and subsequently prospered from a difficult period in 2003.

They identify 5 important learnings to building a successful long term client – agency relationship:

Managing Performance to Maximize Results - Part 2

Posted by Richard Benyon on Aug 12, 2015 5:12:00 PM

 

This is the second article in a series inspired by a book published by Harvard Business School Press called "Managing Performance to Maximize Results". It is a compilation of articles, all based around Human Resources Performance Management - and in many cases the ideas and practical examples have direct parallels in the area of Strategic Relationship Management.

Managing Performance to Maximize Results - Part 1

Posted by Richard Benyon on Aug 10, 2015 5:12:00 PM

 

I am currently reading a terrific book by Harvard Business School Press called "Managing Performance to Maximize Results". It is a compilation of articles, all based around Human Resources Performance Management.

What drew me to read it was to investigate parallels between HR Performance Management and Strategic Supplier Relationship Management.

A great deal of theoretical research and practical study has gone into the manager/employee performance management process and I believe we can leverage this body of work to apply to the domain of supplier relationship management.

Performance Objectives: Best-practice Agency Evaluation Series Part 3

Posted by Richard Benyon on May 27, 2015 2:59:00 PM

Agency Evaluation Issues

 

Many of our clients these days set specific performance objectives for the year. They are often integral to incentive compensation calculations and payments. However, a common frustration is that the relationship evaluation program cannot accommodate measurement of performance against the set objectives. Nor include their level of achievement as a component of the overall outcome.

Integrated Agency Management Using Scope of Work and Agency Evaluation

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 23, 2015 11:10:00 AM
 
Last week I had the pleasure of participating in an  ANA procurement series webinar in conjunction with Stuart Sueltman, Assoc. Director – Agencies, J&J Consumer Companies and Yoandra Mordan, Manager - Global Marketing Group, J&J Global Corporate Affairs.
 
Stuart and Yoandra were involved in the J&J implementation of the Decideware agency lifecycle platform, managing the scope of work and evaluation components respectively. The webinar focused on components needed to deliver programs in one of the largest advertising organizations world, addressing both both process and human issues.

Building an Agency Evaluation Program - Decideware's ANA Insight Brief

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 22, 2015 11:01:00 AM

We would like to thank the Association of National Advertisers (the ANA) for asking us to author their new Insight Brief, Building an Agency Performance Management Program.

Written by Richard Benyon and Steven Wales of Decideware, this paper addresses 10 key topics topics: 

Four Best Practices to Improve Agency Evaluation Scorecards

Posted by VJ Ratnam on Apr 18, 2015 10:34:00 AM
 
Effective supplier performance management is more than just the best KPIs. In fact, many performance management initiatives within the supply chain are unsuccessful because they do not measure the correct data, collect it accurately or communicate it with suppliers and other internal departments.
 
Here are four strategies to focus on when creating--or fixing--your performance management program.

Applying Performance Management Techniques to Agency Evaluation (Part 2)

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 15, 2015 6:33:00 PM

This is the second article in a series inspired by a book published by Harvard Business School Press called "Managing Performance to Maximize Results". It is a compilation of articles, all based around Human Resources Performance Management - and in many cases the ideas and practical examples have direct parallels in the area of Strategic Relationship Management.

Applying Performance Management Techniques to Agency Evaluation (Part 1)

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 15, 2015 5:51:00 PM

I recently reading a terrific book by Harvard Business School Press called "Managing Performance to Maximize Results". It is a compilation of articles, all based around Human Resources Performance Management.

What drew me to read it was to investigate parallels between HR Performance Management and Strategic Agency Management.

A great deal of theoretical research and practical study has gone into the manager/employee performance management process and I believe we can leverage this body of work to apply to the domain of agency relationship management.

Scorecards & Questions: Best-practice Agency Evaluation Series Part 2

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 9, 2015 11:41:00 AM

Agency Evaluation Issues

 

Questionnaires (or scorecards) are one of the most important elements in an agency evaluation program. Designing good questionnaires requires skill and effort but will contribute to a more effective program.

Clarity Of Purpose : Best-practice Agency Evaluation Series Part 1

Posted by Richard Benyon on Apr 2, 2015 5:32:00 PM

Common agency evaluation issues

 

A common problem we encounter with relationship reviews is that participants at all levels are often unclear about the purpose of the program, and how it is implemented. Typically this problem occurs when a program has been in place for a number of years and has taken on a life of its own. The problem with this state of affairs is that administrators, evaluators and the agencies all become disenchanted and therefore reluctant to participate.

Why you should create action plans after each agency evaluation

Posted by Richard Benyon on Mar 18, 2015 1:44:00 PM

Agency evaluation - is the tail wagging the dog?

 

Many organizations find it so difficult to administer and manage an agency relationship management program that they end up skipping the most important phase – Action Planning.   The goal of the evaluation process is not simply to gather opinions and information for storage!   Rather, the purpose of the program is to develop actions that lead to constant improvement.  

Scope of Work & Agency Evaluation: 2011 ANA Thought-leadership Magazine

Posted by Richard Benyon on Jul 1, 2011 11:05:00 AM

This June 2011 issue contains two articles: 

"Beyond Cost and Rates: A Practical Guide to Understanding the Value of Agency Relationship" by Steven Wales, which overviews the value of agency relationship and looking beyond the traditional theory of cutting costs. The article explores the "value equation" which views the overall worth of each individual agency relationship. 

In "Driving Performance: Key Insights on How to Maximize an Agency Evaluation Program", Richard Benyon interviews Ken Lloyd, author ofPerformance Appraisals and Phrases for Dummies for his perspective on agency evaluation programs and how to maximize the evaluation process.

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