Project management in professional services: how to avoid wasting time and margin

It’s probably happened to you: quotes made in a rush, unclear reports, unbilled hours. In professional services, it takes very little to lose visibility over costs — and end up with lower margins than expected. The problem almost always comes from fragmented management: multiple Excel sheets, scattered data, and no real-time control.

Why do professional services lose time and margin?

The result? Slow decisions, invoicing errors, and wasted time. The solution is to centralize the management of time, costs, and resources in a single integrated system.

How to avoid waste in project management

With the Projects module in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, every phase of the project — from initial planning to final reporting — becomes clear, traceable, and automated. Here’s how:

• ✅ Accurate cost planning – define hours, resources, and external expenses with configurable rates and role-based price lists.
• ✅ Realistic budgets – automatically value hours and include indirect costs.
• ✅ Ongoing margin control – compare planned vs. actual data in real time to prevent variances.
• ✅ Clear reporting – record hours and expenses directly on the project, with no duplication.
• ✅ Flexible billing – choose between hourly, progress-based, or fixed-price models, with continuous monitoring of amounts and balances.

💡 This way, every project becomes transparent and measurable, with up-to-date data that help you protect margins and improve profitability.

From planning to reporting: a continuous flow

Business Central provides an integrated workspace where planning, execution, and control communicate in real time:

• ✅ Interactive dashboards and reports – track each project’s status, comparing planned and actual time and costs.
• ✅ Advanced monitoring – analyze variances and performance with Excel or Power BI for data-driven decisions.
• ✅ Integrated financial management – view due dates, cash flow, and margins to anticipate potential issues.

Collaboration and planning with the Microsoft ecosystem

The Business Central Projects module integrates seamlessly with:

• ✅ Microsoft Project – detailed planning of activities and resources.
• ✅ Microsoft Planner – operational and visual task management for teams.
• ✅ Microsoft Teams – document sharing, updates, and project-related conversations.

👉 The result is a single, connected ecosystem that brings together planning, financial control, and daily collaboration.

Conclusion: more control, less waste, protected margins

Efficient project management means having complete visibility and automated processes. With Business Central, every project becomes more predictable, every decision more informed, and every margin more secure.

💡 Discover how to optimize your project management in professional services with Business Central and transform the way you work — more control, less complexity.