Overview

Anton Kimfors, Founder & CEO of Sellwave, shares his strategies for systemising Amazon operations to achieve consistent, high-quality results for his clients. Amazon agencies often grapple with growing pains once they move beyond a few clients. How do you consistently deliver high-quality work as you scale, without burning out your team or dropping the ball? The answer, as industry expert Anton Kimfors explains, lies in systemising your Amazon operations. Rather than relying on rockstar employees to heroically manage everything, thriving agencies build robust systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that ensure every task is done the right way, every time.

Kimfors is the founder and CEO of Sellwave, a full-service Amazon agency based in Sweden. In an episode of the Marketplace Masters (hosted by Paul Sonneveld of MerchantSpring), Kimfors pulled back the curtain on how his team built scalable workflows that underpin their agency’s success. This article distills those insights into a strategic playbook for Amazon agency professionals.

We’ll explore why systematisation matters for Amazon agencies, the key building blocks of a reliable operational framework, and practical steps to implement workflows, quality checks, and team training. By the end, you’ll see how a system-driven approach leads to efficiency, client satisfaction, and more profit – and how you can start turning your own agency into a well-oiled machine.

Why Systemisation is a Game-Changer for Amazon Agencies

Growing an Amazon agency isn’t just about winning new clients – it’s about consistently delivering results as your workload expands. Without systems, it’s easy for quality to slip. Kimfors learned this firsthand when a large brand came to Sellwave after leaving another agency due to poor performance. The previous agency had simply hired someone who “could do Amazon” without any defined processes in place. The result? Inconsistent work, wasted ad spend, and an unhappy client.

Systematising operations prevents these failures by ensuring that tasks are done correctly every single time, no matter which team member handles them. Some core benefits of a systemised Amazon operation include:

• Increased efficiency: Clear processes eliminate guesswork and redundant effort. When everyone knows what to do and when to do it, work gets done faster and with less friction.
  
  
• Consistent quality: Standardised workflows mean the delivered work meets a high bar every time. You’re not dependent on individual “superstar” employees – the process itself guarantees quality.
  
  
• Scalability: With repeatable procedures in place, you can take on more clients or expand to new marketplaces without chaos. A scalable Amazon agency workflow lets you replicate success for each market using the same playbook.
  
  
• Strategic focus: Systemisation frees up leadership to work on the business, not just in the business. Instead of constantly firefighting routine tasks, you can focus on strategy, growth initiatives, and higher-level client consulting.
  
  
• Better profitability: Efficient operations reduce wasted time and errors, improving your margins. They also make it easier to train junior staff or outsource certain tasks cost-effectively, protecting your agency’s profitability as you scale.
  
  

Kimfors emphasises that this clarity and consistency isn’t just nice to have – it’s the foundation for agency growth.

“When you have a system, everyone knows what to do and when to do it effectively; efficiency dramatically increases… every company wants increased efficiency in their operations,” - Anton Kimfors

He says, highlighting one of the immediate payoffs of systemisation. Just as importantly, having documented processes builds client trust. Clients see deliverables arriving on time with consistent quality, which reinforces your credibility and keeps them happy for the long haul.

The Building Blocks of High-Quality Amazon Operations

How do you actually systemise an Amazon agency? It starts with nailing down the five fundamentals – the “4 W’s and 1 H” – for every service you offer and every task your team performs:

1. What needs to be done?
   
   
2. Who is responsible for doing it?
   
   
3. When it must be done (deadlines or frequency).
   
   
4. Why it’s important (the goal or value of the task).
   
   
5. How to do it, step by step.
   
   

At the company level, this means clearly defining your agency’s scope of services and standard deliverables. Many agencies start as generalists with vague “full service” packages. Kimfors learned that clearly defining a few core service offerings is far more effective. Sellwave, for example, narrowed down to four main Amazon services, making it obvious to both the team and clients what’s included and preventing scope creep. Once your services are well-defined, you can create SOPs for each deliverable and avoid unprofitable ad-hoc work.

At the task level, every recurring activity (listing optimisation, campaign setup, reporting, etc.) should have a documented SOP. Team members shouldn’t be figuring things out anew each time – they should be following a proven checklist or workflow. Importantly, tie each task back to a “why.” If employees understand why a task matters for the client’s success or the campaign’s performance, they’ll be more motivated and less likely to cut corners.

Setting up these building blocks often reveals a need to define team roles as well. Who on your team is accountable for each area of work? As an agency owner, you can’t have everyone doing a bit of everything all the time – that leads to confusion and dropped balls. Instead, assign clear responsibilities and ownership. For example, assign specific team members to own key areas – one focuses on Amazon PPC, another on listing content, another on client communications, etc. When roles have clearly defined duties and KPIs, you instantly know who should tackle any given issue (if the conversion rate drops, it goes to the content owner). This accountability gives team members pride of ownership and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Designing Workflows that Ensure Quality (Every Time)

With your services and roles defined, the next step is implementing a workflow system that keeps everything on track and up to standard. Kimfors is a big proponent of using project management tools (his team uses ClickUp) to organise their workflows. The specific tool matters less than having a structured system that everyone follows.

A good Amazon agency workflow balances efficiency with built-in quality control. Here’s an approach inspired by Sellwave’s three-step process:

1. Backlog: Every action item goes into a central backlog so nothing is forgotten.
   
   
2. Review & Prioritise: A team lead routinely checks the backlog, clarifies each task, and prioritises it according to client goals. They also assign tasks to the right owners on the team.
   
   
3. Quality Execution: Team members execute tasks following SOPs. Before any output goes to the client or live on Amazon, a senior team member reviews it to ensure it meets quality standards. Only then is it delivered for client approval.
   
   

This multi-step workflow might sound formal, but it dramatically reduces errors and rework. In fact, once Sellwave instituted an internal QA step before client delivery, their clients’ revision requests dropped from around 50% of tasks to under 10%. Clients appreciate receiving polished work, and your team avoids the time sink of constant revisions.

Moreover, an established workflow creates a record of accountability. Everyone can see what’s in progress, who’s responsible, and the status of each deliverable. If a deadline is at risk, it’s flagged early so the team can address it proactively. Kimfors’s team even designates a dedicated process owner to watch for tasks falling behind and ensure they get resolved. With this visibility, you won’t be blindsided by a critical task slipping through the cracks.

Clear communication, training, and defined roles empower Amazon agency teams to execute processes effectively. Even the best SOPs can fail if your team isn't prepared to follow them, making the human element as critical as the process. Kimfors echoed this point: you can’t build a scalable business by simply hiring a few “A-players” and winging the rest. You need to standardise how you hire, train, and manage your team to ensure everyone operates at a high standard.

Many agencies use project management tools to support their workflows. Kimfors highlights that platforms like ClickUp or Asana can organise tasks and enforce processes – his team moved from Monday.com to ClickUp for its flexibility and customizability. Leverage the automation features in these tools (like recurring task templates or deadline reminders) to eliminate repetitive manual work and reduce errors.

Empowering Your Team Through Roles and Training

Even the best SOPs and workflow charts won’t work if your team isn’t prepared to execute them. Systemising an Amazon operation is as much about people as it is about processes. In fact, one industry analysis found that human resources account for 80% of performance and efficiency in an Amazon agency – the best processes will fail if the people executing them fall short.

Structured processes must be paired with a strong people strategy. Here are some ways to strengthen the human side of your operations:

• Structured onboarding: Have a clear onboarding program for new hires or freelancers from day one. Introduce them to your SOPs, tools, and quality standards immediately so they can start executing work the right way.
  
  
• Defined roles & KPIs: Give each team member specific areas of ownership, along with key metrics to measure their success. If a content specialist knows she’s responsible for maintaining a certain conversion rate or listing quality score, it provides clear focus and accountability.
  
  
• Ongoing training and SOP updates: Encourage a culture of continuous improvement. Update your SOPs when Amazon policies change or when your team finds a better method. Regular team workshops or retrospectives can help refine processes and keep everyone sharp. Empower team members to suggest improvements – often the people doing the work will spot inefficiencies or gaps that leadership might miss.
  
  
• Accountability and feedback: Use objective metrics to evaluate performance and give feedback. With systems in place, it becomes less personal and more about data – you can point to a missed KPI rather than saying “I feel you’re doing poorly.” Make it clear that following the process is mandatory. If someone consistently cannot meet the quality standard, they may not be the right fit for the team.
  
  

Another benefit of detailed roles and SOPs is making hiring easier. You can hire for specific skill sets, knowing a system will guide them. Rather than seeking unicorns who “do everything,” you can bring in a PPC analyst, an SEO copywriter, etc., and be confident they’ll integrate into your process. It also means you can onboard junior staff and ramp them up to productivity faster, since the SOPs will teach them how to execute tasks the right way.

Adapting and Scaling Your Systems

Once you put initial systems in place, the journey isn’t over – in fact, it’s just beginning. Business needs change, Amazon’s platform evolves, and your agency’s client mix will shift over time. A common concern is that systems can make a company too rigid or slow to change. Kimfors acknowledges that adjusting a well-oiled system does take effort (changing one component requires understanding its impact on all others). However, that’s a good problem to have – it means you have a system in the first place. Without one, changes happen in a haphazard way and often never get documented.

To keep your operations agile and scalable, remember to:

• Continually improve your processes: Treat your SOPs and workflows as living documents and update them when better methods emerge or Amazon’s platform changes. Don’t hesitate to borrow ideas from proven frameworks (like Scrum or Kanban) if they fit – just adapt them to your agency’s needs.
  
  
• Systemise gradually: If you’re just beginning to formalise operations, don’t try to do everything at once. Start with one high-impact area, implement a solid process there, then move on to the next. Each new system you put in place will free up capacity for further improvements.

In summary, investing in systems and processes pays off through better client outcomes and sustainable growth. It’s never too early (or too late) to start building your operational playbook – the results will speak for themselves.

If you found these insights useful, consider watching the full webinar with Anton Kimfors for an even deeper dive into Amazon operational excellence. You can also subscribe to the MerchantSpring Marketplace Masters podcast for more expert discussions, and get in touch with our team at MerchantSpring to learn how our platform can help streamline your client reporting and analytics.