QODA Reduces Month-end Reporting Time by Almost 50% with Deltek Vantagepoint ERP

An interview with David Pestell, Finance Director at QODA

QODA is a design consultancy specialising in building services engineering and sustainable design. It provides expert advice across the built environment, delivering integrated building services and sustainability consultancy. The team supports clients at every stage of the RIBA Design Process, from defining Net Zero pathways and shaping low-energy strategies to optimising performance and securing long-term operational excellence.

QODA is well-renowned for its sustainability expertise and played a fundamental role in creating the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, while also supporting Europe's largest Passivhaus scheme. With an impressive roster of clients, including the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the firm has built a strong reputation across the UK.

As their leadership team and strategic priorities evolved, QODA took the opportunity to transform fragmented HR and finance systems into a streamlined ecosystem built around a single ERP.

We spoke to David Pestell, QODA's Finance Director, to learn how Deltek Vantagepoint helps the firm break down silos, enhance back-office efficiency, and ensure all teams have the data they need.

A New Leadership Team Prompts QODA to Adopt New Tools and Technology

Within a year, QODA changed its CEO and leadership team and took the consulting firm in a new strategic direction. The new focus is on moving up the built environment value chain to work more closely with architects, master planners and end-users.

As the business refined its strategy, David took the opportunity to assess what else could be done to benefit the business and create more streamlined back-office processes. "I saw we had lots of different software joined together as part of our Finance and HR function—and I could see we weren't reaching our full potential," David says.

This distributed approach to technology was beginning to impact operations at QODA, with silos limiting the data and insights leadership needed to properly assess growth opportunities. As the company looks to grow the business across the UK, additional silos would only create further risks without a connected picture of project and business performance.

QODA Streamline Operations with Deltek Vantagepoint ERP

After assessing several vendors, QODA chose Deltek Vantagepoint as its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. "I had two criteria going in," David recalls. First, I didn't want lots of custom code, as that can significantly increase costs. Second, I didn't want to rely on a third party for implementation or consultancy. For those reasons, Deltek and Vantagepoint were a good fit for our business."

Using Vantagepoint, QODA has unified processes from half a dozen different solutions. Now, teams at QODA have everything they need to manage timesheets, expenses, accounting and project reporting in a single system.

Faster Month-end Reporting and New Efficiencies with Deltek Vantagepoint

QODA already feels the positive impact of Deltek Vantagepoint throughout its month-end reporting. "When I first joined, the month-end might take two weeks," David recalls. "Now, by day two, we've closed down the overheads. We've almost halved the effort."

Speed is also joined by new levels of visibility, with QODA already having implemented 90% of its dashboards in Vantagepoint to unify reporting and insights. The team's ability to generate new reports only grows over time, thanks to Deltek. "Every month, we're able to take another step forward in terms of the data we can make available to people in real time," David explains.

Another key benefit is how automation tools in Deltek Vantagepoint have unlocked new efficiencies throughout QODA's back office. "Because so many tasks are now automated, we can move faster and streamline our workflows," David says. "In the case of our billing processes, we used to require seven people. Now, it only takes two—giving us back valuable resources."

Three Ways to Make the Most of Growth Opportunities

David also offered top tips for other firms looking to refresh their strategy and ERP.

Standardize and set your firm up for sustainable growth

"We've created a good underpinning process guide that everyone has to follow. That means everyone's doing the same thing, so we know we can grow sustainably."

Make sure you track the right data

"Too much data is dangerous. But if you have the right amount of data, and you pick the five or six metrics that are fundamental to the business and keep them up to date, you get a really powerful, targeted way to move forward."

Capitalize on workflows to keep processes moving

"With collaborative finance processes, like signing off expenses and invoices, delays can happen, and finance often takes the blame. Incorporating strong workflows can mitigate that by ensuring everyone knows the exact steps that need to happen, and who needs to sign off on what to keep everything moving."

Unify Your Insights with Deltek Vantagepoint

Deltek Vantagepoint is a leading ERP that helps consulting, architecture and engineering firms manage complex projects and company financials in a single place. Get in touch with our expert team today to find out more.