Proximity

Background

Why Proximity had to rethink its operations strategy

With offices across Australia, Proximity provides consulting, legal, and commercial services to businesses across industries. Their cross-disciplinary expertise has earned them a strong reputation, especially within the Australian government.

As the company grew, so did its operational challenges. Systems that had once worked seamlessly at a smaller scale could no longer keep up. Microsoft 365 served as their digital workspace. While SharePoint managed projects, MYOB handled financials. But with over 100 active projects going on at the same time, inefficiencies emerged.

Manual data transfers became a major bottleneck. The team had to transfer data between SharePoint and MYOB by hand. Errors occurred frequently, taking over a week to fix.

Outdated reports led to inefficiencies, making it challenging to meet deadlines and deliver services effectively.

Project managers also struggled. Which projects needed resources? What specific resources are these? Which deadlines loomed largest? They couldn’t tell.

Proximity needed technology that could grow alongside them, not against them. They wanted a unified platform that could combine project management and finance. Systems that talked to each other—seamlessly. No more disconnected workflows. No more guesswork.

Challenge

When systems can’t keep pace with success

Proximity faced mounting operational challenges as it grew. Disconnected systems and manual workflows created inefficiencies. This not only slowed down operations but also limited visibility and stretched resources thin. Scaling effectively required addressing these barriers head-on.

• The challenges of using separate systems
  Proximity used Microsoft SharePoint for managing projects and MYOB for finances. However, the two systems didn’t communicate, forcing the team to manually move data. This led to mistakes and took days to fix, disrupting financial processes.
• Issues with managing resources and tracking projects
  With over 100 active projects running at the same time, Proximity struggled to get real-time insight into resource availability. Monitoring project progress also proved challenging, resulting in inefficient workload distribution and delays.
• Manual invoicing slowed financial operations
  Manual processes created data-entry errors for Proximity. Invoicing was delayed as the team took more than a week correcting the mistakes. These hurt cash flow and caused delays, taking focus away from more important tasks.
• Absence of real-time insights obstructed strategic choices
  Project managers and executives relied on outdated reports that didn’t reflect current financials or resource needs. There was no precise and timely data. Forecasting became limited, which put growth at risk.

Solution

Building a connected foundation for growth

Proximity partnered with Certinia to address operational challenges—a strategic move to meet the scalability their growing business needed. Native to Salesforce, Certinia Professional Services (PS) Cloud unified Proximity’s project and financial data, allowing them to enhance workflows, boost visibility, and grow effectively.

Connected data solutions removed manual transfers

By using Salesforce and Certinia, Proximity linked its project and financial systems, which eliminated the need for manual data transfers. This connected data solution cut down on errors because of the smooth data movement between platforms. It also enhanced reporting accuracy.

Resource management tools improved project supervision

Proximity took advantage of Certinia PS Cloud’s resource management solution to match consultants with the right skills to the right projects. This gave the company immediate visibility into project tasks, enabling better resource allocation and keeping projects on track.

Invoice automation software simplified financial operations

With Certinia’s Financial Management Cloud solution, Proximity automated its invoicing and financial tasks. What used to take the finance team over a week to fix errors is now done with just a click. And this resulted in a remarkable 75% decrease in invoicing time.

Real-time project insights enhanced decision-making

Proximity’s leadership team now has 24/7 real-time access to financial and project data. This allows them to predict trends, manage risks, and allocate budgets. With Certinia’s project visibility tools, managers can track project and financial health with ease, boosting accountability and planning.

Results

The tangible impact: numbers tell the story

By adopting Certinia’s unified platform, Proximity successfully revamped its financial and project management systems, allowing the company to scale efficiently without compromising excellence.

The finance team now completes month-end invoicing with just one click instead of spending over a week correcting data-entry errors. The result? A 75% decrease in invoicing time. This boosts cash flow and frees team members to focus on strategic work rather than administrative tasks.

Project managers now enjoy real-time insights into resource allocation and project progress. Since partnering with Certinia, Proximity now has the right consultants for the right projects at the right time. This has led to enhanced on-time delivery and greater client satisfaction.

With round-the-clock access to precise data throughout their operations, Proximity leaders can now forecast trends, spot growth opportunities, and make data-driven decisions. This cohesive approach laid the groundwork that Proximity needs to maintain its growth trajectory.