QODA Reduces Month-end Reporting Time by Almost 50%

The Challenge: Limited Visibility as QODA Scaled

QODA Consulting is a design consultancy specializing in building services engineering and sustainable design, delivering projects across the built environment—from net-zero strategy and low-energy design to complex mechanical engineering schemes. Known for its technical expertise and progressive sustainability credentials, QODA works on high‑profile projects where accuracy, accountability, and timely decision‑making are critical.

As the business grew, its finance and operational teams were held back by a fragmented technology environment. Multiple finance and HR systems had been introduced over time to address specific needs, but none were designed to work together.

"When I joined the business, we had four to five different systems that didn't talk to each other," explains David Pestell, Finance Director at QODA Consulting. "Month‑end close could take nearly two weeks, and finance was spending too much time reconciling data rather than supporting the business."

This lack of integration limited visibility across projects, weakened governance, and made proactive decision‑making difficult. As QODA refined its operating model and planned for future growth, the business recognized the need for a unified, project-centric platform.

The Solution: A Future‑Ready Platform for Projects

As QODA's operations matured, the limitations of its disconnected finance and operational systems became increasingly clear. To support the next phase of growth, the business needed a modern, cloud‑based platform that could replace fragmented tools with a single, connected foundation—one capable of supporting complex project delivery while improving visibility, control, and decision‑making.

By moving to the Deltek Platform and implementing Deltek Vantagepoint, QODA brought together CRM, project management, billing, finance, and reporting within a single, project‑centric ERP environment.

"QODA doesn't sell products—we sell time, expertise, and outcomes," explains David. "Vantagepoint puts the project at the center, connecting commercial, operational, and financial data so everyone is working from the same view of the business."

By consolidating previously separate tools for timesheets, expenses, invoicing, and accounting, Vantagepoint became QODA's single source of truth. Project and financial data are now unified and updated in real time, enabling teams across the business to work from consistent, trusted information and make decisions with confidence.

Embedding Governance, Accountability, and Control

One of the most significant changes delivered by Vantagepoint has been QODA's ability to embed governance and control directly into everyday workflows.

Approval processes for supplier invoices, expenses, and billing are now automated and standardized. Costs are routed to the appropriate project managers or office leaders, while finance retains oversight without becoming a bottleneck.

"This isn't about adding red tape," David explains. "It's about avoiding surprises. Everyone knows what they're responsible for, and decisions are fully traceable."

With shared visibility across the business, accountability has shifted from finance alone to the wider leadership and project teams. Project managers now actively engage in cost control and billing, and leaders have a clear view of activity throughout each billing cycle.

Improving Reporting, Forecasting, and Cash Flow

By consolidating all operational and financial data into a single system, QODA has significantly reduced administrative effort across finance. Month-end close times have been reduced by almost half, allowing the team to focus on insights and forward-looking analysis rather than manual processing.

Forecasting has also improved. Instead of relying on multiple spreadsheets submitted by different teams, QODA now works from live project and pipeline data held centrally in Vantagepoint.

"We can see where the business is heading earlier, which lets us be proactive about resourcing and risk," says David.

Billing and cash flow visibility have improved in parallel. By managing invoicing in Vantagepoint and giving project managers ownership of approvals, QODA has eliminated billing-cycle delays. Centralized accounts receivable dashboards provide transparency around aged debt, customer queries, and follow‑up activity.

As a result, QODA has reduced days sales outstanding by over 10 days and consistently tracks below industry benchmarks.