Delivery profitability
See delivery margin while there is still time to act.
The invoice amount doesn't tell you what the work cost. Billable8 connects logged time with the rates and billing model behind each engagement, giving your team a delivery-margin view it can trace back to the work.
By Ops Automators, the team behind Billable8
Start with the cost basis
Set a cost rate that represents what you intend to measure. If it contains only direct labor, the result is a direct delivery view. If your organization uses a loaded rate, document what that rate includes and apply it consistently.
Billable8 doesn't turn incomplete rates into complete costs. Missing time, subcontractor costs recorded elsewhere or omitted overhead can make a project look more profitable than it is. Review those gaps before using the number to price the next engagement.
Keep the calculation inspectable
Compare value and cost for the same work, period and currency. The example below uses an illustrative approved value, not cash received.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Approved engagement value | $8,400 |
| Configured delivery cost | $4,560 |
| Value less delivery cost | $3,840 |
| Delivery margin: $3,840 ÷ $8,400 | 45.7% |
Delivery margin is not company net profit. It may exclude overhead, tax, financing costs and other expenses. When value is zero, a percentage based on that value isn't meaningful; don't substitute a reassuring zero.
A rate change shouldn't rewrite last month
Bill and cost rates freeze onto time entries. If someone's cost rate changes in December, July's recorded work keeps its historical basis. That makes a later review explainable.
Check the underlying record when a number looks wrong: the entry, its rate, the project and the billing period. An intentional correction should have a clear reason rather than disappear into a new spreadsheet total.
Read each billing model on its own terms
For time-and-materials work, review billable time and rates. For a retainer, review the period's fee, included work and any permitted overage. For fixed-fee work, the fee can stay still while delivery cost continues to grow.
Compare engagements only when their value basis and cost coverage are comparable. Keep different currencies separate unless you have an explicit conversion basis; adding dollar and euro amounts doesn't produce a usable portfolio margin.
Use the number in a delivery decision
A project with more review rounds than expected may need a scope conversation. A retainer that uses senior time for routine work may need a different delivery plan. The margin view is useful when it leads you back to those concrete choices.
Billable8 supports the review before invoicing. It doesn't replace your accounting ledger or certify your company's profit. Bring one representative engagement to the trial and reconcile its result against the work you already understand.
Continue with the workflow
Retainer Management Software for Agencies
Manage included hours, rollover, overage and retainer periods in Billable8. Track delivery cost and prepare the amount to invoice.
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A consulting billing checklist covering time, rates, retainer periods, approvals, delivery margin and the handoff to accounting.