The warning signs are familiar: The numbers didn’t match.
Finance reported one thing. Ops reported another. The board needed answers before Friday.
For finance and operations leads in architecture and engineering firms with 20 or more staff, this is a familiar headache. As headcount grows and project load increases, spreadsheet-based reporting begins to show its limits.
Why spreadsheet reporting starts to break
Spreadsheets are comfortable. They give the impression of control. But in growing AEC firms, that control is often just an illusion.
The problems start quietly:
- Files are duplicated and passed between teams
- Formulas break and go unnoticed
- Data is copied into templates that were never updated
- Finance, ops and delivery leads work from different numbers
According to a 2024 survey published in The CFO, 40 percent of finance leaders do not fully trust their own financial data. And 98 percent lack confidence in their cashflow visibility.
These aren’t isolated issues. They have real business consequences.
When reporting slows everything down
Here’s how spreadsheet-heavy reporting shows up in day-to-day AEC operations:
- Invoicing is delayed because finance teams wait for data sign-off from ops
- Resource planning becomes reactive because forecasts are outdated
- Board packs are late or inconsistent due to version chasing
- Project managers don’t trust the reports and build their own
- Margin visibility suffers because overruns are buried inside disconnected files
In one internal audit, a Dutch bank discovered 2.5 million spreadsheet copies in circulation among just 1,500 staff. Imagine how many versions can exist across a multi-disciplinary AEC practice with 40 projects on the go.
This isn’t just a systems issue, it’s a risk to profitability, client trust, and team alignment.
The real cost of traditional reporting
Firms often treat reporting as a static task: a process to repeat monthly or quarterly. But in architecture and engineering practices, reporting plays a much larger role. It is how a firm sees project performance, communicates internally, and makes strategic decisions.
When the reporting process is unreliable:
- Forecasting becomes guesswork
- Directors lose confidence in the data
- Teams fall into reactive firefighting mode
- Errors go unspotted until invoices are missed or margins disappear
What better reporting looks like
Leading AEC firms are moving to systems that support live, reliable reporting across departments.
This shift doesn’t just mean switching software. It means improving how reporting is built, shared and maintained. These firms are investing in project financial tracking software that helps them:
- Centralise data from project, finance, and ops teams
- Automate reporting updates with live inputs
- Standardise reporting formats across the business
- Reduce errors by eliminating manual data entry
- Share consistent, role-based views with teams and directors
Fresh Projects is rolling out a new feature, built specifically for firms in this space. It offers a spreadsheet-style interface powered by live project data, designed to make it easier for finance teams to create custom reports without relying on external consultants or complex tools. You can be among the first to hear about it by signing up here.
5 steps to strengthen reporting without overhauling your tools
Even if you’re not ready to adopt a full reporting solution, here are five ways to start improving reporting across your firm today:
1. Centralise your core spreadsheets - Use one shared location with clear version control. Avoid emailing attachments or saving offline copies.
2. Template your month-end reports - Standardise how you report across projects. This saves time and builds internal confidence in the data.
3. Audit critical files for formula risks - Review where manual inputs or hidden cells could be introducing silent errors.
4. Map reporting duplication - Identify where two teams are producing different versions of the same report. This can surface quick wins for alignment.
5. Ask this question in your next finance meeting: - “If you could automate one report tomorrow, which would it be?”
Final thought
Traditional reporting isn’t failing because people aren’t trying hard enough. It’s failing because the systems weren’t designed to support live, collaborative reporting across finance, project leads, and ops teams.
For firms that want accurate forecasting, better margin visibility, and more consistent decision-making, switching from fragmented spreadsheets to structured, centralised reporting is no longer optional. It is foundational.
If your team is still relying on manual processes and disconnected files, it may be time to explore a smarter, clearer way forward.
Want to be among the first to see our new reporting feature in action?