In the first section of this two part series, 13 Key SRP Metrics Vital to Profitability for Tech Services Companies, I outline specific metrics necessary to measure performance across multiple business units for successful resource planning in Technology Services organizations. This blog will discuss the top dashboards required to provide visibility of those key metrics, giving the current status and historic trends needed to support effective decision making.
For a comprehensive view into business performance, technology services companies should use the dashboards to look at information from four perspectives.
- A top-level business perspective dashboard will typically focus on the financial performance of the business. It should monitor revenue and margins, as well as unbilled work in progress and future revenue forecasts. Controls should be in place to avoid revenue leakage. Monitoring on-time submission, review, and approval of timesheets is critical.
- A client perspective illustrates the revenue and margin achieved from projects delivered to them, their satisfaction levels, and their current demand for additional services.
- A service perspective summarizes all projects being delivered for each service line. The demand for and profitability of each service can then be determined, as well as any changes needed to be made to increase the margins achieved. The actual daily rates achieved by each role should be monitored against targets. Non-billable effort such as rework should also be tracked.
- A resources perspective is critical. As a global services company, increasing the utilization of resources across each region is the key to driving revenue and profit. Creating global resource pools that can be utilized on projects across the world can reduce local headcount and increase productivity. Each day a resource is on the bench equals lost revenue that can never be regained. Ultimately, every Technology Services organization should attempt to drive up their resources billable utilization, as every 1 percentage increase you can get from resources goes directly to the bottom line in terms of profitability. Getting good visibility of future demand and the knowledge and experience required to deliver it successfully will allow the most effective planning of resources.
The dashboards outlined provide access to the 13 key metrics critical to the profitability of Tech Services organizations. When considering a software solution for services resource planning (SRP), I recommend Tech Services organizations include these 13 metrics and dashboards on their list of requirements. Look for a solution with in-depth reporting and analytics capabilities that provide visibility into information that helps drive decisions that are most important within the organization.
What’s on your dashboard software? Is information readily available? Share by leaving a comment below.
Related post: 13 Key SRP Metrics Vital to Profitability for Tech Services Companies
