Project Accounting, Budgeting, and Pricing Automation: How We Transformed Business Efficiency.

Automation is not just about implementing software – it’s about redefining business processes for efficiency and growth.

🔍 Business Challenge:

The company managed 1,000+ projects per year (over €15M per year), but its accounting processes were fragmented and inefficient:

⚡ Disjointed systems: Accounting was done in 1C: Accounting, warehouse management was handled in a separate, non-1C system, and management accounting was maintained in Excel.

⚡ Errors and manual processes: Data inconsistencies and calculation errors due to disconnected databases.

⚡ Slow pricing process: Only one person (me) handled pricing, while 15 sales managers depended on these calculations, creating bottlenecks.

⚡ Inefficient budgeting process: Budgets (P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet) were managed manually in Excel, with project costs, payments, and daily payment registers being entered manually.

⚡ Lack of financial transparency: Profitability was hard to assess due to human error.

⚡ No real-time financial forecasting: Excel was not suitable for rapid data analysis and financial adjustments.

💡 Solution: I was one of the leaders of the team that implemented an automated project management system based on 1C: Project Office Management.

🚀 What I implemented:

✅ Developed business process models for budgeting, defining clear step-by-step workflows and documentation.

✅ Automated pricing calculations – the system now dynamically calculates prices based on:

• Equipment type
• Labor costs
• Workload and usage time
• Maintenance schedules (linked to warehouse stock levels)

✅ Integrated all accounting systems:

• Unified accounting, warehouse, and management accounting into one system.
• Eliminated manual data transfers between Excel, the warehouse system, and 1C: Accounting.

✅ Implemented electronic document management: Sales managers could now generate pricing calculations independently, and I would review and approve them digitally.

✅ Automated budgeting processes: Financial reports were closed monthly, giving top management real-time insights into business performance.

📈 Results:

🔥 €1.2M in additional revenue within the first year.

🔥 Pricing process was accelerated – calculations that previously took hours were now completed in 30 minutes. This allowed for additional employees to be onboarded and a 10% increase in projects, leading to higher revenue and profitability.

🔥 Improved project profitability management – clear visibility into which projects were profitable and which were not.

🔥 Increased accuracy in financial reporting – eliminated errors caused by fragmented systems.

❗ Lessons Learned & Insights:

The initial implementation had challenges.

🚧 Cost-saving decisions by top management led to a direct database migration without parallel testing.

🚧 This caused system failures and data inconsistencies, requiring three full audits throughout the year.

🚧 Additional costs arose from weekend overtime payments and extra software development expenses.

✅ How I optimized future projects:

I never repeated the mistake of direct migration. Instead, I implemented parallel system testing with existing accounting tools, ensuring a smooth, error-free transition. I also preemptively explained the risks of direct migration to business owners, saving companies time and money.

🏆 The Outcome:

With this experience, I successfully executed four more automation projects:

🏭 Three for industrial enterprises

🎭 One for an event production company (stage construction, exhibition stand building, and event logistics).

Each project was implemented flawlessly, without cost overruns or operational disruptions, thanks to a proper implementation strategy.

📌 If your company is facing similar challenges, let's discuss how automation can optimize your processes! 💬

#Automation #Finance #1C #DigitalTransformation #CFO #FP&A