EPM Lite for Consulting
Project margin × utilization × bench, in one cube.
Consulting finance is two problems: forecasting utilization (which is people math) and forecasting project margin (which is ratio math). Most stacks give you one or the other. EPM Lite gives you both, with the agent computing realization and recovery on every project on demand.
Metrics you'll actually track
- Utilization % (target vs actual, by practice and by consultant)
- Realization rate (billable / standard) and recovery rate
- Project margin: gross by client, by practice, by partner
- Bench cost as % of revenue
- Pipeline coverage and book-to-bill
Why EPM Lite fits
- Drivers: BILLABLE_HOURS, BILL_RATE, CONSULTANT_COUNT, BENCH_DAYS — change the slider, see margin react.
- What-if: 'hire 4 senior consultants in Q3' shows utilization, gross margin, and cash impact across the year.
- Agent answers project-margin questions by name: 'why is the Acme engagement under-margin?' and pulls the breakdown.
- Multi-entity ready: collaborative billing across regions handled in the cube, not a workbook.
Example scenario
60-person consultancy, 4 practices, mixed T&M and fixed-fee. Cut variance investigation from 2 days to 30 minutes; weekly re-forecast on utilization that ties to gross margin live.
Composite scenario based on the consulting buyers we've talked to. Not a quoted customer.