How Commence Studio Improved Cross-Team Collaboration
Commence Studio built 200+ process templates and transformed their operations - onboarding 4 clients in one week with every one complimenting their organization.
Commence Studio is a creative agency that needed to improve how work flowed between teams and how client expectations were set during sales. ZenPilot didn’t just implement ClickUp - they modeled what great operations look like.
The Commence team absorbed ZenPilot’s own operational approach and applied it to their business, resulting in smoother handoffs and better-aligned client expectations from day one.
The Problem: Scattered Information, No Breadcrumbs
After 9 years serving small to enterprise clients through design and technology services, Commence Studio had self-implemented ClickUp but lacked optimal structure. Client data existed across multiple platforms - CRM, proposals, ClickUp, email, and text.
CEO Matthew McIver described the core issue: “There was a lot of back channeling, DMs, and one-on-ones which made it so there were no breadcrumbs anywhere.” Leadership couldn’t assess team capacity or workload confidently, projects experienced scope creep, and new team members lacked SOPs or playbooks.
“We were experiencing a lot of things slipping through the cracks, both internally and on the client side.”
The ZenPilot 1-3-5 Formula
ZenPilot implemented their methodology over three months:
Blueprint Phase: Surveyed the team, benchmarked performance, defined standards, and created technical recommendations.
Implementation Phase: Overhauled the ClickUp hierarchy with improved spaces, folders, views, and custom fields. Created 200+ process templates in their Process Hub and 50+ detailed internal process templates. Delivered Agency Project Management Certification training to all team members and assigned a ClickUp Champion for ongoing accountability.
Optimization Phase: Continued coaching and refinement.
McIver emphasized: “My team and I felt extremely supported the whole way through.”
Results: From Chaos to Compliments
The transformation was immediate and visible. The team was “amazed at the paper trail and context” on every task. Communication centralized, eliminating scattered messaging across platforms.
The proof came when Commence onboarded 4 clients in a single week: “Every single one said we were super organized.” McIver noted: “We’ve never, ever had a compliment like that.”
Beyond client satisfaction, the culture shifted. “Having systems in place and building healthy habits allows a healthy culture and on time delivery.”
Download the full case study (PDF)
We've learned so much by sponging up how ZenPilot operates itself... we're now setting better expectations in the sales process, seamlessly passing work across teams.
Matthew McIver — Founder & CEO, Commence Studio We were able to onboard 4 clients in one week and every single one said we were super organized.
Matthew McIver — Founder & CEO, Commence Studio