Agency operations audit template
Score Your Operations Across 8 Categories
Free agency operations audit: score 32 criteria from 1 to 5 across 8 areas of your agency, then total the score and decide what to fix first.
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Operations audit scorecard
Rate your agency from 1 to 5 on each of the 32 criteria, using the descriptions for 1, 3 and 5. Your running total appears below. Scores are not saved, so note them before you leave the page.
1Project management
How efficiently you plan, execute, and deliver client work.
Project planning
Consistency and quality of project setup
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No standard process; each PM does their own thing
Level 3 (Developing)
Templates exist but aren't always used
Level 5 (Excellent)
Standardized templates with automated setup for every project type
Resource allocation
How work is assigned to team members
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Reactive; whoever is available gets the work
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic capacity planning; some visibility into workloads
Level 5 (Excellent)
Real-time capacity dashboard; skills-based assignment; utilization targets met
Deadline management
Ability to deliver on time
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Frequently miss deadlines; fire-fighting is common
Level 3 (Developing)
Usually on time; some last-minute rushes
Level 5 (Excellent)
Nearly all projects delivered on time; buffer time built into every plan
Scope management
Handling changes and scope creep
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Scope creep is rampant; unclear boundaries
Level 3 (Developing)
Change request process exists but inconsistently applied
Level 5 (Excellent)
Clear scope documentation; formal change orders; protected margins
2Financial Operations
The health and efficiency of your agency finances.
Invoicing speed
Time from work completion to invoice sent
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Invoices often delayed weeks; inconsistent timing
Level 3 (Developing)
Invoices sent within a week of milestone/month end
Level 5 (Excellent)
Automated invoicing; sent within 24-48 hours
Cash flow visibility
Understanding of incoming and outgoing money
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Check bank account and hope for the best
Level 3 (Developing)
Monthly cash flow forecasts; reasonable accuracy
Level 5 (Excellent)
Real-time dashboard; 90-day rolling forecast; scenario planning
Profitability tracking
Understanding project and client profitability
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No idea which projects/clients are profitable
Level 3 (Developing)
Track profitability retroactively by project
Level 5 (Excellent)
Real-time profitability; alerts for at-risk projects; margin targets
Collections
Getting paid on time
Level 1 (Needs Work)
High AR; no follow-up process; cash flow problems
Level 3 (Developing)
Manual follow-up; some automation; improving DSO
Level 5 (Excellent)
Automated reminders; <30 day DSO; payment plans when needed
3Sales & Business Development
How you find and win new business.
Lead generation
Consistency of inbound opportunities
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Feast or famine; reliant on referrals only
Level 3 (Developing)
Multiple channels; some predictability
Level 5 (Excellent)
Predictable pipeline; multiple channels; lead scoring
Sales process
Structure and repeatability of closing deals
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No defined process; each deal handled differently
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic stages defined; some templates and tools
Level 5 (Excellent)
Documented process; CRM discipline; clear qualification criteria
Proposal quality
Effectiveness of proposals and pitches
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Starting from scratch each time; inconsistent quality
Level 3 (Developing)
Templates exist; customized for each prospect
Level 5 (Excellent)
Polished templates; case studies; clear ROI; high win rate
Pricing strategy
How you price and package services
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Ad-hoc pricing; frequent discounting; low margins
Level 3 (Developing)
Standard rates; some packaged services
Level 5 (Excellent)
Value-based pricing; productized options; protected margins
4Team & Talent
Building and maintaining a high-performing team.
Hiring process
Ability to find and attract talent
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Reactive hiring; long time-to-fill; poor fit
Level 3 (Developing)
Defined process; some pipeline; reasonable speed
Level 5 (Excellent)
Talent pipeline; employer brand; fast hiring; high retention
Onboarding
Getting new hires productive
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Sink or swim; no documentation
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic onboarding checklist; some training materials
Level 5 (Excellent)
30-60-90 plan; mentor assignment; clear milestones; high success rate
Performance management
Feedback and development systems
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No regular feedback; annual reviews only
Level 3 (Developing)
Quarterly reviews; some goal tracking
Level 5 (Excellent)
Continuous feedback culture; OKRs; development plans; career paths
Utilization & productivity
Making the most of team capacity
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No visibility; feast or famine workloads
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic time tracking; some utilization data
Level 5 (Excellent)
Utilization tracked against a target you set; balanced workloads
5Client management
Building and maintaining strong client relationships.
Onboarding experience
First impression and setup process
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Disorganized; client confusion; slow start
Level 3 (Developing)
Checklist exists; mostly smooth process
Level 5 (Excellent)
White-glove experience; automated yet personal; fast time-to-value
Communication
Keeping clients informed and happy
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Clients chase for updates; reactive communication
Level 3 (Developing)
Regular updates; mostly proactive
Level 5 (Excellent)
Proactive over-communication; client portal; documented preferences
Retention & growth
Keeping and expanding client relationships
Level 1 (Needs Work)
High churn; no expansion strategy
Level 3 (Developing)
Good retention; some upsells happen organically
Level 5 (Excellent)
High NRR; systematic expansion; client success focus
Feedback collection
Understanding client satisfaction
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No systematic feedback; surprised by churn
Level 3 (Developing)
Post-project surveys; some NPS tracking
Level 5 (Excellent)
Regular check-ins; NPS program; closed-loop feedback
6Technology & Tools
The systems that power your agency.
Tool stack integration
How well your tools work together
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Siloed tools; manual data entry; information gaps
Level 3 (Developing)
Some integrations; occasional manual work
Level 5 (Excellent)
Fully integrated stack; single source of truth; automated workflows
Automation level
Reducing manual repetitive work
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Everything manual; lots of admin time
Level 3 (Developing)
Some automation; basic workflows
Level 5 (Excellent)
Extensive automation; team focused on high-value work
Data & reporting
Access to actionable insights
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No dashboards; gut-feel decisions
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic reports; some KPI tracking
Level 5 (Excellent)
Real-time dashboards; data-driven decisions; predictive insights
Security & compliance
Protecting client and company data
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No security practices; risk exposure
Level 3 (Developing)
Basic security; some policies in place
Level 5 (Excellent)
SOC 2 ready; documented policies; regular audits; client confidence
7Processes & Documentation
The systems that make your agency scalable.
Process documentation
Written procedures for key activities
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Tribal knowledge; nothing written down
Level 3 (Developing)
Key processes documented; some gaps
Level 5 (Excellent)
Comprehensive SOPs; regularly updated; easy to find
Template library
Reusable assets for common deliverables
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Starting from scratch each time
Level 3 (Developing)
Some templates; inconsistent quality
Level 5 (Excellent)
Comprehensive library; quality controlled; time savings measured
Knowledge management
Capturing and sharing institutional knowledge
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Knowledge leaves with people
Level 3 (Developing)
Some documentation; shared drive chaos
Level 5 (Excellent)
Organized wiki; search works; culture of documentation
Continuous improvement
Systematically getting better
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Same problems repeat; no retrospectives
Level 3 (Developing)
Some project retros; occasional improvements
Level 5 (Excellent)
Regular retros; improvement backlog; measured progress
8Strategy & Leadership
The direction and vision driving your agency.
Vision & goals
Clarity of direction
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No clear vision; reactive to opportunities
Level 3 (Developing)
Vision exists; goals set annually
Level 5 (Excellent)
Compelling vision; cascaded OKRs; regular tracking
Market positioning
Clarity of what makes you different
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Generalist; competing on price
Level 3 (Developing)
Some differentiation; emerging expertise
Level 5 (Excellent)
Clear niche; thought leadership; premium positioning
Financial planning
Planning for growth and sustainability
Level 1 (Needs Work)
No budget; reactive spending
Level 3 (Developing)
Annual budget; monthly reviews
Level 5 (Excellent)
Rolling forecasts; scenario planning; runway visibility
Owner dependency
Ability to work on vs. in the business
Level 1 (Needs Work)
Founder doing everything; no delegation
Level 3 (Developing)
Some delegation; still too involved in day-to-day
Level 5 (Excellent)
Leadership team in place; founder on strategy; scalable
Your score
0 out of 160 (0 of 32 criteria scored). The lowest possible total is 32.
These bands are this template's own summary of the total, not an industry benchmark. The lowest-scoring areas matter more than the band.
32-64 points: Foundation Stage
Focus on establishing basic processes and systems.
65-96 points: Growth Stage
Ready to scale with some optimization needed.
97-160 points: Scale Stage
Operations are mature; focus on efficiency gains.
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Client Experience Audit Checklist
Evaluate every touchpoint of your client experience. A 40-point checklist to identify gaps and improve how clients experience your agency.