Our client is an architecture practice with offices located throughout Australasia, with around 120 people.

Our client delivers master planning, architectural, interior design, and asset management projects throughout New Zealand and in other locations worldwide. They have offices in Auckland, Tauranga, Hong Kong, and Sydney, as well as a strong network of partners throughout the Pacific.

We were approached to update and upgrade the business systems to streamline and improve their operations. The scope of the change process was to migrate the current legacy system databases to Management for Design’s Business Management System, which incorporates accounting, project control, CRM, Custom Dashboards, Accounts Payable and Tracking Module and Management Reporting.

We managed the solution on behalf of the client, avoiding the hassles of hardware and software updates, data backups, and security monitoring.

As an international company, it was vital for the client to be able to access the  right information when out of the office. Our innovative technology solution allow them to tie their entire organisation together, even though when they’re working out of various locations.

The key deliverables for the client included:

• Enhanced visibility into all aspects of the business
• Accurate and consolidated client and project information available across all locations
• Project information readily available to project managers anywhere, anytime
• Monthly reports, financial statements available earlier
• Experienced and expert support available 24/7

 

“We chose Management for Design’s cloud-based solution because it is secure to access and gives us the capability to complete work from anywhere in the world”

 

“We’re really reaping the most tremendous benefits by having such a diverse and well-rounded system. We had no real down time while switching over due to the well managed transfer of our data”.

 

Reference available on request

Our client is a full-service architectural practice based in Manly, NSW, specialising in contemporary, ecologically sustainable design.

Our client wanted help to attract clients who aligned with their community-build attitude. Previously, they would spend time communicating to prospective clients who would struggle to see the worth of their unique approach, resulting in time and resources committed to prospects that did not match their ethos and design principles.

To overcome these issues, Management for Design (M4D) provided a detailed communication strategy, audience evaluation, and messaging framework that targetted the specific audience our client was aiming to reach. M4D suggested strategies to improve communications content and channels to attract key market segments.

M4D proposed messaging strategies for social media, newsletters, and articles, to engage the target audience and appeal to different emotional, value-driven, inspirational, and leadership based decision-making criteria. This would then increase new business leads and improve brand visibility.

The framework appealed to multiple market segments and would increase the audience’s understanding of the practice, and the type of work they do, to improve brand equity and champion the concept of “wholeness”.

As a result of this strategy and framework, our client has been successful in increasing their business leads, market visibility and brand equity, and can grow their business forward, with the right clients who understand the work of the practice.

The communications strategy is awesome! We have successfully been utilising the communications matrix and powerful client value propositions to reach and engage new prospective clients and win new work.

 

Reference available on request

Our client offers professional consulting services, covering statutory planning, strategic planning, and master planning. They provide advice for public and private clients and across all sectors of government.

We were approached to assist in reducing their debtor days and to optimise and streamline accounts receivable for the client.

We proposed and implemented an automated payment reminder process to assist with accounts receivable follow up and processing.

 

The automated payment reminder process has been in place for approximately 12 months and we have observed a significant reduction in our outstanding debtor days. We have also received minimal negative feedback from our clients since the system has been implemented.

We have been pleased with the outcome of reducing debtors days and allowing M4D to focus on follow up to a targeted client group.

 

Reference available on request

Our client is an architecture and interior design studio with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with over 210 people.

Our client had grown substantially since we started working with them, and currently has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Consequently, their business systems and infrastructure required stronger foundations that would keep up with their sustained expansion.

The existing systems were unable to meet the needs of their business, as all the information was being pulled together across disconnected and out-dated systems and spreadsheets. The data structure throughout the legacy systems was inconsistent, which contributed to the lack of data reliability. The result of this was a lack of confidence in the information being collated, and hesitations around effective decision making.

“Everyone had their own unique way of entering, storing, and accessing the data, and we had no visibility across those databases. Pulling together reports required a lot of manual work.”

 

To solve this problem, Management for Design, identified a new ERP system, best suited for the specific requirements of the business,  then supported its implementation and behavioural change within the business, to ensure successful uptake.

Specifically designed for professional services firms, the Business Systems automate and integrate the planning, tracking and administration of finance, projects and resources. Our client implemented finance, invoicing, project accounting and project management modules and client management. All the legacy systems have been phased out. Because all accounting and project management information is centralised within one system, we generated results almost immediately.

“There was no other system that had the functionality and usability that the combination of Management for Design and their Business Management Systems offered. It just felt right.”

 

“By partnering with Management for Design we now have reliable data to build on, invoices are now easily generated and understood, consequently decreasing the likelihood of rejection and cutting the invoicing cycle significantly.”

 

The new processes enabled a new way of working. Generating invoices is no longer a convoluted and time-consuming process, and the client is easily able to forecast invoicing and future cash flow.

Management reporting is now much clearer as well. With company-wide visibility into the performance of projects and resources, project managers now have access to what they need, and can generate their own reports instead of going through accounting. The principals and project managers are excited about having the ability to run their own reports and being able to have confidence in the data.

“This has allowed me to spend my time on reviewing and analysing the information instead of running reports for people. It’s made my job easier.”

 

“Everyone did the best they could with the information that was available, but most people resorted to spreadsheets in order to have some level of confidence in the data.”

 

“Now we trust the data we’re working with. Management for Design has helped me overcome my biggest hurdle as General Manager — getting people to have confidence in the system and the information in it.”

 

Reference available on request

Our client is an architecture practice with offices located throughout Australasia, with around 120 people.

Our client delivers master planning, architectural, interior design, and asset management projects throughout New Zealand and in other locations worldwide. They have offices in Auckland, Tauranga, Hong Kong, and Sydney, as well as a strong network of partners throughout the Pacific.

We were approached to update and upgrade the business systems to streamline and improve their operations. The scope of the change process was to migrate the current legacy system databases to Management for Design’s Business Management System, which incorporates accounting, project control, CRM, Custom Dashboards, Accounts Payable and Tracking Module and Management Reporting.

We managed the solution on behalf of the client, avoiding the hassles of hardware and software updates, data backups, and security monitoring.

As an international company, it was vital for the client to be able to access the  right information when out of the office. Our innovative technology solution allow them to tie their entire organisation together, even though when they’re working out of various locations.

The key deliverables for the client included:

• Enhanced visibility into all aspects of the business
• Accurate and consolidated client and project information available across all locations
• Project information readily available to project managers anywhere, anytime
• Monthly reports, financial statements available earlier
• Experienced and expert support available 24/7

 

“We chose Management for Design’s cloud-based solution because it is secure to access and gives us the capability to complete work from anywhere in the world”

 

“We’re really reaping the most tremendous benefits by having such a diverse and well-rounded system. We had no real down time while switching over due to the well managed transfer of our data”.

 

Reference available on request

Our client is an architecture, interior design, urban design and planning practice located in Melbourne and Sydney, with over 120 people.

Our client has grown over recent times to a number of distinct businesses with more than 20 Directors servicing clients across Australia, into Asia, and across Europe.

Each of the businesses specialises in a particular design discipline which is each run by top industry professionals that  throw their energy and expertise into building their businesses. Meanwhile, the day to day business activities are managed by Management for Design, who look after the myriad of things that underpin the smooth operation of each business.

This enables the business principals access to high-level data and sophisticated strategic tools for analysing trends and making forecasts, which is invaluable in terms of risk management. As a result,  they can set feasible objectives in terms of performance, turnover and profit. They’re also able to make the most of boom times while anticipating and planning for dips in the cycle.

Our client has consistently delivered outstanding business performance and year on year growth, with exceptional sustained profitability – well above industry benchmarks

“We pride ourselves on focussing on our core capabilities of design, client relationships and delivering our work to best of our ability and we can maximise our contribution. We believe this is how we can maximise the performance of the business.”

“We have engaged with Management for Design to provide expertise in those areas that aren’t our core expertise – finance and accounting, IT, business management and business systems. And the benefits of this is that we can utilise this expertise as required – wherever and whenever. They are always available when we need them”

 “Management for Design has a fantastic client focused culture, which is positive and constructive, where nothing’s a problem. It’s a pleasure to deal with them”’

 

Reference available on request