I thought growing a consulting firm would be like stacking bricks. Turns out, it’s more like juggling knives. It’s risky. It’s messy. It’s thrilling. And it can cut you if you’re not careful. In Episode 02 of the Z Suite, Groundline GM Kyle James and I wrestled with the five things growth breaks fastest - and how to growth-proof them.

We’ve made building budgets in Projectworks simpler and more flexible. A solid project budget helps you understand project performance by comparing projected burn to your budget and projected revenue. This stops you from overspending and maximizes your project margins - and your impact.

Across geographies and disciplines, the firms that thrive share one thing: they run their businesses with clarity. And that clarity comes from tracking and acting on five core metrics. These metrics are not just numbers, they are the heartbeat of growth-ready firms.

AI may be dominating headlines, but the real story for software consultancies is delivery discipline. Firms that can’t run lean, predictable operations will not survive this transition.

Demand is surging, but people are stretched to breaking point. Retention is shaky, hiring is hard, and gaps in training are widening. For many Australian firms, the biggest risk is no longer the pipeline, it’s the talent needed to deliver it.

Compliance has always been part of architecture. But in today’s Australia, it has become the single biggest source of risk for firms. From bushfire codes to accessibility mandates, regulation is evolving faster than many firms can keep up.

The biggest obstacle to growth in New Zealand’s engineering industry is not investment, it’s talent. After years of layoffs and stalled projects, the workforce is thin. Young graduates aren’t entering fast enough, and experienced engineers are harder than ever to retain.

The UK’s engineering industry is brimming with opportunity, but firms are running headfirst into a structural challenge: the skills shortage. Skilled professionals are thin on the ground, and rising costs make hiring even tougher. The result? Many consultancies are trying to do more with less, often at the expense of margins and client trust.

AI is fundamentally reshaping how software services are delivered, valued, and priced. Across North America, software consultancies are confronting a new reality: clients want more strategic value, new competitors are emerging, and delivery models are being reinvented in real time.

Australia’s engineering moment has arrived. But opportunity without control is a recipe for missed deadlines, shrinking margins, and reputational risk. The firms that win will be the ones that lead with structure, not scramble with spreadsheets.

The Australian architecture industry is entering a new chapter, one defined by urban intensification, climate adaptation, and rising compliance demands. For firms, the stakes have never been higher. The work matters more than ever, but it has also never been harder to deliver with control.

New Zealand’s engineering sector stands on the edge of both extraordinary potential and significant risk. The consultancies that invest now, in clarity, control, and operational maturity, will be tomorrow’s leaders.

For small and mid-sized engineering consultancies in the UK, the difference between leading the next decade and being left behind comes down to readiness, operational discipline, and the ability to deliver under unprecedented pressure.

Professional Services Automation (PSA) solutions enable professional services organizations to effectively manage their consultants and drive profitable project delivery.

I thought selling a consulting firm would be like landing a big project. Turns out, it’s nothing like that. It’s emotional. It’s messy. It’s six months of all-consuming work. In Episode 01 of Z Suite Live, I swapped M&A battle stories with Allen Debes, CEO of Koniag Capital. We've pulled together the five things we wish we’d known before our first deal. It’s not a corporate M&A manual. It’s a founder’s cheatsheet you can use tomorrow. Steal it. Use it. Tell me how it goes.

Growing a consultancy sounds exciting. In reality, it often feels like holding everything together with spreadsheets, shared drives, and late-night phone calls. That was where Scendea, a specialist biotech consultancy, found themselves in 2020. They were delivering world-class regulatory and product development support to life sciences clients, but their internal systems weren’t keeping up. Budgets were in Excel. Timesheets in ClickTime. Resourcing happened through phone calls. It got them by for a while, but it wasn’t sustainable — and it certainly wasn’t going to get them where they wanted to go.

We’re excited to share that Projectworks has earned 36 badges in the G2 Summer 2025 Reports, with standout placements across categories like Project Management, Professional Services Automation, Resource Management, and more.

In July, we enhanced margin reporting and expanded our customer review program. Plus - since its release in June, 35% of Projectworks users have explored the new custom reporting engine. Have you tried it yet? We’d love to hear what you think.

The UK government's 2025 Spending Review presents major opportunities for consultancies in engineering, software, and architecture. Learn how to leverage targeted investments in infrastructure, digital, defence, and sustainability for growth.

Custom reporting just dropped! Maximize your impact in the rest of 2025 by building your own reports to uncover the insights you care about most. Plus, a chance to earn $60 in 4 minutes...

Net margin is the percentage of revenue that remains as profit after accounting for all costs. For professional services firms drowning in spreadsheets and financial guesswork, this metric reveals the truth about your business that surface-level numbers often hide.

Your consultants didn't spend years honing specialized expertise just to waste it on spreadsheets no one trusts. The problems your clients bring to your firm are too complex, and your experts' time too valuable, to waste on work that doesn't contribute to your bottom line. Yet every day, boutique consulting firms sacrifice countless billable hours to administrative tasks that add zero client value.

Accounting isn't project management. Project management isn't accounting. Yet consulting firms insist on forcing these fundamentally different disciplines together through manual processes, spreadsheets, and prayers to the Excel gods. It's time for consulting to take a good look in the mirror…

When data drives your decisions, your impact is even greater. Our new custom reporting feature is designed for professional services experts looking for insights at their architecture, engineering, management consulting, or software services firm. Whether you’re a CEO, project manager, or accountant, you can build and edit the unique reports that matter most to you.

The problems your engineering, management, or architecture firm tackles are too important, and your experts' time far too valuable, to waste on ineffective integrations that create more work than they eliminate.

Your firm might be bringing in millions in revenue - but without a clear view of your operating margin, you could still be losing ground. Operating margin reveals how efficiently your entire business runs after covering the real costs of winning and delivering work - not just direct project expenses, but sales, marketing, and overhead. Ignore it, and you risk overvaluing revenue while undervaluing operational discipline. Firms that track and understand operating margin can protect profits even in volatile markets.

Most professional services leaders make a critical mistake: treating gross margin as a backward-looking accounting metric rather than the forward-looking decision engine it should be.

Boutique consulting firms waste valuable billable capacity on administrative tasks that add zero client value. Purchase orders are among the worst offenders.

Your firm’s profitability is about to take a hit. The new UK tax rules that came into force on 6 April 2025 directly affect labour costs, cash flow, and exit planning for consultancy and professional-services businesses. Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are up, reliefs have shifted, and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is climbing - making financial agility a competitive necessity. In this post, we break down the key developments and explore practical steps consultancies can take to navigate them.

Let's be honest: in today's hyper-competitive market, your firm can't afford to fly blind on account margins while your competitors use them to fuel rapid growth.

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve added $12M USD to our Series A, thanks to a significant funding extension led by new investor Ten Coves Capital, alongside continued support from Bridgewest Group and Punakaiki Fund. This brings Projectworks’ total funding to over $20M USD - a milestone made possible by the 15,000+ consultants who trust us every day.

We're more connected than ever! Integrate with Employment Hero to effortlessly track employee leave and resource your projects efficiently. Plus, flexibly adjust time entries prior to invoicing, and discover our new Refer a Friend Program - where you get paid for sharing the Projectworks love.

Sick of logging employee leave in multiple locations? Getting taken by surprise by leave that was requested but not recorded in your project management software? Dealing with the fallout of inaccurately resourced projects? We’ve solved these common project management problems with our latest native integration. Connecting Projectworks and Employment Hero allows you to effortlessly track employee leave logged in Employment Hero, without manually handling the data in Projectworks. (Not using Employment Hero? Projectworks also integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online to track employee leave).

Our referral program is the easiest way to earn $1,000 without running a project.

Discover our latest release - kick admin to the curb by filling or reducing your timesheet to capacity with one click. Plus, revisit custom cost rates by project and time code to achieve more accurate project margins.

When U.S. tariffs shift, businesses feel it, and so do the consultants who support them. Learn how policy changes are reshaping priorities, pressure, and potential.

We’ve made managing your projects even easier with our recent releases - adding more custom fields, new audit records, improving report performance, and implementing a .NET Core upgrade.

All you need to know about building your consulting firm into a successful, saleable business.

Custom fields make Projectworks more flexible to meet the unique needs of your business. Plus, refine your margin reporting with a new revenue calculation.

How there is so much more to selling than finding a purchaser.

Insights and advice on managing the challenges that come with selling your business.

A first hand account of selling a $100m+ consultancy.

We’re launching a new monthly product update to keep you up-to-date with the latest in Projectworks. Plus - did you miss our purchase order feature? Here’s everything you need to know.

A quarter by quarter account of a consultancy surviving then thriving in lockdown.

At Projectworks, we believe in partnerships that foster mutual growth. Our mission is to create opportunities that not only empower you to scale your business but also help us achieve shared success. That’s why we’re thrilled to kick off 2025 with a revamped Partner Program that’s designed with you in mind.

Tips and learnings on surviving great challenges in your business.

These top 10 professional services businesses symbolize the pinnacle of global success.

This quarter, we focused on that perennial problem in professional services - the timesheet. Our new features make timesheets more efficient, helping you maximize billable hours and make sure time entries are submitted on time, every time. Plus, find out what’s coming in 2025…

Advice and insights into finding the perfect workspace for your growing team.

How your growing business will give you growing pains.

How to avoid the pitfalls of working for clients.

Mark’s debut as a CEO selling a multi-million dollar consultancy.

How a robust methodology is key to growing your business.

Explore the latest trends and insights shaping the future of engineering services in 2025, from economic challenges to tech-driven growth opportunities.

Effective project cost management is the key to staying on budget and ensuring profitability. From estimating costs to handling scope changes, here’s how to keep your projects financially on track.

Master the must-know terms—billable hours, utilization rates, and more—with this essential glossary!

Ready to boost your billable hours? Here’s how top consultants make every hour count.

Mark describes how he secured $10m clients over three clear phases.

Revenue forecasting plays a necessary role in ensuring consulting firms can predict profit and loss, manage financial risks, and plan for sustainable growth.

Mark shares how he kicked off a new business pitch with honesty, authenticity and a measure of wit.

Mark and Allen share how they used a simple concept to reinvent Nexient for even greater success.

Big things are happening at Projectworks. Exciting milestones, new leadership, and a fresh chapter ahead.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve begun rolling out an exciting new look for Projectworks, and we’re incredibly proud to share it with you.

Today, we explore the exciting opportunities and challenges AI brings to the accounting profession. We’ll also highlight the logical next steps accountants can take to thrive in this evolving landscape and build deeper, more meaningful connections with their clients.

Effective management of project expenses is crucial for staying on budget and ensuring financial success.

As the accounting industry evolves, many professionals are shifting from traditional tasks to offering strategic advice and insights.

Did you know 22.3% of global time entries are submitted after the week they’re due? Discover an easy way to avoid this problem at your firm.

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Projectworks has been included in the 2024 Inc 5000, coming in at number 557.

Learn how our GM-structured model helped us scale beyond $130M.

Key steps for conducting a social impact assessment to evaluate and manage your project's effects on communities.

Today, we explore the PMI's history, courses, and whether the ROI is worth it for your business.

Learn how to stop scope creep from derailing your project’s timeline.

Explore the top project management methodologies and find the best fit for your business.

Unlock deeper project insights with the earned value (EV) method.

Discover which North American consulting firm brings in the most revenue.

Engineering projects can be challenging to manage, especially when it comes to tracking time and resources.

Developer time tracking software is a critical for software teams providing their services to clients.

Mark shares how his team listened to corporate strategy by creating a mission statement that meant something.

To keep your projects profitable, it's important to measure burn, a key financial metric for professional services.

Learn from experts Kalyn Ponti (KP) and Charlie Hughes from Humankind about retaining and attracting awesome people for your company.

This guide covers practical tips to help you manage your resources and strengthen client relationships for better results.

This guide explores the common challenges of resource allocation and offers practical tips to help you plan better, avoid bottlenecks, and keep your projects on track.

Modern professional service businesses often need to manage a hybrid workforce. Whether your team members are working on-site, at home, or away at meetings, a reliable time-tracking app makes billing hours and attributing time to clients easy.

Unplanned leave can throw off project timelines and impact your business. This guide shows how to handle it effectively, so your team stays on track and clients stay happy.

Preventing revenue leakage is crucial for your firm’s success. This guide offers 8 tips to keep your billing efficient and your profits secure.

There is an art to getting the best out of your team. An organization that can nail its resource management has a crucial competitive advantage in the market.

This guide shows how integrating Projectworks with Xero can help you manage jobs, track time, and keep your financials in sync.

Build a better architectural firm with project management software for architects.

To successfully navigate choppy economic waters, companies must leverage their most vital resource - their people.

How to allocate resources at consultancy firms and examples of the best resource management software available.

Resource management tools equip engineering teams with the power to succeed.

Running a streamlined consultancy can be challenging due to fluctuating client work and projects.

Large projects can add another level of complexity to a project manager's workload and create the need for better resource planning strategies.

Struggling with resource allocation? This guide shares 8 tactics to optimize resourcing and avoid overburdening your team.

In this article, we focus on resource management tools specifically designed to assist software consultants.

At services firms of any size, the efficiency of your team has a huge influence on your profitability.

Effective performance reviews are a critical component of any successful consulting team.

Discover simple tips for your consulting firm that can help you increase timesheet accuracy and efficiency.

Azure DevOps is a Microsoft platform designed specifically to help design, build, test, and deploy software.