The brief from a Sandton professional services team
The client was a mid-sized services business based in Sandton with project teams working across Gauteng and into Durban and Cape Town. They were growing fast, taking on more retainer work and fixed-fee projects, but their timesheets, project costing and invoicing sat in separate systems. That meant partners could not always see which jobs were profitable, which tasks were running over, or where billing was being delayed.
They asked us to set up project accounting and timesheet capture in a way that fit the day-to-day reality of a busy professional team. The brief was practical: staff needed a simple way to log time, project managers needed cleaner approval flows, and finance needed reliable data for WIP, billing and month-end reporting. They also wanted something that could handle load-shedding interruptions, remote work, and the move from one office location to several regional teams.
- Business type: professional services firm
- Location: Sandton with national project activity
- Core need: project accounting, timesheets and billing control
- Key pain point: disconnected systems and delayed invoicing
What was getting in the way
The biggest issue was not the amount of work, but how the work was being recorded. Time entries were captured late or in different formats, and some project codes were used differently by each team. That made it hard to compare actual labour cost against quoted budgets. Some team members were still using spreadsheets while others entered time into separate tools, so finance had to spend hours reconciling data before invoices could go out.
There were also operational constraints. The business needed a setup that could cope with staff in the office, on client sites and working from home during outages or travel. The reporting had to support South African billing cycles and monthly management packs, with accurate Rand values and clear allocation per project. They also needed the system to stay practical for staff who were not technical, because adoption would fail if the process felt heavy or confusing.
We also had to account for change management. A services firm cannot afford a long interruption while a new process is rolled out, so the approach had to fit around live projects and billing deadlines. The finance team wanted stronger controls, but the delivery teams needed speed. Finding that balance was essential.
How Bizmatics shaped the ERP setup
We started with process mapping sessions to understand how work was sold, scheduled, delivered and billed. From there we configured the ERP structure around practical project stages, time categories and approval rules. The aim was not to force the team into a generic model, but to match the way a professional services firm actually operates.
We then built the timesheet process so staff could log hours against the correct client, project and task with fewer steps. Approval logic was set up for team leads and project managers, while finance got a cleaner workflow for invoicing and WIP tracking. We also configured reporting for project margin, utilisation and overdue time capture, so leadership could spot problems earlier.
- Process mapping for project lifecycle and billing steps
- Timesheet structure with project, task and cost centre control
- Approval workflow for managers and finance
- Custom reporting for WIP, utilisation and margin
- Support for multi-team and multi-site use
Integration work and data clean-up
The client also needed the ERP to fit into the rest of their business systems. We handled integration planning so project data could move cleanly between operational and finance functions without duplicate capture. That reduced the risk of errors and helped keep records consistent when teams updated job status, logged time or approved work. Where existing data needed to be brought across, we cleaned up the project codes, customer records and historic time entries before migration.
Because this was a professional services business, data quality mattered as much as software configuration. A single wrong code can throw off project reporting and invoice values. We standardised naming rules, checked duplicate records and aligned user roles so people only saw what they needed for their work. This made the system easier to manage and easier to audit later.
We also prepared the setup for future upgrade planning. The client wanted room to expand into new branches and new service lines without having to rebuild the whole process again. That meant using a structure that could scale with more users, more projects and more reporting requirements.
Rollout plan, training and go-live support
The full project ran over 8 weeks. The first two weeks covered discovery and process mapping, weeks 3 and 4 covered configuration and reporting, weeks 5 and 6 covered testing and data preparation, and the final two weeks were used for training, go-live support and issue resolution. We kept the rollout tight so the team could move across without losing a billing cycle.
Training was a major part of the work because adoption depends on staff confidence. We ran focused sessions for project managers, finance staff and end users, then backed that up with clear support notes for day-to-day reference. The team wanted a process that was simple enough for quick daily use but strong enough to stand up under month-end pressure. That is where the adoption side really mattered.
- Week 1 to 2: discovery and process mapping
- Week 3 to 4: system configuration and report setup
- Week 5 to 6: testing, data clean-up and migration checks
- Week 7 to 8: user training, go-live support and stabilisation
What changed after go-live
Once the new setup was live, the client had a much clearer view of project time and billing. Staff were capturing hours more consistently, approvals moved faster and finance no longer had to chase separate spreadsheets before preparing invoices. That alone reduced admin time and helped shorten the billing cycle.
Management could now see which projects were running over budget, where time was going, and which teams were carrying the most work. The reporting also helped them plan recruitment and resource allocation as they expanded nationally. For a business that was scaling, this made a real difference to decision-making.
One of the most practical results was better control over WIP and fewer surprises at month-end. The setup did not remove the need for good management, but it gave the business reliable numbers to work with. In a services firm, that is often the difference between guessing and knowing.
Lessons we would carry into another services-firm rollout
For a Sandton-based services firm with national growth plans, we would take the same approach again: map the process first, simplify capture for users, and build reporting around the questions management actually asks. We would also keep training close to go-live so staff can use the system while the process is still fresh. That reduces confusion and helps the team settle faster.
We would also keep the configuration lean. Professional services businesses do not need complicated features they will never use. They need accurate project accounting, dependable timesheets and reporting that helps them bill properly. If those foundations are set up well, the rest of the business can scale with far less friction.
- Start with process mapping before configuration
- Keep time capture simple for end users
- Align project codes with finance reporting from day one
- Plan training and support around live billing dates
Key facts
| Client type | Professional services business |
|---|---|
| Town | Sandton |
| Project focus | Project accounting and timesheet setup |
| Timeline | 8 weeks |
| Core outputs | ERP configuration, reporting, training and go-live support |
| Outcome | Cleaner billing, stronger project visibility and better control over WIP |
