By Christian Arpe-Hansen, Partner at Tangram
Agencies today are developing five, even 10-year tech roadmaps. It might look good on paper, but in practice it’s a dead-end for agencies.
Too many organisations are clinging to long-term goals alone, ignoring the reality that things move fast, systems go obsolete, and their sprawling plans simply don’t keep up.
Agencies need to make smarter, faster tech investments today because waiting five years to see results is a recipe for disaster.
The High Cost of Long-Term Thinking
When agencies fixate on a 5 or 10-year strategy, they often box themselves into outdated tech and processes, trapped in a “sit-and-wait” mentality. We’ve all seen how networks brought multiple services under one banner, aiming to streamline offerings and boost efficiency.
This consolidation trend is now reversing in response to market demands, with agencies reintroducing specialised units to meet client needs for tailored services.
The Problem With “All In” Long-Term Commitments
The systems you select in year one may not even exist by year five, or worse, they’ll be entirely irrelevant. Long-term tech plans also leave teams stranded in the interim, working with fragmented, inefficient setups as they wait for the promised overhaul.
In many cases I’ve seen agency priorities shift, industry tools evolve, and by the time the grand vision rolls out (if it even does), it’s already outpaced by the competition.
Changes in legislation is an example of what can scupper long-term plans. Europe is seeing a shift to mandatory e-invoicing which could be making its way across APAC and the rest of EMEA before long.
The solution is to build shorter-term, measurable and most importantly, flexible processes.
Don’t wait for the perfect system that takes five years to materialise, invest in solutions that provide immediate support, data, and actionable insights, without overhauling every department and dashboard along the way.
The Financial Case for Short-Term Strategy
Massive, long-term investments don’t give you a quick ROI, whereas incremental tech investments do.
Along the way, they’ve focused on short-term goals with systems that immediately met the demands of their business, allowing them to pivot and respond to changes quickly.
This is what every agency should aim for: solutions that support where you are now, not where you think you’ll be in five years.
KPIs That Matter Right Now
If you’re looking for stability, it’s time to zero in on KPIs that reflect agency health in real-time, like team utilisation rates, charge-out rates, and client profitability.
These metrics give you actionable insights without waiting for the completion of a full tech overhaul. This structured approach means everyone speaks the same language, making agency-wide improvements possible without the wait.
It builds your team’s commercial understanding and, ultimately, pays for itself quickly.
Future-Proof By Staying Flexible
For agencies, adaptability is the name of the game. Big networks can’t afford to sit on long-term plans that may or may not work out in a few years. The focus should be on building a modular, flexible setup that allows you to adopt new technologies as they come, without overhauling the whole infrastructure.
Long lead times for tech implementation are no longer a viable business strategy. Successful agencies know that planning for an uncertain future requires smart, short-term decisions now.
Embrace solutions that meet your current demands and focus on KPIs that keep your business responsive. Opportunities are waiting, don’t put them off for a five-year plan.
Top image: Christian Arpe-Hansen