Clients and engagements

A Partner records the client, primary contact, billing terms and owning practice before delivery starts. An Engagement Manager then names the engagement, selects its type, enters contract value and budget hours, sets start and end dates, and links the client and owning organization. The manager stays visible on the record so a reviewer knows who can explain the plan. A proposed engagement becomes active when the team is ready to work against that baseline.

A management consulting assignment can run for several months while the client has other active engagements. Keep the client account distinct from each engagement. The client partner owns the relationship; the engagement manager owns delivery. That distinction matters when one partner oversees several managers or a practice changes its staffing. A completed engagement remains useful for comparing what was agreed with what was delivered and billed.

• Client account. Keep the client name, industry, primary contact, billing terms, partner and practice together.
• Engagement baseline. Record dates, contract value, budget hours, type, client, manager and organization before work accumulates.
• Delivery position. Read logged hours, delivered value, invoiced service amount, remaining amount to bill and margin on the engagement.

Agree who activates client accounts, who can change commercial terms, and who owns the engagement at kickoff. Decide how fixed fee, time and materials, retainer and milestone engagements will be entered so managers use the available types consistently. Name the practice that owns the engagement even when consultants come from another team. Set a review routine for changed dates or budget hours; the current record should give the team a clear baseline for reading progress.

Take a new strategy engagement for an active client. The Partner checks the client billing terms and contact. The Engagement Manager enters its contract value, budget hours, dates and manager, then marks the engagement active. Ask a Consultant to link a service line and time entry to this engagement. The manager should see the delivered hours and amount against this specific piece of work, while another engagement for the same client keeps its own numbers. Compare the hours remaining with the delivery plan before accepting more work.

• Active Engagements — Review live client work by owner, dates, contract value and status.
• Proposed Engagements — Check commercial details before delivery begins.
• Engagement Schedule — Read planned start and end dates across proposed and active work.

See engagement setup and delivery review.