Tighter resource management at Nicholson McBride thanks to Asta Teamplan
OverviewIn a bid to better manage its resources, the business psychology consultancy, Nicholson McBride implemented Asta Teamplan. |
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This project portfolio and resource management software is enabling Nicholson McBride to plan multiple projects and allocate resources more efficiently in order to increase the amount of billable work undertaken.
Background
Prior to the installation of Asta Teamplan, the project team had identified that consultants’ time and the distribution of resources was not controlled effectively. The lack of a central database meant that it was difficult to forecast resource requirements and allocate consultants to new projects.
As a growing consultancy with a large client base, Nicholson McBride needed to utilise associates’ and consultants’ time to their full potential in order to maximise fee-earning revenues.
The need
Jessica Adams, project director at Nicholson McBride, commented: “Each client project typically involves research, project management meetings, client briefings, a design phase, a three day long workshop covering between four to 150 people, followed by feedback. With most of our consultants working on more than one project at a time, the problem was that many were having to rush from one project to another. Also most of our clients build a good rapport with specific consultants so they prefer to deal with them. As a result, some of our consultants were working extremely long hours. With no system in place to monitor their workload, this situation was unmanageable.”
The solution
"Asta has worked with us on what we want to achieve and the software clearly isn’t going to have a short shelf life." |
Installed at the London office, Asta Teamplan enables tighter management and control in deciding which consultants should undertake projects, and gives Nicholson McBride, as well as their clients, an overall project outlook. The centralised solution allows management at Nicholson McBride to compare time, expenses and revenues on projects, in order to balance profitability in product areas. |
Asta Teamplan features an online timesheet tool linked to a centralised project and resource management system. This means that time is no longer wasted co-ordinating resources using the telephone. In addition, the solution is beneficial for members who can obtain a day-to-day view of what they need to do and an easy method for reporting progress against tasks.
| Running on Nicholson McBride’s choice of platform, Windows XP Professional, Asta Teamplan has also been integrated with Microsoft Outlook, a tool which Nicholson McBride relies on 100 per cent. When a consultant is allocated to a task, Asta Teamplan automatically communicates with Microsoft Outlook to check their availability for the project. | " It feels as though the software has been built for us." |
The benefits
Jessica Adams commented: “The implementation of Asta Teamplan has been instrumental in helping us to develop our business. Project, resource control and monthly revenue forecasting has been enhanced across the company as I now have a full view of all upcoming projects. This means that I can plan ahead in terms of balance of resource and profitability in particular product areas. In fact, the solution has helped to address our resourcing issues head on. It feels as though the software has been built for us. Asta has worked with us on what we want to achieve and the software clearly isn’t going to have a short shelf life (unlike much of the competition).”
Asta has also provided Nicholson McBride with consultancy to improve reporting practices.
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