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Operational processes
Six core processes run day to day: sales, project, billing, cost, customer care, workforce.
Business steering: how do we lead on current data?
Above the six operational processes sits a central steering layer: the management dashboard with eight key KPIs. teamspace compresses data from every process into a single cockpit for leadership and oversight, with individual thresholds and an honest maturity model.
Three layers, one data set
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Process steering
Each process has its own cockpit with KPIs, thresholds and explicit ownership.
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Business steering
Eight key KPIs compress the firm's state. Leadership decides on a data basis.
The eight key KPIs of business steering
Deliberately reduced to eight. More dilutes focus, fewer drops crucial information.
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Order intake
How does future revenue develop? Green ≥ revenue target × 1.2. Leading indicator for growth and buffer.
2
Pipeline value
How much potential sits in sales? Green: 2 to 4 times monthly revenue, safe pipeline for stable utilisation.
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Revenue (actual)
How is the business performing now? Green: on plan or slightly above. Core performance KPI.
4
Revenue forecast
How will revenue evolve? Green: at least 90 percent predictable. Basis for strategic decisions.
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Project profitability
Are we earning on our projects? Green: 15 to 30 percent margin, industry dependent.
6
Staff utilisation
Are we using resources well? Green: 70 to 85 percent. Key to efficiency and flexibility.
7
Revenue per employee
How productive is the firm? Industry typical 100 to 250 thousand EUR per year. Scalability indicator.
8
Liquidity / cashflow
Are we financially stable? Green: 2 to 6 months of fixed costs covered. Safety and freedom to act.
Common pitfalls
When dashboards become wallpaper.
Many management dashboards are full and yet useless. Too many KPIs without structure, no link to processes, no current data. Our answer is a deliberately lean dashboard that forms a real steering layer.
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Too many KPIs
Showing 40 KPIs signals helplessness. Eight key numbers are enough for the top view.
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No clear structure
Pipeline, revenue and cashflow require different logic. A sensible layout follows the value chain.
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No link to processes
A KPI without an owner is decoration. Every number belongs to a process with ownership.
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Not current
What is a week old does not drive decisions. Live data or at least daily updates.
KPIs in concert
A single KPI sometimes lies.
The eight KPIs are not read in isolation. The combination reveals the true picture. Real-world examples:
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High utilisation, low profitability
The team works a lot but earns little. Sign of inefficient projects, rates too low or scope creep.
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High revenue, no liquidity
Invoices go out, payments do not arrive. Structural risk, often in dunning or client mix.
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Big pipeline, low close rate
Many leads, few wins. False comfort, often from unqualified leads or weak activity steering.
Business steering maturity
Level 0: unplanned
Steering by gut feel and a few spreadsheets. No consistent KPIs.
Level 1: manual
Monthly reports from spreadsheets, often weeks late. Definitions vary across areas.
Level 2: structured
Defined KPI set, manual consolidation across tools. Quarterly reporting works, monthly is shaky.
Level 3: assisted
BI tool pulls data from operational systems. KPIs defined but sources need daily care.
Level 4: largely automated
Integrated steering system with live dashboard. Thresholds per KPI, 12-month forecast.
Level 5: fully automated
Real-time cockpit with early warning, drill-down from KPI to single transaction, suggested actions.
Individual targets
Industry, size and strategy define green.
The green ranges in the concept are guidance, not dogma. Optimal targets depend on industry, business model, size, project mix (fixed price vs. time and material) and strategic goals. teamspace lets you set targets and thresholds individually and adjust them over time.
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Freely configurable targets
Each KPI has thresholds for green, amber and red, individually per firm.
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Adjustable over time
Growth, market shifts and strategy moves bring new targets. The system stays steerable.
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Realistic over ambitious-but-ignored
Accepted targets beat ignored ones. Realistic thresholds are actually used for decisions.
Classic reporting vs. teamspace business steering
| Feature | Classic reporting | teamspace business steering |
|---|---|---|
| Data sources | Collected from various tools via export | One integrated platform, data lives in the processes |
| Currency | Monthly report mid next month | Live or at least daily |
| KPI definitions | Vary by area, debate around the meaning of 'revenue' | Eight uniformly defined KPIs, consistent across processes |
| Ownership | KPI without an owner | Every KPI has a process and an owner |
| Drill-down | Ends with the PowerPoint chart | From KPI to single transaction in seconds |
| Thresholds | Not present or hard coded | Individually configurable, adjustable |
Relevant teamspace modules
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Sales controlling
Pipeline, forecast, conversion, activity KPIs.
Learn more 2
Project controlling
Margin, plan/actual, earned value, early warning.
Learn more 3
Invoicing software
Revenue, forecast from open orders and contracts.
Learn more 4
Capacity planning
Utilisation and forecast across all staff and skills.
Learn more 5
HR software
Revenue per employee, attrition, skills.
Learn more 6
Service desk
SLA attainment and service cost as part of profitability.
Learn moreWhy a good dashboard is more than the sum of pretty charts
A steering system only works when relevant information is presented clearly, compactly and decision-oriented. A good management dashboard reduces the firm’s complexity to a few decision-relevant figures and creates the basis for active, data-driven business steering.
The reality: dashboards often get built so everyone adds their own thing, which makes them grow without gaining clarity. Showing 40 KPIs signals helplessness rather than overview. Eight key figures, defined cleanly and equipped with thresholds, are the most productive reduction in practice.
Three views on the same data
teamspace runs three steering layers on a shared data set. Operations runs the day to day. Process steering compresses operational data per process into KPIs, forecasts and dashboards. Business steering joins all processes into a management view.
Each layer sees the same reality from the right altitude. The benefit: no debate over definitions, no inconsistencies, no double data. When leadership clicks on a red pipeline in the dashboard, two more clicks land at the individual opportunities causing the problem.
Target picture: steering, not reporting
A high-maturity steering process turns reporting into steering. KPIs become early warning, not retrospective. Ownership is clear per process, not diffuse. Discussions revolve around actions, not numbers. That is the difference between a firm that depends on luck and one that is led systematically and predictably.
Frequently asked questions about business steering
Why exactly eight KPIs?
Because eight is the right balance between overview and detail. Four is too few to cover sales, delivery, finance and people. More than ten overwhelms a weekly review. The eight KPIs cover the full value chain and each ties to one process.
Do we have to use all the target values from the concept?
No. The reference ranges (for example 2 to 4 times monthly revenue for pipeline) are a starting point for most B2B firms. Optimal values depend on industry, business model, size and strategy. teamspace lets you set thresholds individually and adjust them over time.
How is this different from a classic BI tool?
A BI tool pulls data from operational systems and visualises it. teamspace is the operational system at the same time: sales, project, billing and HR live here. So the dashboard is current without ETL jobs, and a KPI is defined at its origin rather than as a retrofit.
How often should leadership look at the dashboard?
At least weekly for the top view, monthly for reviews with business unit leads. Right after rolling out a steering system, daily looks help build trust in data quality. Once the dashboard is established, a deliberate rhythm is enough.
How does the management dashboard fit our governance?
Role based. Leadership sees all eight KPIs, supervisory boards see strategic figures (order intake, forecast, liquidity, margin), operations leads see utilisation and pipeline with drill-down. Confidential detail stays restricted.
What if three KPIs are red at once?
That is exactly what thresholds are for. They force management to set an order instead of acting everywhere at the same time. Often the red values are connected. Example: red pipeline, red forecast and red utilisation outlook usually belong together and are addressed via the sales process, not in three separate workstreams.
The operational processes
Sales process
How do we consistently win the right work?
Project delivery process
How do we deliver projects reliably and profitably?
Billing process
How do we convert work into revenue quickly?
Cost control process
How do we keep costs and liquidity under control?
Customer care process
How do we serve clients by value with high quality?
Workforce process
How do we steer capacity, skills and motivation optimally?
Which of the eight KPIs is red for you today?
In a 15 to 30 minute requirements call we score your management reporting against the maturity model and show how the top cockpit can become a reliable standard in a few weeks.