Referenceable Customers
Maintaining positive customer references is critical to success for any consulting service company. Not only will this result in repeat business from satisfied customers, but these customers are also a great tool in prospecting new clients. Sharing genuine customer success stories from customer to customer enables brand building and validates your offering compared to your competitors. The larger your customer reference program is, the easier it is to find relevant success stories to share with your prospect.
- 66%
- 74%
- 81.4%
- 88.8%

“As attrition goes up, the percentage of annual revenue achievement goes down.”
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Annual Revenue Per Billable Consultant
Annual revenue per billable consultant is a rough indicator of how much revenue your billable resources generate each year and the productivity of your consultant team. This number should be higher than the average fully-loaded cost of your consultants, meaning your consultants are generating more revenue than it costs to employ them. This number varies widely depending on the type of consultancy and services provided to clients. Architecture, engineering, and legal consulting firms tend to see a higher annual revenue per billable resource.
- < $190,000
- $191,000
- $228,000
- $265,000
Utilization
As a consulting firm, your most valuable assets are your employees and their skillsets. Utilization rate indicates how much time your employees are spending on client project work compared to internal tasks. Increasing employee utilization optimizes your profits and allows your business to take on more projects, hire the best talent and attract high-caliber clients. It’s important to set realistic utilization targets for your employees and compensate them for their achievements. A utilization target that is too high may result in consultant burn-out, while a target that is too low won’t incentivize employees to be more productive and reach their full potential. Having a clear view into your company’s utilization rate is critical to recognizing inefficiencies, improving staffing, identifying training opportunities and increasing profitability.
- < 71%
- 71.2%
- 74.8%
- 78.3%
Gross Profit Margin
27.7%
47.5%
57.4%
63.6%
Gross Profit
Margin
Referenceable Customers
66%
74%
81.4%
88.8%
Referenceable
Customers
Churn
> 4.7%
4.7%
3.7%
2.7%
Churn
Utilization
< 71%
71.2%
74.8%
78.3%
Utilization
Annual Rev per Billable Consultant
< $190,000
$191,000
$228,000
$265,000
Annual Rev per
Billable
Consultant
Days Sales Outstanding
49.4 days
48.3 days
47.3 days
46.2 days
Days Sales
Outstanding
Time to Close the Books
> 10 days
5 days
2 days
Hours
Time to Close the
Books
Finance FTEs per $100M Rev
> 4.5 FTE
4.5 FTE
3.3 FTE
2.4 FTE
Finance FTEs per
$100M Rev
IT FTE Per
$100M Rev
> 3.7 FTE
3.7 FTE
2.8 FTE
1.9 FTE
IT FTE Per
$100M Rev
Source(s): SPI, Finlistics
Parameters
Foundational
Your business may just be beginning to track this metric, perform this business function or identified this as a problem. Improved execution in this area should be a high priority.
Competitive
Your business is competitive in this area, but there’s still room for advancement. Consider investments to improve related operations to achieve better results.
Best in Class
Your performance in this area is considered best in class and is superior to the average company in your sector. You’ve laid a solid foundation in this business function, and the next step is optimization.
Transformative
You’re achieving the optimal results for this metric. Your business processes in this area are highly efficient and stand out against competitors. Keep investing in this area to maintain these results.