How much revenue did your firm leave on the table last year due to inefficient project scheduling? For most professional services businesses, the answer is usually either "too much" or "we don't actually know."
In our buyer's guide, we'll examine how the right project scheduling software delivers tangible business outcomes: improved margins, enhanced client delivery, and strategic advantage in competitive markets.
The questions keeping you up at night
As a senior leader, you're accountable for the performance of your entire service delivery operation. When project scheduling goes wrong, the repercussions echo from client relationships to your bottom line.
Here are the questions you should be asking before investing in any project scheduling solution:
“What's the real cost of poor resource allocation?”
Beyond the obvious impact of missed deadlines, poor scheduling creates hidden costs that rarely appear in standard reports. You might be losing up to 40% of potential revenue through suboptimal resource allocation – through bench time, mismatched skills, and inefficient team configurations.
“How quickly can you adapt when client demands shift?”
Nowadays, agility is essential. When a major client suddenly accelerates their timeline or changes scope, how quickly can you reconfigure your resource plan without disrupting other commitments?
A senior manager at De Hooge Waerder points out: "Making small scheduling adjustments took more time than necessary and gaining a clear overview of ongoing projects and time allocation became increasingly challenging and time consuming." The right scheduling system should allow you to model multiple scenarios within minutes, not days, giving you confidence in your commitments even when circumstances change.
“Are your project margins eroding due to scheduling inefficiency?”
When projects consistently deliver less profit than forecasted, scheduling inefficiencies are often the culprit. The wrong resources working on the wrong tasks, at the wrong time, inevitably impact your margins.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway faced this challenge: "Frequent budget overruns were becoming a concern as there was no easy way to compare scheduled versus actual resource usage." After implementing advanced scheduling software, they gained "real-time tracking of resource allocation and costs, allowing them to prevent budget overruns before they happen."
“How are you managing your most valuable asset – high-performance teams?”
Your specialists and high performers are your most valuable resource. Are you deploying them strategically, or are they constantly pulled into projects that don't leverage their expertise?
The most sophisticated scheduling solutions match skills to tasks and consider team chemistry, development goals, and utilisation patterns to build optimal teams.
“Can your current system scale with your growth ambitions?”
As your business grows, scheduling complexity increases exponentially. A solution that works with 50 resources might collapse entirely with 150.
"Baker Tilly Staples Rodway has doubled in size in the last 5 years," notes their implementation case study. "Rapid growth combined with having multiple resourcing mechanisms didn't allow for complete visibility and optimisation of resources."
Before investing, ask yourself: Will this solution support your three-year growth plan, or will you need to replace it just as you start scaling?
New to resource management software? Book a no-obligation consultation with our experts to see what good resource management can look like for your organisation. Book a demo.
The project scheduling maturity model: where do you fit?
Making the right technology investment requires an honest assessment of your organisation's current capabilities. Rather than jumping straight to features and functions, successful leaders first determine where their firm sits on the project scheduling maturity curve.
This approach gives you a clear framework for evaluating solutions that not only address current pain points but also provide a pathway for future growth.
Level 1: Spreadsheet chaos
Does this sound familiar? Your project scheduling relies on Excel spreadsheets, manual updates, and frequent coordination meetings. Resource allocation lives in the heads of a few key people, with planning information scattered across various tools and platforms.
At this level, you're likely experiencing:
● Limited visibility into resource availability beyond the current week
● No reliable way to forecast resource needs
● High risk of double bookings and conflicts
● Manual recording across disconnected systems
● Reactive firefighting rather than proactive planning
"When you're relying on this manual approach, resource management data ends up cooped up in its own little world, processes feel like a broken record on repeat, and problems only get attention after they've popped up," notes Jamie Skuse, Head of Product Delivery at Retain, in their comprehensive analysis of resource management maturity.
The business impact is substantial: reduced utilisation rates, frequent project delays, and significant administrative overhead just to maintain basic operations.
Level 2: Basic digital scheduling
At this stage, you've implemented some digital tools, but your approach remains fragmented:
● You use a combination of basic tools that automate parts of the process
● Scheduling still requires extensive manual effort
● Improved team communication, but limited cross-functional visibility
● Reporting is typically ad hoc and reactive
While this is progress from pure spreadsheet chaos, you're still missing the integration and standardisation needed for truly effective resource management.
As Retain's guide, The Art of Resource Management Maturity points out: "Although the tech is definitely a step forward, it's not providing the full visibility or the complete automation that's really needed for top-notch strategic resource planning."
Level 3: Integrated resource planning
Organisations at Level 3 benefit from standardisation and integration:
● Resource data and processes are standardised across the company
● Systems connect with other platforms like ERP, CRM, and project management
● Real-time dashboards provide insights into utilisation and costs
● Resource managers validate system recommendations rather than starting from scratch
This integration creates a complete view of the entire resource management process, with automation handling routine tasks while human expertise ensures optimal decision-making.
A Director at Baker Tilly Staples Rodway described this transformation: "Our managers now have instant visibility into project costs and team capacity, allowing them to make better resourcing decisions and reduce budget overruns."
Level 4: Strategic business intelligence
The highest level of maturity transforms project scheduling from an operational function to a strategic advantage:
● All resource planning processes run on a single, intelligent platform with AI capabilities
● Specialised technology integrates seamlessly with other business systems
● Precise forecasting of resource needs with predictive analytics
● Team configuration considers not just skills but team chemistry
● Project costs are accurately predicted before work begins
● Resource optimisation becomes nearly automatic
When you reach this level, resource management isn't just running on autopilot. It's also fine-tuned to perfection. You can model and prep for different scenarios, aligning resources flexibly to meet business goals.
Self-assessment: where do you sit on the curve?
Most organisations overestimate their maturity level. To accurately assess your position, ask yourself these key questions:
⏹️ How much of your scheduling process still relies on manual intervention?
⏹️ Can you easily forecast resource needs 3-6 months into the future?
⏹️ Do you have a single source of truth for resource data across the organisation?
⏹️ Can you quickly model the impact of taking on a major new project?
⏹️ How long does it take to identify the optimal resource for a specific task?
Your honest answers will likely reveal you're at an earlier stage than you might have thought. That's actually good news – it means you have significant room for improvement and value creation with the right solution.
The right project scheduling software should not only address your immediate challenges but also provide a clear path to advancing through these maturity levels.
The project scheduling software features that matter
When evaluating project scheduling software, it's easy to get lost in lengthy feature lists and impressive-sounding capabilities that look good in demos but deliver little real-world value.
As a decision maker, you must focus on the features that drive measurable business outcomes. Here are the capabilities that truly separate market-leading solutions from the rest:
#1. Team chemistry tracking (not just skills matching)
Most scheduling tools can match resources to projects based on skills and availability. But exceptional project delivery requires more than technical competence – it demands effective team dynamics.
Advanced scheduling solutions now incorporate behavioural profiling, while using data from past projects to identify which combinations of people consistently deliver superior results together.
"Project teams created based on psychometrics" is a hallmark of strategic resource management, according to Retain's maturity model. This means considering not just what people know, but how they work together.
When evaluating solutions, ask: Does this system track only individual skills, or does it learn which team configurations consistently deliver the best client outcomes?
#2. Audit trails that satisfy even the most detail-oriented partner
In professional services, accountability matters. Every scheduling decision creates downstream impacts on revenue, client satisfaction, and team morale.
Look for systems that maintain comprehensive audit logs not just of what changed, but why changes were made. This creates accountability and provides invaluable context for future decision-making.
"We needed a structured system that could seamlessly track the four key phases of an audit while ensuring smooth project progression," noted a senior manager at De Hooge Waerder. After implementation, they gained "a clear, structured overview of planned hours, workloads, and project status" that satisfied even the most rigorous oversight.
#3. Customisation that doesn't require technical expertise
Every organisation has unique workflow requirements. The problem? Most customisable systems require expensive consultants or developers to adapt to your specific needs.
The most effective solutions balance sophisticated capabilities with intuitive configuration tools that business users – not IT specialists – can manage.
"Retain's tools are intuitive and user-centric, designed to provide resource managers with comprehensive insights, yet remain accessible and easy to navigate," notes Rahat Ahmed, Resource Management Growth Leader at Retain. "The aim is to free up resource managers from the tedium of manual processes."
When evaluating options, ask vendors to demonstrate how your team would make common customisations. If their answer involves professional services engagements or writing code, prepare for ongoing dependency.
#4. Reporting capabilities that finance values
Generic utilisation reports don't give finance leaders what they really need: actionable insights that connect resource allocation to financial performance.
Look for solutions that provide:
● Real-time comparison of planned vs. actual utilisation
● Projected revenue and margin forecasts based on current scheduling
● Early warning indicators of potential budget overruns
● Resource cost analysis across different project types
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway saw immediate value after implementation: "Instant engagement costing and budget tracking now allow managers to see the cost of an engagement instantly and compare it to the planned budget, enabling proactive financial management."
#5. Integration with your existing tools
Your scheduling solution shouldn't exist in isolation. It needs to connect seamlessly with your broader technology ecosystem – CRM, ERP, financial systems, and Microsoft Office tools.
Many vendors claim "integration capabilities" but deliver only basic API access that requires custom development. True integration means pre-built connectors for common business systems and no-code configuration for data mapping.
"Systems are integrated, connecting resource management software with ERP, CRM, project management and other platforms," is a key indicator of advanced maturity according to Retain's research. This integration creates a single source of truth across business functions.
When evaluating options, ask for specific examples of how the solution integrates with your existing systems, and what level of technical expertise is required to maintain these connections.
#6. AI capabilities that support, not replace, resource managers
When implemented effectively, AI delivers tangible improvements in resource optimisation, forecasting accuracy, and administrative efficiency.
However, not all AI features are created equal. Look for specific capabilities like:
● Predictive analytics for resource demand forecasting
● Intelligent skill matching that learns from successful project outcomes
● Anomaly detection to identify potential scheduling conflicts before they occur
● Automated scenario modelling for complex resource allocation decisions
Retain's highest maturity level highlights "AI-enabled precise on-demand forecasting" and "resource optimisation using AI" as differentiating capabilities that transform resource management from operational to strategic.
When evaluating vendors, push beyond the marketing materials to understand how these capabilities translate to measurable business outcomes for organisations like yours.
Looking for AI-powered scheduling? Retain's AI suitability matching learns from your successful projects to suggest the best resources for new work with explainable results. Learn more about AI matching.
Implementation stories from real clients
Let's get honest about what really happens when you implement new project scheduling software. The glossy case studies and impressive ROI statistics only tell part of the story.
Decision makers deserve to hear about the challenges alongside the wins. Here's what your peers experienced during their scheduling software implementations – the insights that rarely make it into sales presentations.
De Hooge Waerder: From Excel gridlock to scheduling freedom
De Hooge Waerder, a full-service accounting and consultancy firm, faced a familiar challenge: Excel had served them well in their early days, but as they grew, even small scheduling adjustments began consuming disproportionate time and effort.
"Making small scheduling adjustments took more time than necessary and gaining a clear overview of ongoing projects and time allocation became increasingly challenging and time consuming," their senior manager explained.
Resource managers who had developed their own personalised Excel systems needed to adapt to standardised approaches. Some teams initially resisted the shift, concerned about losing their carefully honed workarounds.
The breakthrough came when they configured Retain Cloud to match their specific audit workflow, tracking projects through four distinct phases.
The result? Scheduling adjustments that once took 15 minutes now take just 20 seconds. The firm gained "a clear, structured overview of planned hours, workloads, and project status" that transformed their capacity planning.
Key implementation lesson: Invest time upfront in configuring the system to match your specific workflow requirements rather than adapting your processes to fit generic software.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway: The on-premise to cloud transition
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway faced a different challenge. Their existing on-premise system had served them for over a decade but was reaching end-of-life. Remote access required VPNs, making the system increasingly cumbersome for a modern, flexible workforce.
Migrating 10 years of historical data was a significant undertaking. The firm had to make hard decisions about what historical information to bring forward and what to archive.
"Custom fields were reviewed and optimised to ensure Retain Cloud could provide the most accurate and meaningful reporting insights," noted their case study. This wasn't just a technical migration but an opportunity to rethink how they structured their resource data.
The most surprising outcome wasn't just improved scheduling but dramatically enhanced financial management: "Proactive Financial Management: Instant engagement costing and budget tracking now allow managers to see the cost of an engagement instantly and compare it to the planned budget."
Key implementation lesson: Use system implementation as an opportunity to rethink and optimise data structures and reporting requirements, not just replicate existing processes.
Questions to ask about implementation that vendors rarely address
When evaluating vendors, dig deeper than generic implementation timelines with these questions:
#1. What's your approach to change management? Ask for specific examples of how they've helped similar organisations transition from your current methods.
#2. How do you handle data migration from spreadsheets or legacy systems? Request details on tools, validation processes, and data cleansing requirements.
#3. What level of customisation can we implement ourselves vs. requiring your services? Understand where your team can make changes and where you'll depend on the vendor.
#4. What's the typical user adoption curve? Ask for honest assessments of how long it takes teams to become proficient with the new system.
#5. How do you manage the transition period when both old and new systems might need to run in parallel? This critical phase often receives insufficient planning.
As the Baker Tilly implementation team noted: "The transition was exceptionally smooth, with minimal disruption to operations. Retain's intuitive interface and familiar workflow meant that only one training session was needed for employees to get up to speed."
By understanding the full implementation journey – challenges included – you can make a more informed decision and set realistic expectations for your team. The best vendors won't hide from these conversations but will draw on their experience to help you navigate the transition successfully.
Choose the right project scheduling software
You've assessed your scheduling maturity level, understood the critical features to look for and heard real implementation stories. Now it's time to prepare for action. Here's how to approach this critical decision with confidence:
Questions to ask yourself before demos
Before you sit through hours of software demos, clarify your internal requirements with these key questions:
What are your non-negotiable requirements vs. nice-to-have features? Be specific about the capabilities that directly address your most pressing business challenges.
Who needs to be involved in the decision process? Beyond IT and resource managers, consider involving finance leaders, project managers, and even client delivery teams.
What does success look like 6, 12, and 24 months after implementation? Define clear KPIs that align with business objectives, not just software utilisation metrics.
What level of change is your organisation ready to absorb? Be realistic about your team's capacity for process transformation alongside their daily responsibilities.
What systems must integrate with your scheduling solution? Create a comprehensive list of your technology ecosystem requirements.
"We needed a structured system that could seamlessly track the four key phases of an audit while ensuring smooth project progression," noted De Hooge Waerder. This clarity about specific workflow requirements guided their evaluation process.
Making the business case for investment
When presenting to stakeholders, focus on these compelling arguments:
1. Financial impact: Quantify the potential revenue gains from improved utilisation and the cost savings from reduced administrative overhead.
2. Risk mitigation: Explain how better scheduling reduces delivery risk, resource conflicts, and client satisfaction issues.
3. Competitive advantage: Demonstrate how improved resource agility enables you to respond more effectively to market opportunities.
4. Talent strategy: Connect effective scheduling to improved employee experience and retention.
5. Technology consolidation: Calculate the savings from replacing multiple disconnected tools with an integrated solution.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway's business case focused on solving multiple challenges: "Limited remote access, manual reporting, no real-time visibility into budgets, aging infrastructure, and frequent budget overruns."
Take the next step
Ready to see how the right project scheduling solution can transform your resource management? Book a personalised demo with Retain's team to explore how our solution maps to your specific business requirements and maturity level.
