Livework Studio

Summary

Using the CMap PSA system, Livework Studio can better manage resource utilization and make strategic business decisions based on reliable data.

Situation

Livework Studio is a service design agency and business consultancy that uses rigorous research and analysis to apply design methods that improve its clients’ relationships with their customers, their employees, and the planet. Serving a wide range of business sectors, Livework Studio helps its clients generate more revenue by striving to make life better for everyone.

To meet its business objectives, it’s essential for Livework Studio to track certain information, such as how it allocates people to projects, how well a project is going, and when to invoice clients.

“We assembled a collection of spreadsheets and systems for managing our core business,” said Kiara Coen, Director of Operations at Livework Studio, “but it was a ton of work to keep up with the high pace of change across projects.”

Working with multiple systems resulted in redundancy and duplication of work. Also, the process was manual, which meant there were often errors in the data.

“We didn’t have true visibility into our business,” said Kiara. “It was tough for us to determine how profitable our projects were, how busy our team members were, and what our team members were spending time on. We were operating on our gut feelings instead of actionable data.”

Additionally, Livework Studio used an ERP system, which was adequate for the finance team. However, it wasn’t adopted by project teams across the rest of the business due to its poor interface and reporting capabilities.

“We wanted to have a solution that would give all our projects a level of visibility, which would help us better manage our business,” said Kiara. “We needed a clear view of the sales process, resourcing, and staff utilization.”

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Solution

Livework Studio opted for a CMap solution that includes advanced resourcing tools and reporting capabilities while also integrating with the firm’s finance system. CMap eliminates the need for spreadsheets and disconnected systems while empowering firms by collecting all the data and functionality it needs in one accessible and unified system.

“Not only did CMap meet our requirements relating to resourcing, but it also offered multicurrency support,” said Kiara. “That was important to us because we have offices in London, Rotterdam, Oslo, and Sao Paulo.”

Results

• Improved Visibility - “With CMap, we have a very clear picture of what everybody is working on,” said Kiara. “That’s important because the workload is in constant flux. So, this kind of overview has been absolutely fantastic.”
• Saved Time - “Before CMap, we had a full-time resource manager,” said Kiara. “Now, we can manage resourcing in just a couple of hours each week. That’s a massive time saving.”
• Enhanced Decision Making - “In the past, it was difficult for us to make strategic business decisions,” said Kiara. “Today, we have reliable data that enables us to understand our business and learn where we can do better. CMap helped us maintain our sanity.”

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