When I started at Wrike, I got a crash course in our work management platform and quickly found my perfect dashboard layout and came to grips with our team’s workflows. However, for organizations that are starting with Wrike after using one or multiple other project management tools, the prospect of moving platforms can be overwhelming.
That’s why we write this regular series called Championing Change: we want users to know that change management can be tricky, but seamless Wrike adoption really is possible with a bit of thought and preparation.
This time, we’re chatting with Sarah Wagner, Customer Success Director of Creative and Experience at Jellyfish, a UK-based digital marketing agency with its hand in some of the biggest global branding projects. Sarah walked us through the company’s phased approach to Wrike adoption, which involved extensive data migration and resulted in increased organizational efficiency and visibility.
Moving from multiple platforms to a single source of truth
Like many companies we work with, Jellyfish was initially operating with a combination of multiple project management tools, which unfortunately just wasn’t a successful combination for a fast-paced agency. Sarah explained, “Previously, we relied on a mix of task trackers, spreadsheets, and email chains, which created inefficiencies and silos.”
She and the Jellyfish executive team knew that they needed to make a change. “We started by identifying essential workflows and ensuring Wrike could accommodate them,” she said.
Once the decision was made to streamline agency workflows with Wrike, Jellyfish approached the transition in phases in order to avoid disruptions for teams and clients.
This structured approach minimized resistance, encouraged adoption, and set Wrike up as a critical tool in our operations.
Sarah Wagner, Customer Success Director of Creative and Experience
The organization began by solidifying stakeholder buy-in by involving team leads early on in the Wrike adoption. “This ensured alignment on Wrike’s benefits and goals, and their support helped drive enthusiasm across teams,” Sarah said.
With team leads on board, Jellyfish began the gradual Wrike rollout, starting with pilot teams, incorporating feedback, and refining the adoption process before expanding Wrike usage to the entire organization. Jellyfish also offered customized training with onboarding sessions tailored to specific roles and use cases, so everyone understood how Wrike would fit into their workflows and to emphasize its advantages over previous tools.
Solidifying Wrike’s benefits with communication
Sarah and the Jellyfish transition team knew that gaining initial support and instituting a gradual rollout were only the first steps in a smooth Wrike migration. They further solidified the benefits of using Wrike in a variety of ways.
For one, the company offered dedicated support channels and engaged Wrike Champions to provide rapid support for Wrike users to ask questions and get feedback. “Providing ongoing support and quick reference guides made adoption smoother,” Sarah explained.
The team also continually celebrated Wrike wins and broadcasted those across the organization. Sarah said, “Highlighting success stories, like reduced turnaround times or improved collaboration, encouraged broader adoption.” By focusing on education, support, and tangible benefits, Wrike became a vital tool across the organization.
Like any technology transition, there was some initial resistance as employees preferred the familiarity of older systems. But Sarah reported, “Once teams saw Wrike’s ability to centralize work, automate repetitive tasks, and provide real-time visibility into project progress, adoption increased significantly.”
While the migration was resource-intensive, it was ultimately worth the effort.
Wrike has streamlined our processes, improved collaboration, and eliminated redundancies, allowing us to operate more efficiently and with greater alignment.
Sarah Wagner, Customer Success Director of Creative and Experience
Enjoying improved efficiency and centralizing project communication
Jellyfish has now come out the other side of its Wrike adoption. “We’ve fully integrated Wrike into our work processes to manage campaign planning, task assignments, and approvals,” Sarah said.
The organization has also integrated Wrike with its Salesforce/FinancialForce instance to ensure data is aligned between platforms. Wrike serves as the centralized hub for Jellyfish’s project tracking, and teams have been able to create detailed workflows tailored to their specific needs. They’ve automated their task assignments and reminders to keep projects moving efficiently, and they use real-time dashboards to provide visibility into progress and resource allocation.
Wrike’s ability to assign clear ownership of tasks and track dependencies ensures everyone knows their responsibilities, preventing overlap and miscommunication.
Sarah Wagner, Customer Success Director of Creative and Experience
Wrike’s efficiency benefits have shone through, creating a win-win situation for the Jellyfish team. “Because we’ve cut down on unnecessary administrative overhead, now we can focus on delivering high-quality work.”
If Wrike’s efficiency and productivity have piqued your interest, now’s the time to give our platform a test run. Start your free two-week trial today and find out just how much impactful work your team can achieve.
