How Square Waves streamlined their agency operations

Square Waves is a dynamic agency co-founded by Ray Coklan and Dom Iovinelli, specializing in delivering comprehensive digital solutions for growing businesses. As a service-based agency focused on helping clients navigate their digital transformation journey, Square Waves combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution to drive measurable results.

The challenge: managing growth across multiple disconnected tools

Before Bonsai, Square Waves operated across three separate platforms, each serving a different function:

• ClickUp for project management and time tracking

• QuickBooks Online for billing and financial management

• HubSpot for CRM and deal pipeline management

Our reporting right now is pretty clunky because we're time tracking in ClickUp, our CRM is in HubSpot, and then invoicing is in QuickBooks.
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— Ray Coklan, co-founder of Square Waves

Because of this fragmented workflow, the team at Square Waves encountered many challenges such as

Manual data crunching: just getting the right reports and insights took hours every month.

Disconnected workflows: The team had to constantly switch between platforms, leading to inefficiencies and potential data inconsistencies.

Limited profitability insights: Without integrated data, understanding project profitability required extensive manual work and custom tools to connect the various systems.

Why Square Waves chose Bonsai

1. Consolidation over complexity

Square Waves recognized that their growth was being hindered by the complexity of managing multiple platforms. They needed a solution that could:

• Unify project management, client relationships, and financial operations

• Provide real-time profitability insights

• Streamline team workflows and reduce platform switching

2. All-in-one agency focus

Unlike generic project management tools, Bonsai's agency-specific features aligned perfectly with Square Waves' needs. The platform offered:

• Integrated Project-to-Profit Tracking: Direct connection between project work and financial outcomes

• Client Portal Integration: Seamless client collaboration within the same system used for internal operations

• Agency-Tailored Workflows: Purpose-built features for service-based businesses

The transformation: how Bonsai solved their challenges

We made the best call for our growth at Square Waves. Bonsai didn't just replace our tools. It transformed our approach to how we run Square Waves.

— Ray Coklan, co-founder of Square Waves

Unified operations

Bonsai now serves as Square Waves' central hub for all agency operations:

Project management: Teams track time, manage tasks, and collaborate on projects within a single platform, eliminating the need to jump between systems.

Client management: The integrated CRM allows them to manage deals, client relationships, and project delivery in one place.

Financial operations: Invoicing, billing, and profitability tracking are seamlessly connected to project work.

Real-time profitability insights

One of the most significant improvements is access to real-time financial data:

Instant project profitability: "Everything's right in one place. We're not going back and forth," noted Dom Iovinelli, co-founder. The team can now see project margins and profitability instantly without manual calculations.

Comprehensive reporting: Instead of building custom tools to connect disparate systems, Square Waves now has built-in reporting that provides insights into:

• Project profitability by client and service type

• Team utilization and capacity planning

• Revenue forecasting and pipeline management

Streamlined client collaboration

The client portal feature has transformed how Square Waves works with their clients:

Centralized communication: Clients can view project progress, upload files, and communicate with the team through the same platform used for internal project management.

Transparent project tracking: Clients have visibility into project status and can pay invoices directly through the portal, creating a seamless experience.

Operational efficiency

Since implementing Bonsai, Square Waves has achieved:

Better agency coordination: "Project tracking and client management are always in sync," ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Optimized resource allocation: "We know what we're working on and when at all times," allowing for better capacity planning and project scheduling.

Reduced administrative overhead: The team spends less time on data entry and platform management, allowing them to focus on client work.

Financial visibility

The integrated approach has provided unprecedented insight into their business:

Real-time profitability: No more manual data crunching or waiting for end-of-month reports to understand project performance.

Improved decision-making: With instant access to project margins and team utilization, leadership can make informed decisions about resource allocation and pricing.

For those scaling an agency, it's a game-changer worth considering.

— Ray Coklan, co-founder of Square Waves