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Smith Scott Mullan Associates
Summary
How implementing CMap streamlined operations at Smith Scott Mullan Associates
Situation
Smith Scott Mullan Associates, an architecture practice based in Edinburgh, specializes in residential projects, public buildings, and conservation. Established in 1995, the practice focuses on delivering sustainable design solutions across a diverse range of projects with an organized, creative, problem-solving approach.
Unfortunately, that organized approach did not include the practice’s back office. It still relied on paper timesheets that had to be completed by hand and manually collected. Then the secretary manually entered the timesheet information into one spreadsheet before transferring it, line by line, into a different spreadsheet where associated fees could be added. The result was a collection of various spreadsheets that were not only frequently inaccurate but also time-consuming to create and maintain.
When he became a director at the practice in 2016, Rick McCluggage concluded that in order to run a successful and growing company, the business analysis needed to be based on accurate and complete information. “That’s when we began investigating solutions,” he said. “We met with reps from several companies in search of a package that focused on finance, time and expense recording, and resource management.”
That search led Rick and his team to CMap.
Solution
After an extensive search and comparison of different systems, Smith Scott Mullan Associates decided to implement CMap as its comprehensive solution because it met the practice’s immediate needs. This user-friendly system eliminated the need for manual timesheet processing and provided a more accurate and efficient way of managing essential company data.
Once the team at Smith Scott Mullan Associates began using CMap, they tailored its security settings to allow different levels of access based on employees' roles. For instance, directors and the finance manager had complete access to all company data, while staff members were granted access to only their time and expense recording and other essential project information. This approach ensured that employees could focus on the information most relevant to their specific roles.
Cherisse Forrester, the practice manager, also found CMap easy to use and quickly integrated it into her daily routine. “I primarily use CMap for uploading expenses and drafting invoices, as well as inputting data related to staff resources,” she said. “CMap's intuitive interface allows me to efficiently manage my tasks and contribute to the company's overall success.”
Results
Saved Time - The time savings were evident right away. The practice eliminated several hours per week that had been previously spent on manual timesheet processing alone, and it saved even more time now that it no longer had to transfer this information to other documents.
Increased Accuracy - Now that time and expense entry doesn’t need to be done manually multiple times, the data in the system is more accurate than before, leading to better-informed decision-making.
Single Source of Truth - With CMap, the practice’s management team can quickly and easily assess project performance by comparing budget versus actual data within each project. This information allows them to make better decisions about resource allocation, forecast future staffing demands, and monitor project profitability
All content in this case study has been approved by the client. The views and opinions expressed are the client's alone.
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