Situation: A company experiences seasonal gaps in project flow. This makes it difficult to project both cash flow and staffing needs into the future. In addition, monthly cash flow tends to be uneven. What can they do to improve control of internal and external resources in this environment? How do you manage seasonal gaps in project flow?

Advice from the CEOs:

• The company currently focuses 60% on consulting and 40% on internal projects, some of which produce future projects. Relative proportions shift over time, and projects can be cancelled.
• Try to write the company’s contracts to push revenue to early stages of a project, so that there is more cash cushion to help ride out short cash periods.
• Look for options to change the business model to increase financial flexibility.
  • If there are significant margin differentials between different types of projects this has overhead implications when resources are shifted.
  • Look for ways to allocate less expensive resources or virtual resources with a lower cost to lower margin projects. Look for opportunities to utilize remote resources if these resources cost less.
• Adjust staff assignments to maximize payoff, as well as staff retention options. Look for project work opportunities.
• Analyze and evaluate the ability to switch personnel between paying projects and internal development projects.

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