Consulting 4.0
Sabrina Dietenberger
As a consultant, she advises and supports medium-sized companies in their digital transformation with a focus on Microsoft Dynamics 365-technology platform.
Industry 4.0, digital transformation, big data, artificial intelligence – digitalization has fundamentally changed companies and markets. Project service providers are particularly affected by this, as they are always the first point of contact for all changes and support companies in integrating modern technologies and agile methods. At the same time, the consulting and engineering industry itself is facing fundamental change.
When solving problems, consultants could always rely on best practice processes that had already been successful in other companies. However, models and methods need to be developed for dealing with digitization, pioneering techniques and disruptive business models.
Another challenge is that large volumes of artificial data can now be automatically patterned using artificial neural networks and software analysis tools. Thus, the focus shifts in the consultation of the analysis to the implementation, the added value of the consulting service is now in the interpretation of the collected data.
The solution
While these changes present consultants with comprehensive challenges, they also offer the opportunity to develop new business models and innovative products and services. In this way, project service providers such as consulting companies or engineering offices can tap into previously untapped growth areas and differentiate themselves positively from the competition. But in order for the industry's transformation to Consulting 4.0 to work, it must implement suitable tools and techniques. Only if consulting companies reposition themselves will they continue to live up to their claim as technologically leading service providers, innovation-driven partners and attractive employers. An important component for controlling internal processes is an integrated software solution. This supports all project-based companies in networking departments and processing customer projects efficiently and transparently.
Advantages of integrated business software for project service providers and consulting companies
1. Network knowledge and processes
If project-relevant data such as working hours or travel costs are recorded and processed by various tools in the company, there is a lack of transparency. In addition, the multiple acquisition of data costs a lot of time. The remedy is an integrated solution that covers all areas of the company and thus contributes to comprehensive networking.
- All employees work with the same software and the same database
- All data is available company-wide
- All changes are immediately visible to all employees
- Cross-departmental collaboration is simplified
- Automated workflows save time and relieve employees
- Company-wide evaluations provide a meaningful picture of the current and future development
Industry software ensures even more efficiency, which also provides a variety of relevant industry-specific functions for project service providers (consulting companies, engineering service providers, software houses, ...) such as project planning and resource management.
2. Efficient project management
In order to distinguish yourself in the competitive environment, the quality of the consulting service plays a crucial role. This also includes professional project management that does not rely on Excel lists. Because these pose potential dangers in several ways:
- Complex projects can only be mapped with great effort and multiple lists
- Mutual dependencies often go undetected
- Maintaining the lists requires a lot of time and is prone to errors
- Lists and dates are rarely up to date
- No ongoing exchange with customers, external partners and service providers
The solution: Integrated solutions combine the organizational and the commercial perspective on projects. In this way, resources can be used in a targeted manner and employees can be optimally utilized. Threatening capacity bottlenecks are detected in good time so that countermeasures can be taken early. Thanks to the integrated financial accounting, project managers and the management can compare project and budget progress at any time on the basis of current figures and thus easily identify risks. Unloved surprises at the end of the month or quarter are excluded. Since all elements of a project are in one solution, complex projects can be conveniently calculated, planned, controlled and evaluated.
3. Strengthen personal contact
In the consultation, personal contact with the customer is and remains important. The introduction of suitable business software relieves employees of routine administrative tasks. This saves you time and allows you to fully concentrate on the needs of the customer.
- Automated generation of reports with current key figures including a target / actual comparison
- Simple time and travel expense recording via smartphone and tablet - even on the go
- Digital recording of documents such as invoices, forms, e-mails, contracts, etc.
- Integration of release workflows to increase process security and meet regulatory requirements such as GoBD or DSGVO
- Always able to provide information to the customer, as information is always up to date
Many tasks, one software
Learn KUMAVISION project365 know. The industry software is based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and offers numerous industry-specific functions: from lead generation to project completion, from offer calculation to billing, from planning to implementation - project365 consistently links all company processes together.
KUMAVISION project365 to get to know
Any questions? We would be happy to take the time to talk to you about your goals and requirements. Make an appointment with Dennis Lucic now online or at T +49 7544 966-200.