Projektinhallinta, tuntikirjaus ja kannattavuus: miten ERP pitää katteen kunnossa

In small business projects, margins typically disappear for three reasons:

1. Hours are not recorded in real-time: an employee estimates at the end of the week how many hours were spent. The actual number of hours is often higher than the estimate.
2. Additional work is done without invoicing: the client asks for a "small change" which actually takes hours. Small additional tasks accumulate.
3. Margins are not tracked during the project: profitability only becomes clear when the project is over and the invoice has been sent. By then, it's too late to correct.

According to PMI (Project Management Institute) studies, organizations with mature project management practices are significantly more likely to achieve their goals and less likely to exceed budgets.

Eemel ERP brings project management, time tracking, budgeting, and invoicing into one place:

• Time tracking: employees record hours directly to the project from mobile or browser
• Real-time margin tracking: see at any time how many hours and money have been spent on the project vs. budget
• Automated invoicing: hours and materials can be invoiced directly from the project
• Deviation alerts: the system warns when the budget is about to be exceeded

These three basic rules keep margins in check:

1. Record hours on the same day: memory-based recording at the end of the week leads to under-recording. The same-day rule significantly improves the accuracy of recordings.
2. Agree on additional work in writing before starting it: a "small change" must be priced and approved before the work is done.
3. Check margins weekly: don't wait until the end of the project. A weekly report reveals deviations in time.

The greatest benefit of an ERP system is the consistency of information:

• Recorded hours are directly transferred for invoicing – no separate Excel lists
• Invoices are generated based on project data – no manual copying
• Invoiced amounts appear automatically in accounting
• The true project margin is always up-to-date

A five-person IT consulting firm carried out client projects at a fixed price. Profitability varied wildly: some projects were very profitable, others were loss-making.

Implementing Eemel ERP revealed the reason: time entries were inaccurate and additional work was not invoiced.

After the change:

• Hours are recorded daily using a mobile app
• Additional work is approved by the client before starting
• Project margin is visible in real-time on the dashboard
• Profitability significantly improved within six months

This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.