Industry
Professional Services
Systems for project delivery, billing accuracy, and resource visibility.
Professional services firms need clear project economics and efficient delivery operations. We implement ERP and automation that connect projects, time, billing, and finance.
Common challenges
- Project margin visibility
- Billing leakage
- Resource planning friction
How N1ERP helps
- Project and finance alignment
- Billing workflow automation
- Management reporting
The problem
Profit leaks between the timesheet and the invoice
For consultancies, agencies and engineering firms, the product is people's time. When timesheets are collected late, expenses arrive on paper and billing is assembled manually, revenue leaks — hours are never billed, budgets are overrun without warning, and project margins are only known after the fact.
Partners and project managers want a simple view of budget versus actual; finance wants accurate work-in-progress and revenue recognition. Spreadsheets cannot reliably give both.
Business Central's Projects (Jobs) module links budgets, time, expenses, purchases and invoicing per project. We configure it around how you contract — fixed fee, time and materials, milestones — and automate the steps between timesheet and invoice.
Scope
What's included for Professional Services
Project structure
Projects, tasks and budgets set up to match how you quote and deliver work.
Time and expenses
Timesheet and expense capture with approval, posted directly to projects.
Billing models
Fixed-fee, time-and-materials and milestone billing configured with invoice proposals for review.
WIP and revenue
Work-in-progress calculation and recognition methods agreed with your finance team and auditors.
Project reporting
Budget-versus-actual and margin reports for project managers and partners.
Typical timeline
How the work is phased
Indicative ranges. We confirm a plan for your scope at the end of discovery.
01 · 2 weeks
Discovery
Contract types, billing rules and reporting needs captured.
02 · 4–8 weeks
Configure
Projects, time, expenses and billing set up and tested.
03 · 2–3 weeks
Pilot
Selected projects run end to end in Business Central.
04 · 2–3 weeks
Go-live
All active projects migrated and first billing cycle supported.
Deliverables
Sample deliverables
- Billing and contract model
- Project and task structure template
- Timesheet approval workflow
- WIP method documentation
- Project margin report
- Open project migration file
Ecosystem
Systems we integrate with
- Dynamics 365 Business CentralERP
- Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams)Microsoft
- Power AutomateMicrosoft
- Power BIData & Reporting
- Dynamics 365 SalesCRM
- HubSpotCRM
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can Business Central handle project accounting?
Yes. The Projects module covers budgets, time, expenses, purchases, invoicing and work-in-progress per project, and is widely used by services firms.
How do consultants submit time?
Through Business Central timesheets or a simpler capture app, with approval by the project manager before time posts to the project.
Can we bill different clients in different ways?
Yes. Fixed-fee, time-and-materials and milestone billing can co-exist, configured per project or contract.
Can it connect to our CRM?
Yes. Won opportunities can create customers and projects in Business Central so delivery starts from the agreed scope and price.
Can partners see project profitability in real time?
Project budgets and actuals update as time, expenses and purchases are posted, so budget-versus-actual and margin reports reflect current work rather than last month's spreadsheet.
Can expenses be captured on the go?
Yes. Expenses can be submitted with receipts through a simple capture flow, approved by the project manager and posted to the right project and task, so billable costs are not forgotten at invoicing time.
Business Central for Professional Services
Tell us about your systems and goals. We'll help you define the right next step.