Development of a Custom App for Evaluating Project Profitability in Strategic Consulting and IT Development

We are seeking a developer or team to help us design and develop an app that will allow the management of a consulting firm to easily assess the profitability and economic feasibility of their strategic consulting and IT development projects. Project Overview: The app will be a tool designed to streamline and automate the process of estimating, evaluating, and monitoring the revenues, costs, and profitability of consulting projects. Currently, the company relies on manual processes, using Excel and informal discussions to estimate costs and profitability. This has led to inefficiencies, lack of structure, and difficulties in optimizing the project proposals and team assignments. The app we aim to build will address these pain points by providing a structured, automated, and user-friendly interface. Key Features of the App: 1. Project Work Days Estimation: Estimate the number of workdays required for a project based on three key elements: -AS-IS Assessment -Design of the Target Model -IT Development Each element will be rated on a difficulty scale from 1 (very easy) to 5 (very difficult). The app should calculate the total workdays accordingly. 2. Consultant Profiles Selection: - Select the number and type of consultants needed for the project. - Consultants can be assigned based on their role (strategy consultant, IT consultant, etc.) and their availability. - Include both fixed and variable costs for each consultant based on the project duration and type. 3. Cost Management and Profitability Simulation: Allow users to input a hypothesized project sales price and calculate: - Consultant costs (both fixed and variable) - Total project costs - Project profitability (contribution margin) Include summaries of the total revenues, costs, and estimated profitability in a clear, easy-to-read format. Client-Specific Requirements: Current Challenges: The current manual approach, mostly based on Excel, is time-consuming and lacks structure. The new app should automate many of these manual tasks, such as calculating costs and assigning consultants, to save time and ensure greater accuracy in the estimation process. The company needs help in defining the most appropriate consultant profiles for each project. The app should include a feature that assists in matching the required project roles to the consultants’ skills, seniority levels, and availability. Cost and Time Monitoring: The app should integrate with the company’s internal database to automatically retrieve updated consultant data, including their availability, career path, and costs. Additionally, the app should be capable of tracking the "erosion" of the project budget over time by monitoring the actual hours worked by consultants. The goal is to provide real-time insights into how the project is progressing against the allocated budget. Dynamic Features: While the app's primary function is to evaluate project profitability, it should also offer flexibility in monitoring and adjusting ongoing projects. For instance, if the project is underperforming or overperforming in terms of budget consumption, the app should suggest potential corrective actions (e.g., adjusting resources or proposing additional business opportunities). The company also sees value in using the app to optimize their project portfolio, helping to identify underutilized resources and allowing more effective project staffing. KPI Monitoring: The app should also allow the company to define and track KPIs to evaluate the success of projects and the efficiency of administrative and bureaucratic processes. This could include metrics such as time saved on administrative tasks, project profitability, and consultant utilization rates. Data Integration: It is critical that the app be integrated with the company’s internal database to access real-time data on consultants' availability, skills, and costs. This will help to automatically update key parameters used in project profitability calculations. Security and Compliance: While there are no significant security concerns, the app must ensure that sensitive data, such as consultant profiles and costs, are handled in compliance with company policies. Personal employee data, for example, should be anonymized or restricted where necessary. Technical Requirements: - Platform: The app will ideally operate in the cloud, connected to the company’s internal database to retrieve and update consultant data in real-time. - User Interface: It should have a clean and intuitive UI that allows users to easily input data, simulate project profitability, and visualize results. - Scalability: The app should be designed to accommodate future growth and additional features, such as KPI tracking and portfolio optimization. Expected Deliverables: 1. A fully functional app that fulfills the outlined requirements. 2. User documentation and training material to ensure smooth implementation within the company. 3. Integration with the company’s internal database for real-time data updates. If you are interested in this project, please submit a proposal outlining your experience, approach to this project, and estimated timeline. We are looking forward to working with a team that can help us bring this vision to life, creating an app tailored to the needs of our client. Budget: 50€