No structured way to track consultant time or get client sign-off
Most IdentityNest consultants work at client sites and are engaged on a time-and-materials basis. As the team grew, there was no structured mechanism to track their time, and some clients also wanted to approve consultants' timesheets before receiving an invoice.
Time tracking ran on Microsoft Excel, Word and email:
- Timesheets in documents: Consultants entered their time mostly in Excel or Word files.
- Approval by email: Each week, timesheets were sent to the client for approval.
- Invoicing from forwarded emails: The client's approval emails were forwarded to the finance department, which then invoiced the client.
- Manual reminders: Someone had to email consultants to get their timesheets filled in.
- Admin for consultants: Filling in spreadsheets and emailing them around took up consultants' time.
“We required a system that allowed our customer contacts to approve timesheets. The email approval process was both frustrating and extremely time-consuming.”
IdentityNest realised the process would not scale and that it needed to invest in a tool to streamline it. That's when it found Avaza.
Client approvals, reminders and exports in one timesheet system
Features IdentityNest uses
IdentityNest researched many tools on the market and shortlisted the two closest to its requirements: Avaza and one other. What stood out about Avaza:
- Look and feel: The team loved the look and feel of Avaza's user interface.
- Easy to find your way around: It was easy to navigate the application and discover features.
- Mobile for consultants on the move: Avaza is available on mobile devices, an ideal fit for consultants who are mostly on the move.
How IdentityNest works in Avaza
- Client timesheet approvals: timesheet entries are reviewed and approved by the designated client contact, and all the relevant details are captured against each entry, which makes invoicing straightforward.
- Weekly timesheet reminders: nobody has to email consultants to fill in their timesheets. Avaza sends reminders only to people who have submitted less than their standard working hours.
- Report exports to accounting: IdentityNest runs a separate accounting system. It exports timesheet details for a nominated date range as a flat CSV file, makes minor changes and uploads the file into that system.
“Avaza report exports are really useful... It saves us many hours each week.”
Happier customers and more productive consultants
Every IdentityNest invoice is now based on timesheets the client has already approved, and consultants spend less time on administrative tasks such as spreadsheets and emails.
- Happier customers: Invoices are based on approved timesheets.
- Predictable cash flow: IdentityNest can predict its cash flow without the fear of delays in the payment process.
- More productive consultants: Less time goes on administrative tasks such as filling in Excel spreadsheets and emailing them around.
- Better timesheet submission: Weekly timesheet submissions have improved significantly since IdentityNest adopted Avaza.
- Hours saved every week: Exporting timesheet data to the accounting system saves many hours each week.
- One central repository: All the data is in one place, so the team can access past data and look for areas of improvement.
“We now have happier customers as the invoices are based on approved timesheets. Our consultants are more productive as they need to spend less time on administrative tasks such as filling Excel spreadsheets and emailing them around.”
