Projects flagged before 80 percent of phase fee is spent
Early warnings are only useful with time left to act. This tracks whether problems surface sooner.
Architecture firms · KPI and pipeline dashboards
Utilization, backlog and fee burn in one weekly view principals actually read
Architecture principals usually know a project is in trouble around the time it is too late to fix. The data was there: hours charged against phase budgets, a PM with too many projects, a client 75 days past due. But it sits in Ajera, Vantagepoint or CORE reports that take time to run and assemble, so the full picture appears once a quarter, if at all.
How it often works today
- Someone exports reports from project accounting into Excel each month, and the spreadsheet breaks whenever a column or project phase changes.
- Projects overrun in construction documents without anyone noticing until most of the fee is spent and the drawings are not finished.
- Utilization is calculated differently by each principal, so staffing discussions turn into arguments about the numbers rather than decisions.
- Backlog is estimated from memory, which makes hiring and workload decisions slower and riskier than they need to be.
A KPI dashboard pulls the handful of numbers that matter for a design firm into one view that updates automatically: utilization by person, fee burn against phase budget, backlog in months, work in progress and aging receivables. Principals look at it weekly and decide where to step in.
The improved workflow
Agree on six to eight measures
Typical choices: utilization by person and studio, fee burn versus percent complete, backlog in months, effective multiplier, work in progress, aging over 60 days and win rate on proposals.
Fix definitions and data setup
Write down how each measure is calculated and clean up phase setup and time codes in your accounting system. This step usually matters more than the dashboard tool itself.
Connect data on a schedule
Data refreshes daily or weekly from Ajera, Vantagepoint or CORE into Power BI or a similar tool, without manual exports.
Review weekly with clear owners
Principals review the dashboard in a short weekly meeting. Each red item gets a named owner and an action, so the dashboard drives decisions instead of becoming wallpaper.
How we deliver this: AI automation for small business or fractional CTO leadership, scoped in writing and run over 90 days. See pricing or the sample scope.
What we would measure
Hours spent preparing monthly reports
Captures the admin time saved by replacing manual Excel assembly.
Weekly review attendance and actions closed
A dashboard nobody discusses changes nothing. This measures whether it is actually used.
Where people stay in control
- Individual utilization data is shared according to a written policy, since it affects how staff feel about performance reviews.
- Principals decide on staffing, fee changes and client conversations. The dashboard highlights issues; people decide what to do.
- Access to financial data such as multiplier and salary costs is limited to the roles that need it.
Example
Illustrative example: catching a CD overrun early
For example, a 30-person firm's new dashboard shows a medical office building at 72 percent of its CD fee spent while the PM reports the set as about half complete. The principal meets with the PM that week, finds a consultant coordination problem, and reassigns a senior project architect for two weeks. Under the old monthly spreadsheet, the gap would likely have appeared after the fee ran out. This is an illustrative scenario.
Tools typically involved
What the first 30 days look like
In the first 30 days we would interview principals about the decisions they struggle to make, review how projects, phases and time codes are set up, and agree six to eight measures with written definitions. Then we would build a first version for review.
Common questions
Don't Ajera and Vantagepoint already have dashboards?
They do, and for some firms the built-in dashboards and reports are enough once phases and time codes are set up properly. A separate tool such as Power BI helps when you need to combine project data with CRM pursuits or HR data. We would start by checking what your current system can show.
What utilization target should we use?
That is a business decision for your principals, and it varies by role. Principals, project architects and designers carry different expected loads. We would help you set clear definitions and targets by role, but we would not import a number from another firm without understanding your mix of work.
How long until the dashboard is useful?
A first version can often be running within the 31 to 60 day delivery window if the data is reasonably clean. If phase setup or time codes need correcting, that cleanup comes first. The dashboard becomes trustworthy after a few weekly reviews where the numbers match what PMs see on their projects.
The business case
Does it pay for itself?
Illustrative defaults for an architecture firm. Replace them with your numbers.
What this workflow costs today
a month in staff time, before any lost sales
Monthly fee + assumed tools +
Break-even: new clients a month (at first-year value)
Or: staff hours recovered and redeployed
Break-even additional revenue
Value of +1 point of win rate
First 90 days, service fee
Worth a closer lookTest the assumptions
Illustration only, not a forecast or guarantee. Recovered staff time becomes a cash saving only if spending actually declines or the time goes into paid work. Tool costs are an assumption; we replace every number here with yours before recommending a scope.
KPI and pipeline dashboards in other industries
Auto repair shopsConstruction and general contractorsDental practicesElectrical contractorsEngineering firmsHVAC companiesIT managed service providersLogistics and freight companies
KPI and pipeline dashboards: full guide
Related guides
Your first 90 days with a fractional tech leadHow to automate invoicing in QuickBooks OnlineA practical guide to CRM data cleanupHow to automate recurring client reports
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