Partners opened the system because the path was shorter than the workaround.

Lark & Pine billed time, fixed fees, and retainers. Margin was assembled by a controller after partners had already moved on. Timesheets were late because the tool was slower than email. A replacement ERP had been proposed twice and rejected as 'a finance project.'

Orient was deliberately short. In thirty days we showed project margin on twelve live engagements, using the data they already had, and asked the partners which number they were willing to manage weekly.

The roadmap refused a big-bang replacement. NetSuite was already licensed and underused. The work was commercial models, revenue rules, and a timesheet path a partner could finish between meetings.

Adoption was designed with the practice leads. Managers got a Monday ritual: four projects, one page, a decision. Training was that ritual, repeated, not a course catalog.

Projects reviewed before month end rose by nine points of the portfolio. Revenue recognition stopped being a reconstruction. The partners still argue about staffing. They no longer argue about which spreadsheet is the margin.