Mandate PR Implement Sage TimeSheet

Mandate one of the UK’s leading PR and public affairs consultancies, created from a merger of two other businesses, needed a time recording system to provide information on account and project profitability, resource usage and for billing.
By: DeepakSareen Associates plc
 
March 31, 2009 - PRLog -- Part of the Engine Group, Mandate is one of the UK’s leading public relations and public affairs consultancies and was created by merging AS Biss & Co and Republic PR. With offices in London and Washington DC, they offer their clients over 20 years experience and a team of 60 consultants offering the best skills in corporate PR, consumer PR, public affairs, lobbying and campaigning.

Stephen Ruben, Mandate's Finance Director, had the responsibility of bringing the two companies' business systems together and ensuring that the merged company could be managed efficiently and effectively. A key element of this was the time recording system used to provide information on account and project profitability, resource usage and billing information for client work billed on time spent, rather than as an agreed fee.

Prior to the merger, A S Biss used a simple time tracking system that Stephen Ruben had already decided would need replacing if they were going to improve the quality and information available in management reports. It was also important that whatever system was chosen, should be easy for their consultants to use. The creation of Mandate made these requirements immediate and fortunately the solution was to hand, as Republic PR were existing Sage TimeSheet users.

Sadaya Chalisey, Engine's Group IT Manager, asked Deepak Sareen Associates (DSA) to establish what would be required to migrate, upgrade and double the number of user of Republic’s Sage TimeSheet time tracking system.

Installing & Using Sage TimeSheet

Sadaya discovered quite quickly how straightforward this was. DSA then worked with Stephen to pre-populate the TimeSheet database with all their consultants, clients and current jobs. The whole implementation, including the new installation, building the database and Administrator training, was completed in just two days.

The roll out was very smooth, with training for the new users accomplished in a two-paragraph email, with no need for further explanation. What’s more, Stephen confirms that Sage TimeSheet meets his objective of providing a time tracking solution that is very easy for the consultants to use.

Mandate’s full time consultants have to enter a minimum of seven hours a day on their timesheets. This makes it easy to identify whose time sheets are not up-to-date and to chase them – physically or with an automated email reminder produced within Sage TimeSheet.

Stephen Ruben and his colleague, Ryan Persaud, produce the reports required as part of their support for Mandate's management. And on this subject Stephen said that:

“TimeSheet's quick and easy reporting makes it possible for us to provide reports on demand, in addition to our regular monthly reporting.”

The bulk of Mandate's clients are on retainer, with some additional pre-quoted projects. http://www.sagetimesheet.co.uk provides what is needed for up to the minute client profitability (http://www.sagetimesheet.co.uk/sage_timesheet/timesheet-s...) and project profitability analysis (http://www.sagetimesheet.co.uk/sage_timesheet/timesheet-s...). And, for the small minority of projects that are billed based on time spent and hourly rates, TimeSheet easily provides what is required for project billing.

Summing up Stephen said: "We are very pleased with TimeSheet and the service that we receive. It is easy and very straightforward to use. The training was very good, helped by the consultant understanding our precise needs. And whilst we've rarely needed it, the support is excellent.”

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About DeepakSareen Associates. DeepakSareen provide time tracking and time billing solutions for small and medium sized companies, corporates and government departments for over 15 years. Working with our sister company, Sareen Software, our experience extends to project management and CRM solutions.

Based in the UK, our coverage extends across Europe and to the Middle East. Working closely with our partners, Time and Billing Consultants, based in Sydney, we also provide solutions that extend to Australasia and the Far East. Solutions extending to North America are provided in conjunction with Sage Software and their partners.

With our flexible range of time recording, time tracking and time billing products and services, we should be able to provide an excellent solution for your organisation, regardless of size or business focus.
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Source:DeepakSareen Associates plc
Email:***@dsareen.com
Zip:HA1 3RW
Tags:Time Tracking, Software, Timesheet, Time Billing, Job Costing, Employee Time Management
Industry:Accounting, Software, Marketing
Location:Harrow - Middlesex - England
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Page Updated Last on: Jul 15, 2009



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