Challenges Before Costlocker

As a growing agency, Pábení needed a reliable way to track financial performance and project profitability. Without a structured system, planning and resource allocation were challenging. The team sought a tool that would:

• Provide visibility into financial health and profitability.

• Help distribute rewards based on performance data.

• Offer clear insights into future project planning.

Why Costlocker?

Having tested alternatives like Harvest, Toggl, and GetTraffica, Pábení chose Costlocker for its ease of use and real-time financial tracking. The decision was driven by:

• Seamless onboarding – The team quickly adopted the platform with minimal friction.

• Forward-looking insights – Costlocker provided visibility into the next 2–3 months of operations.

• Historical data analysis – The ability to compare past projects helped refine decision-making.

"One of the few apps you’ll love using every day. It helps us see where our business stands, track our invoicing, and understand team workload in real time." — Marek Mencl, CEO at Pábení

How Costlocker Transformed Operations

By integrating Costlocker into their workflow, Pábení gained:

• Accurate financial forecasting – The agency can now plan projects better and avoid overcommitment.

• Improved budget allocation – Data-driven decision-making ensures that time and budget are distributed effectively.

• Optimized team coordination – With better tracking, projects are assigned the right number of designers to ensure efficiency.

Implementation Challenges and Solutions

Transitioning to Costlocker required shifting the team’s mindset around time tracking. Many team members initially found tracking unnatural, but Pábení tackled this by:

• Creating shared documentation to explain the “why” behind time tracking.

• Using insights from Costlocker to refine their budgeting and planning processes.

• Continuously reassessing their approach to ensure it aligns with their workflow.

Current and Future Goals

While Costlocker has significantly improved financial clarity, Pábení continues to refine its internal operations. The agency is focused on:

• Enhancing project coordination for faster and higher-quality deliveries.

• Finding the right balance between tracking and flexibility.

• Evaluating whether time tracking remains the best long-term approach for their agency.