Executives slam agency lateness

Web design Media have come under fire in a new report, which accuses them of poor standards, late delivery and disappointing results.

The survey, produced by branding consultancy Elmwood, was conducted among senior managers who had recently used an agency to develop or redesign their website.

A worrying 35 per cent of clients said the work produced was not fully fit for the purpose intended. The main reason for this (29 per cent) was that the technology or functional ability was not “up to scratch”.

Only 38 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the overall delivery of the project, and many Media slipped on timing, with 32 per cent not meeting agreed deadlines.

Delays were substantial, with 69 per cent of those overdue projects more than three weeks late, and 42 per cent delayed for two months or longer. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of clients had to launch incomplete projects.

Poor management was blamed for the delays, with 25 per cent of agencies underestimating the time needed to complete the job. Other reasons included not fully understanding the job requirements (22 per cent), producing faulty technology (14 per cent), and not having the requisite skills to complete the job (eight per cent).

Costs were a problem, with 31 per cent of projects running over budget. The larger the project, the bigger the problem, with 57 per cent of &£75,000-plus projects exceeding agreed costs. The average overspend was 20 per cent.

While 34 per cent of agencies were chosen because clients had successfully used them before, 30 per cent of clients said they would not use their agency again and another 30 per cent said they would not recommend their agency to others.

Justina Gapper is media and marketing editor of Netimperative.com