Optimising Project Forecasting for a Global Engineering and Energy Solutions Provider
A global leader in engineering and energy solutions approached Vantage 365 with a pressing performance issue. Their finance team relied on a bespoke Excel VBA-based tool to manage the budgeting and forecasting for their large-scale projects. Over time, the solution had become slow, difficult to maintain, and business-critical. With thousands of files in active use, delays were having a significant impact on productivity and project oversight.
Vantage 365 was brought in to optimise and stabilise the tool, enabling the organisation to continue using their existing processes while regaining control, trust, and performance.
The Challenge
The client’s project forecasting system had grown increasingly complex over several years. Built in Excel and powered by over 70,000 lines of VBA code, the tool processed data from Oracle systems to deliver actuals, accruals, and forecasts across thousands of financial documents.
Key challenges included:
- Severe Performance Issues: Some files were taking up to 1 hour to process, costing teams days of productivity each month.
- Loss of In-House Expertise: With the original developer no longer with the company, there was a lack of understanding around how the tool worked or how to safely make changes.
- Business Continuity Pressure: With more high-value projects coming online, the tool’s performance and reliability had become mission-critical.
- Constraints on Change: Although better long-term solutions existed, the client was not yet ready to replace Excel, and needed immediate improvements within the existing setup.
Our Approach
The Vantage 365 team began by analysing the existing VBA code to understand its structure and logic. Our goals were to improve speed, reduce complexity, and increase confidence in the tool, all without disrupting the current user experience.
Key actions included:
- Code Review and Optimisation Together with the client’s team, we reviewed the VBA code, combining our technical expertise with their insight into how the tool was used day-to-day. This enabled us to refactor the code in a way that improved speed and reliability, while preserving essential functionality.
- Process Efficiency By rethinking how data was handled in each workbook, we significantly accelerated batch processing across thousands of project files.
- Shared knowledge and Ownership We worked alongside the internal stakeholders to ensure the updated solution was well understood. Through documentation and collaborative sessions, we enabled them to confidently maintain and enhance the tool in future..
- User Confidence and Building for the Future With internal champions now confident in the tool’s performance and structure, we’ve helped set the stage for a smooth transition to Power Platform technologies when the time is right.
The Results
The optimised solution delivered immediate and meaningful improvements:
Technologies Used
What Our Client Said
“This is fantastic, a file that took 44 minutes the other day is down to 1.”
“With the old version, I ran a batch of 8 files and it took an hour; with 6.0, I ran a batch of 6 files and it only took 10 minutes.”
Conclusion
This project highlights how Vantage 365 supports organisations with pragmatic, results-focused solutions. By enhancing an existing Excel-based tool, we helped a leading engineering firm improve business-critical forecasting processes without the need for wholesale system change.
Our client now benefits from a faster, more reliable solution – one that supports their current needs and provides a strong foundation for the next phase of innovation.
Modernise your processes with a dedicated Microsoft Partner
Whether your organisation is in the initial stages of looking at utilising the Power Platform, looking for a partner to provide specialist assistance, or requiring a fully staffed development team, Vantage 365 can help.
As a dedicated Microsoft Partner with a great track record in delivering cutting-edge solutions in the Power Platform and Microsoft 365, get in touch with your requirements, and a Vantage 365 specialist will get back in touch at a time that suits you.