InsideOut

Summary

InsideOut produces competitive quotes with a high level of confidence now that they are using CMap.

Situation

InsideOut is a boutique architectural firm based in London, England. Staffed with a team of architects, master planners, interior designers, problem solvers, and innovators, InsideOut has a proven track record of adding value through high-quality, cost-effective designs.

In the early days of the practice, the firm used to rely on unscientific methods when deciding on quotes for projects. “We’d use industry data, and scribble numbers in our notebooks to try and come up with quotes that we thought were correct, and would allow us to turn a profit,” said InsideOut’s Director, Chris Parker. “We had our methods, but what we didn’t have was accurate and usable historical data relating to what we charged for similar projects. This would’ve helped us arrive at reasonable quotes for current opportunities much more quickly.”

In an effort to improve, Chris and his team used time-recording software and put whatever data they had into spreadsheets. However, that method of deciding on quotes was only marginally better.

“We were recording how many hours we spent on projects, but there wasn’t a satisfactory way to analyze that data,” said Chris. “We couldn’t turn that data into meaningful information to help us make an informed pricing decision. That meant that we wouldn’t know whether we were going to make or lose money on a project until the end, when it was too late to do anything about it."

To make it easier to determine the proper fee for a project, Chris needed a software platform that could leverage historical data and measure profits or losses at any point of the project.

“We needed one place to go for all of the data analytics that would help us operate profitably.”

- Chris Parker, Director

‍

Solution

CMap is designed to help professional service firms like InsideOut win more projects and deliver those projects more profitably. Spreadsheets don’t provide the type of analytics that firms need to succeed, but CMap both puts crucial information into one system and helps users understand the impact of that information.

“As architects, we are very visual, so a spreadsheet full of numbers does little for us,” said Chris. “CMap helps us track our key performance indicators with graphics, such as pie charts and graphs. Those things are more practical for us to use.”

With CMap in place, Chris is better positioned to make critical decisions.

“Unlike dry numbers, CMap tells us a story—that’s exactly what we were looking for,” said Chris.

Results

• Better Recordkeeping - “Our team is now much better at logging time and expenses,” said Chris. “Those records give us an accurate and up-to-date view of how much time and money we are spending on a project.”
• Faster Quote Creation - Chris and his team can create quotes much faster. “I used to spend hours working up a quote,” said Chris. “With CMap, I can produce a quote in just half an hour.”
• Improved Management Confidence - “It’s not about a quote being higher or lower—it’s all about having the confidence that the price is right - meaning that you are more likely to win the project, and if you do that you will make a profit,” said Chris. “The data analysis ability that CMap gives us greatly improves the confidence we have in our quotes.”

‍

All content in this case study has been approved by the client. The views and opinions expressed are the client's alone.