The international auditor meeting of AgencyExperts for the DACH region was held in Stuttgart, bringing together auditors from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As the exclusive partner of national communications industry associations such as GPRA (German Public Relations Agencies), Leading Swiss Agencies, and PRVA (Public Relations Association Austria), AgencyExperts audits and certifies communications agencies and departments according to the International Consultancy Management Standard CMS III. The exchange of personal experiences among colleagues led to five key learnings:
- Starting in 2024, agencies will be certified exclusively according to the updated quality standard CMS IV. This revised standard is issued by the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).
- New topics, such as sustainability, diversity, physical and mental health, and IT security, will be included alongside traditional fields like ethical foundations, leadership and communication, business planning, business development, finance, projects and campaigns, customer satisfaction, new business, and HR.
- After numerous audits over the past years, AgencyExperts agreed that the quality level and degree of digitalization in the audited communications agencies are high, showcasing the exceptional performance of this sector.
- The risk prevention measures mandated by the CMS III management standard have proven to enhance agency safety in team management and client consulting.
- Systematic assessment of customer satisfaction is often underestimated in agencies. Experts see room for improvement in this area. Whether through digital surveys or structured feedback conversations, aligning offerings with client needs and perceptions should be a priority.
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