How The Digital Picnic cut admin in half and boosted on-time payments to 90%
The Digital Picnic is a vibrant digital marketing agency based in Australia, providing exceptional social media management and paid advertising solutions. With a passionate team of 25, the agency services approximately 40 diverse clients, ranging from large corporations to small businesses, and also offers specialized online marketing training with accessible payment plans.
The challenge: Getting paid and administrative inefficiencies
Before switching to Ignition, The Digital Picnic’s finance team was bogged down in manual admin and awkward payment conversations. . Michelle Hauw, Head of Finance and Operations, often found herself chasing late invoices and tracking down unsigned client agreements—eating into time she could’ve spent on strategic finance work.
“It was incredibly stressful. Managing overdue invoices manually and constantly following up with clients took away valuable time and diverted my focus from strategic financial management,” Michelle explained.
The solution: A peer-recommended platform that was a game-changer
Michelle first discovered Ignition at a virtual industry event, where peers were raving about the platform. She was intrigued, and by December 2021, she implemented Ignition—keen to streamline billing and eliminate the admin headaches that came with managing client agreements manually.
“Almost immediately after adopting Ignition, I noticed a significant reduction in overdue payments,” said Michelle. “It completely eliminated the awkward conversations around payment collection.”
Automating the admin—and reclaiming time
With Ignition in place, Michelle quickly unlocked major time savings and efficiency gains. Creating structured, transparent agreements was simple. Clients could review and sign digitally in minutes, and automated reminders meant nothing slipped through the cracks. No agreement went unsigned or forgotten, significantly boosting operational efficiency.
“Ignition saved my productivity by at least 50%. I no longer spend half my day following up on agreements or chasing payments. Now, I can channel that time into strategic initiatives.”
A boost to business financial health—and career growth
Since adopting Ignition, The Digital Picnic unlocked major time savings and efficiency gains. Creating structured, transparent agreements was simple. Clients could review and sign digitally in minutes, and automated reminders meant nothing slipped through the cracks.
And with Ignition connected to Xero, invoicing is now end-to-end and completely automated for the business—reducing admin even further.
“With automation from Ignition, there’s zero chance of invoicing mistakes. It provides peace of mind and consistency.”
The impact didn’t stop there. Ignition has also contributed to the agency's business continuity and sustainability. With automated processes, The Digital Picnic no longer depends on individual employees for critical administrative tasks, making transitions smoother if and when team changes occur.
As an unexpected bonus, Michelle stepped into a more strategic role. With the time and headspace she regained, she earned a well-deserved promotion.
What The Digital Picnic loves most about Ignition
For Michelle, the standout feature is automated billing—especially helpful for the agency’s fixed monthly retainers.
“We have fixed monthly retainers, and Ignition manages it flawlessly from start to finish. It has genuinely freed me up from tedious tasks and allowed our agency to grow sustainably.”
