Use Case Video: Project Forecasting

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Introduction 

Arthur is the Engineering Manager for Sharps, a large mechanical and electrical contracting firm. 
At any point in time, Sharps has about 55 jobs running simultaneously. 

Arthur’s colleague, Marie, is the Project Accountant. One of her main responsibilities is forecasting — making sure that cashflow remains healthy. 

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The Cashflow Challenge 

For Marie, maintaining good cashflow means creating invoices on time and keeping WIP (work-in-progress) days low — that’s the number of days between work being completed and invoices being issued. 

However, she often struggles with clients who delay invoices, and she frequently asks Arthur what still needs to happen before the next invoice can be sent. 
This constant back-and-forth puts pressure on Arthur and slows down the overall process. 

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A Wider Problem: Forecasting and Communication Gaps 

Marie also updates the company’s cashflow for Alan, the CFO at Sharps. 
Alan depends on accurate data to make investment decisions, but gathering this information is time-consuming and paper-based, with bottlenecks everywhere. 

Marie can’t quickly see when invoices are due, it’s hard to track cost estimates and change requests, and she lacks visibility into current project costs. 

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The Solution: Implementing Cora PPM 

After implementing Cora PPM, everything changed. 
Marie now has a digital, real-time view of the financial health of every project on Sharps’ books. 
It’s completely transformed her working day. 

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Full Financial Visibility 

With Cora PPM, Marie can see: 

• Project costs, linked to cost codes in SAP (Sharps’ financial system) 

• When costs will be incurred and Estimate at Completion figures 

• Skill requirements by hour and currency, all cost-coded and synchronized with SAP 

She can also forecast revenues using the Gantt chart payment milestones entered by Arthur’s project managers. 
Gross margins, under- and over-billings, and cashflow status (positive or negative) are displayed instantly. 

Before sending an invoice, Marie can check the Gantt chart to confirm which tasks are complete, ensuring accuracy and eliminating confusion. 

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A New Way of Working 

Marie has regained control of her workload. She no longer needs to phone or email Arthur for cashflow updates for Alan, the CFO — a big relief for everyone. 

Arthur can now focus on managing his team and delivering projects, while his project managers can complete forecasts easily — just like using an Excel sheet, but with far greater intelligence and automation behind it. 

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Results and Impact 

Everyone at Sharps is in a better place: 

• Marie manages cashflow more effectively and keeps invoice delays in check. 

• Alan, the CFO, makes investment decisions with greater confidence. 

• The senior management team gains instant insight through dashboards that summarize project finances and payment milestones. 

Now, that’s how to get control of forecasting — and run your business better.