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9 Industries

Professional Services

Consultancies, law firms, accountancies, and agencies. Your business runs on people, projects, and utilisation. We help you understand the economics of every engagement.

Finance challenges in professional services

Professional services finance is about understanding project profitability, fee earner productivity, and the balance between growth and utilisation. Your margin is made or lost in the gap between standard and realised rates, and in the mix of your work.

The problems we see most often

Utilisation black hole

You know overall utilisation is 68%. But what's the breakdown by grade, by service line, by office? And why doesn't the number from finance match the number from resourcing?

Project profitability late discovery

You find out a project was unprofitable when it's finished. By then it's too late. Write-offs are surprises instead of controlled decisions made with eyes open.

Revenue recognition complexity

Fixed-fee, time-and-materials, retainers, success fees. Different recognition rules for different engagements. IFRS 15 compliance adds another layer of complexity.

Resource planning disconnect

Resourcing has one view of demand. Partners have another. Finance needs to turn it into a forecast. Three spreadsheets that don't talk to each other.

Partner profit share complexity

Different profit pools, different allocation methods, different draw schedules. The partner compensation model has grown over decades and only two people understand it.

WIP and billing backlogs

Unbilled time accumulates. Lock-up creeps up. Cash flow suffers. You know there's a problem but you can't see which partners, which clients, which matters.

Solutions for professional services

Project Profitability

Real-time visibility into engagement economics. Early warning on margin erosion. Write-offs as decisions, not surprises.

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Utilisation Analytics

Consistent utilisation metrics across resourcing and finance. Breakdown by grade, practice, and location that everyone trusts.

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Resource-Based Planning

Demand forecasting connected to resource plans and financial forecasts. One view of what's coming.

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WIP & Lock-up Analytics

Visibility into unbilled time and AR. Trend analysis by client, partner, matter type. Focus your collection efforts.

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Partner Profit Share

Documented, auditable profit allocation models. Scenario testing for changes. Move beyond the mysterious spreadsheet.

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Partner Board Reporting

Partner meetings with clear, consistent information. Performance by practice, region, and service line.

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Who we've worked with

We've supported law firms, management consultancies, accounting practices, engineering consultancies, and creative agencies. Many of our team have worked in professional services themselves and understand the culture and economics.

Example

Law Firm, 150 Partners

Real-time
Matter profitability visibility
-15%
Reduction in lock-up days
Unified
Utilisation view finance + resourcing

"Partners now see their matter economics while they can still do something about it, not three months later when the post-mortem happens."

- Director of Finance

Let's talk about professional services finance

We understand your business model. Tell us about your challenges and we'll show you how we can help.