The Confidence to Raise Project Fees 15% Backed by Data

Fast Growth with Fading Visibility

Cahill Design Consultants (CDC) started 10 years ago with a single acoustic consultant and a vision for innovation. Since then, the business has grown steadily. Now nearly 20 people strong, the firm has earned a reputation for tackling complex acoustic, fire engineering, building physics, and building surveying challenges across the UK.

From roller coasters to academic buildings, no two projects are the same. But as the project load grew, so did the operational strain. Spreadsheets, emails, and manual invoicing were no longer cutting it.

“We’d grown quickly, and we were still relying on spreadsheets saved in inboxes and desktops.” —Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consultants

Disconnected Tools Were Slowing Them Down

Before Total Synergy, CDC was juggling:

• Spreadsheets for project tracking
• Email chains and personal file storage
• Manually typed invoices
• No centralised system for reporting or resourcing

The team made it work for a while, but cracks started to show. Missed invoices, long delays in getting paid, and no clear view of project profitability were becoming common occurrences.

Mark had seen this problem before. At previous companies, he’d used large-scale ERPs like Deltek, and wanted to avoid that complexity at all costs.

“Systems like Deltek managed the business, rather than helping it. We needed something flexible, not something that dictated how we worked.” —Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consultants

Why an ERP Was Never the Right Answer

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are built to handle everything from finance and HR to supply chain and operations. However, that breadth often comes at the cost of usability.

Mark had worked with platforms like Deltek in previous roles. While those tools were powerful, they were also slow and rigid. They made even simple tasks difficult, especially for technical teams trying to manage time, budgets, and billing without getting bogged down in layers of admin.

That’s where Total Synergy stood out. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, it focused on what architecture and engineering practices actually need. Project financials, timesheets, forecasting, and resourcing were all brought together in one clear, purpose-built platform.

Total Synergy offered:

• A clean interface that’s easy for engineers and project managers to use every day.
• Smart time tracking and invoicing tools that make it easy to stay on top of billable work.
• Live dashboards that gave instant visibility into project health.
• A faster rollout process, with tailored onboarding and structured support.

“We didn’t want a generic platform. We needed something made for consultancies like ours. Total Synergy just fit.” —Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consult

Mark and  CDC’s Operations Manager, Beth led the rollout, leaning on detailed planning, early testing, and internal buy-in to ensure a smooth transition across the team. They worked closely with Total Synergy to prep data, train staff, and test workflows.

Even initially hesitant team members found the platform approachable thanks to structured training and ongoing support.

“I’ve been through big ERP transitions before, including with Deltek. I’ve seen how complicated and painful those implementations can be. That experience made it very clear what to avoid. Total Synergy got it right. It’s simple, focused, and actually supports how we work.”—Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consultants

A Night-and-Day Shift with Total Synergy

Invoicing in 1/3 the Time

Before: Invoicing took around 3 days and required multiple meetings, manual input, and back-and-forth communication.

After: Invoicing now takes 1 day, with drastically fewer errors.

How: Total Synergy automatically pulls billable hours from approved timesheets and budget stages to draft invoices quickly. This eliminates manual steps and streamlines the entire financial process.

“We used to have three invoice issues a week. Now, maybe one or two a month. It’s just night and day.”—Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consult

Revenue Growth and Project Fee Confidence

Before: Revenue growth was happening, but pricing was based more on instinct than insight, and there was little visibility into profitability.

After: Revenue increased from £1M to £1.5M in two years. The fire team raised project fees by 10–15% while maintaining win rates, backed by real project data.

How: Real-time profit tracking tools show actual costs, invoices, and variances by project and stage. This gives teams the confidence to price based on data, not guesswork.

Clearer Quoting and Smarter Bidding

Before: Quotes were based on gut feel and often a rough estimate with no solid backing.

After: CDC now uses Total Synergy data to benchmark hours, track win/loss ratios, and decide where bids are worth the effort.

How: Total Synergy gives teams access to past project data, including hours and outcomes, so quotes are based on real benchmarks. Win/loss insights help focus bidding efforts on the work most likely to succeed.

“We’re pricing our work smarter because we have the numbers to back it up.” —Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consultants

Accountability and Transparency

Before: Hard to verify what staff were working on, or tie time directly to budgets and performance.

After: Managers have a clear view of how time is spent, what’s been invoiced, and which projects are profitable.

How: Total Synergy connects timesheets, budgets, and invoices. Live dashboards give instant insight into time usage, financial progress, and overall performance across the business.

“We now know where time is going, how it aligns to budgets and invoicing, and whether projects are profitable.” —Mark Scaife, Commercial Director at Cahill Design Consult

Featured Project

Hyperia at Thorpe Park

Project Exodus, recently launched as Hyperia, is a standout attraction at Thorpe Park, Surrey, becoming the UK’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster. With an extensive range of existing attractions, the project posed unique challenges due to its proximity to newly permitted residential developments.

Cahill Design Consultants were integral to the project’s success, providing innovative and precise acoustic solutions that ensured compliance with strict noise regulations while maintaining the thrill and excitement of the park’s newest ride.