Professional service firms providing specialized services to clients, such as accounting, consulting, engineering, legal, or manufacturing often face challenges in managing their operations. If you’re always looking for better ways to manage complex projects, diverse clients, changing expectations, and competitive pressures, read on. We’ve got some strategies to help optimizing operations in professional services firms.
According to a survey by Deltek, 77% of professional services firms reported that increasing visibility into project and company performance was a top priority, and 75% reported that improving project management and resource utilization was a key goal.
The first place you should look at is your internal systems, particularly your ERP solution. Cloud-based software helps increase visibility and control over their operations. Acumatica, a cloud-based ERP solution helps by providing a comprehensive and integrated platform that covers all aspects of professional services work, such as project management, client relationship management, billing and invoicing, time and expense tracking, document management, and reporting and analytics.
Here are four areas in Acumatica ERP designed to meet the specific needs of professional services firms:
- Resource management: Acumatica ERP enables professional services firms to optimize their resource utilization and allocation by providing a clear and accurate view of their resource availability, capacity, and demand. It allows professional services firms to plan and schedule their resources, such as staff, equipment, and materials, based on their skills, preferences, and availability. Acumatica ERP also allows professional services firms to track and monitor their resource performance, such as hours, costs, and revenue, and to adjust their resource plans accordingly. For example, Frederick Block, Brick & Stone, a Building Supply Distribution company used Acumatica ERP to improve its resource management.
- Billing and invoicing: Acumatica ERP helps professional services firms to streamline their billing and invoicing processes, by providing a flexible and automated system that can handle different billing methods, such as fixed fee, time and material, milestones, and retainer. Acumatica ERP enables professional service firms to generate and send accurate and timely invoices to their clients, based on their contract terms and project progress. Acumatica ERP also enables professional services firms to manage their accounts receivable and collections, and to integrate with their accounting and financial systems.
- Reporting and analytics: Acumatica ERP fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making within professional services firms, by providing a powerful and user-friendly dashboards, reporting, and analytics tool that can deliver actionable insights and recommendations. Professional services firms are able to create and customize these with items such as project status, profitability, utilization, and customer satisfaction, and then share them with their team members, clients, and stakeholders.
- Compliance and security: Acumatica ERP ensures compliance and security for professional services firms, by providing a robust and reliable system that can meet the highest standards and regulations of their industry. Professional services firms are able to manage and enforce their policies and procedures, such as quality assurance, risk management, and audit trails, and to document their compliance and performance. Additionally, being a cloud-based platform, Acumatica ERP protects professional services firms from cyber threats and data breaches, by using the latest encryption, authentication, and backup technologies. Many of our clients have questions around compliance and security, read more in our FAQ’s here.
Why Acumatica & CAL Business Solutions?
Acumatica ERP is a powerful and flexible solution that can help professional services firms increase visibility and control over their operations, and their productivity and profitability.
CAL Business Solutions, Inc., is a proud Acumatica ERP partner who has helped many professional services firms achieve their goals and objectives. Not only do we have the experience, expertise, and enthusiasm to help you implement, customize, and optimize Acumatica ERP for your specific needs and preferences, we use it in-house for our own business too. Read about our internal process and why we switched to Acumatica.
By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP / 365 BC & Acumatica Partner, www.calszone.com
