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A&E Consulting Services for Architecture and Engineering Firms
A&E consulting services from Next Phase A&E fix the business side of an architecture or engineering firm: pricing and profitability, project and cash visibility, staff capacity and owner independence. Engagements follow seven phases named after standard design project phases. You approve each paid phase, at a fixed fee, before it starts.
Most owner-led firms hit the same walls. Fees get set from memory. Invoices go out late and sit unpaid. WIP means one thing to the owner and another to the accountant, and only one person knows how billing works.
Request a meeting. In one free call, we'll tell you which phase fits your firm and what the first deliverable would be.
Problems We Solve
Find your problem in the left column. The right column shows what we build to fix it.
The problem
What we build
Fees set from memory, and some projects lose money
A documented pricing method with costed scopes, plus profit by project
Scope changes done before anyone approves them
A change-order step your project managers run before the extra work starts
Invoices late, unpaid or missed at phase completion
A billing calendar tied to milestones, plus an aging report by client
Cash tight even with a full backlog
One page showing WIP, billings, receivables and cash outlook
Not sure you have room for the next project, or when to hire
A capacity view of booked hours against available hours, by person
Utilization numbers nobody agrees on
One written definition, with a stated numerator and denominator
Nothing moves when the owner is out
Written procedures, a named backup and a trained process owner
The wrong software, or a bookkeeper who does not fit
Written requirements, scripted demos and a vendor scorecard
Planning to sell or hand off the firm, with books and procedures not ready for a valuator
Clean, consistent records, written procedures, trained backups and a readiness file for your valuation firm
Schematic Design confirms which of these costs your firm the most. Each later phase fixes one.
The Next Phase Method: Consulting for Architecture and Engineering Firms
The phase names come from the standard owner-architect agreement. AIA Document B101 organizes design work into schematic design, design development, construction documents, procurement and construction. We added Pre-Design at the front and Post-Occupancy at the end.
Every engagement follows one path: Pre-Design, a free call of up to 45 minutes, then a short intake form and a written Schematic Design proposal within three business days of the completed form. Pre-Design carries no fee. Schematic Design is the first paid phase.
Phases and Deliverables
Phase
You receive
Pre-Design
A free call of up to 45 minutes on your goals and a short intake form, leading to a fixed-fee Schematic Design proposal.
Schematic Design
We pinpoint the two or three operating problems costing your firm the most time and money, starting from your WIP schedule, billing and capacity, then give you options for what to fix first. You choose one.
Design Development
We design the solution for the option you chose, such as fee proposal pricing or utilization tracking, build the tool and prove the tool on a live project, with your sign-off at the midpoint, before your team relies on the tool.
Construction Documents
Step-by-step written instructions for the new process, hands-on training for your staff and a verified handoff, so the process runs without us.
Bidding and Procurement
Help choosing project accounting, time-tracking or project management software, or an outside bookkeeper or fractional CFO, when your current tools won't support the fix. A side-by-side scorecard compares every vendor.
Construction Administration
Keep it running. Scheduled check-ins after handoff keep the new process on track, answer questions and catch problems early.
Post-Occupancy
Prove it worked. One results review 90 days after your staff takes over, with your Schematic Design numbers re-measured, before and after.
What Each Phase Includes and Leaves Out
Pre-Design
What it is: A free call of up to 45 minutes on Microsoft Teams. We learn what you want to achieve, how your firm runs and what frustrates you.
Includes: The call. If you want to move forward, a short intake form on firm size, disciplines, active projects and software, then a fixed-fee Schematic Design proposal within three business days of the completed form.
Leaves out: Records review, analysis, findings or advice. Pre-Design carries no fee and no obligation to continue.
Schematic Design
What it is: A fixed-fee diagnostic pinpointing the two or three operating problems costing your firm the most time and money. As on a project, Schematic Design tests options before anything gets built. Read more about the Schematic Design diagnostic.
Includes: A review of your financial statements, WIP schedule, billing milestones, staff capacity and pricing method. Interviews with you and the people who touch money or scheduling. A written report, ranked priorities and options for the first system to build. Your choice becomes the Design Development scope.
Leaves out: An audit, a valuation or a tax review. No system gets built in this phase.
Design Development
What it is: We work out the best solution for the one option you chose, build the tool, such as a fee-proposal template with costed scopes and review checkpoints, and prove the tool on a real project before full rollout. The other options from your report stay open for later builds, each with its own fixed-fee proposal.
Includes: One model or workflow, a midpoint review, a pilot using your own project data, and editable Word and Excel files.
Leaves out: More than one system, software purchase, or running the pilot for you.
Construction Documents
What it is: We write clear, step-by-step instructions for the new process and train your staff to run the process on their own.
Includes: A written, editable SOP, a training session for the process owner, a verified handoff, and up to two hours of email or Teams clarification over the next 30 days. The phase ends when your staff completes and explains one full cycle with only minor clarification.
Leaves out: Ongoing support after the 30 days, a second process, or legal review of contract terms.
Bidding and Procurement
What it is: Help choosing project accounting, time-tracking or project management software, or an outside bookkeeper or fractional CFO, when your current tools won't support the fix. We write your requirements first and script every demo, so you buy on your firm's needs, not the best sales pitch. Available after a build or on its own after the diagnostic.
Includes: Written, weighted requirements, a market scan, a shortlist of three vendors, three scripted demonstrations, a side-by-side scorecard for each vendor and a recommendation. You make the buying decision. We disclose any vendor relationship in writing before work starts.
Leaves out: Negotiating or signing agreements, buying or configuring software, or guaranteeing a vendor's performance.
Construction Administration
What it is: Keep it running. Scheduled check-ins after handoff, the day your staff takes over the new process, keep the process on track, answer questions and catch problems early. Available once the build and documentation phases are complete.
Includes: Your choice of cadence: a weekly stabilization package for four weeks, then monthly or quarterly reviews. Each review ends with a short action memo, and a question log tracks every request. The review nearest month 11 confirms the system still runs as accepted and closes with a signed acceptance.
Leaves out: Doing the routine work for you, new builds, same-day coverage or unlimited advice between reviews.
Post-Occupancy
What it is: Prove it worked. One results review 90 days after your staff takes over. We re-measure the numbers from Schematic Design and show you the before and after.
Includes: Re-measurement against your baseline, a short before-and-after memo, a list of remaining actions and a decision on next steps. If you are on Construction Administration, this review replaces that period's regular check-in.
Leaves out: New builds or corrections beyond the agreed scope. New work becomes a new proposal.
How the Phases Apply to Architecture Firms
Owners of architecture practices raise three issues most often. See how an architecture firm business consultant works with your practice.
Financial management: Schematic Design reviews your financial statements, WIP schedule and billing milestones. Design Development builds one WIP and billing view the owner, project manager and accountant all read the same way.
KPIs: We define a few measures, such as utilization, with a stated numerator and denominator. For a benchmark, the AIA 2024 Firm Survey key findings reported average profit of 13.2% of net billings for 2023.
Practice management: We build a fee-proposal template with costed scopes and review checkpoints, then turn it into an SOP your staff run.
How the Phases Apply to Engineering Firms
Owners of civil, structural, MEP and environmental firms get the same fixed-fee phases. See how an engineering firm business consultant works with your firm.
Pricing and task budgets: Set a documented pricing method and compare task budgets with actual effort.
Billing, WIP and capacity: See all three in one view, with change approvals in place before the work is done.
Recurring processes: Move any process you hold in your head into a written procedure, with a named backup and a trained owner.
Each Design Development build delivers one of these.
How the Phases Apply to Commercial Interior Design Firms
Interior firms share the same fee and billing problems, plus open-ended FF&E rounds. See how a commercial interior design business consultant works with your firm.
Fee method: Price each project type from actual hours on past projects.
Scope control: Contract limits on selection rounds, with a change-order step before the next round.
How the Phases Apply to Specialty Design Consultants
Lighting, acoustics, AV, foodservice, wayfinding, specification and code firms work as sub-consultants. See how we work with each specialty design consultant.
Pricing: Fees built from your own hours, then compared with the prime's offer.
Getting paid: Payment terms in every agreement, monthly billing and aging tracked by prime firm.
Getting Ready for an Ownership Transition
Owners planning an internal or external transition use the same phases to prepare. Schematic Design reviews the firm the way a valuator will. Design Development and Construction Documents fix what the review finds. Post-Occupancy re-measures before the valuation date.
We do not value firms, set prices or represent either side in a sale. Your valuation firm, CPA and attorney handle those. See A&E firm succession planning.
What Every A&E Consultant Engagement Includes
Rodney McNabb delivers every engagement himself
A fixed fee for the agreed scope, with no hourly billing
A written proposal within three business days of the completed intake form, listing exclusions and your responsibilities
Editable Word and Excel deliverables with PDF copies
Remote delivery on Microsoft Teams
Business Advisory Services Only
Next Phase A&E provides business management consulting only. We are not a law firm or CPA firm, and our engagements do not include architecture, engineering or other licensed design work. Read the full professional services disclaimer.
Start Here
Want something to share with a partner? Download the capabilities overview (PDF).
Take the 7-Minute Firm Health Check to see where your firm still depends on you. Or request a meeting and learn more about Next Phase A&E. See the firms we serve and how fixed-fee A&E consulting compares with other advisors. For practical guides, read A&E Insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do A&E consulting services include?
Pricing and profitability, project and cash visibility, staff capacity, owner independence and transition readiness, delivered in seven phases from Pre-Design to Post-Occupancy, with a fixed fee for each paid phase. Each phase lists what it includes and leaves out before you sign.
What does an A&E consultant do?
An A&E consultant advises owners of architecture and engineering firms on the business side of the practice. Next Phase A&E reviews how your firm prices, bills and staffs work, then builds the methods and procedures your staff run.
How much do your A&E consulting services cost?
Each paid phase carries a fixed fee for the agreed scope, stated in your written proposal before work begins. We never bill hourly. Pre-Design carries no fee, and your proposal states the payment schedule.
How long does an engagement take?
Timelines depend on the size of your firm. Your written proposal sets the schedule for each phase before work begins. Plan on up to 14 days to review the proposal and decide.
Why are the phases named after design phases?
Your firm already works this way. Each phase has a defined scope, deliverable and finish, the same as a project phase, so you know what you are buying before you start.
What happens during the Schematic Design phase?
We review your financial and operational records and interview key members of your team, usually 30 to 45 minutes each. Then we meet with you to walk through our findings. The goal is to separate symptoms from causes before we design any solutions. Owners and staff often describe the same problems differently, and the gap between those views tells us where to look.
Is the Schematic Design diagnostic an audit?
No. The diagnostic is a management review, not an audit, a valuation or a tax review.
After Schematic Design, am I obligated to continue with the other phases?
No. Each phase has its own written proposal, scoped to the work you request. You decide whether to move forward at the end of every phase.
Can I build more than one system?
Yes. Each Design Development build covers one system. Once the first system is handed off, choose another option from your Schematic Design report as your next build. Each added build gets its own fixed-fee proposal and its own handoff. No second diagnostic is needed. If several months have passed, we confirm your baseline numbers first.
What does my team need to do?
Share records through a secure client folder, give your project managers and office manager time for short interviews, and name one staff member to own the new process.
Will my staff run the new process without you?
Yes. Construction Documents ends when your staff completes and explains one full cycle with only minor clarification. You also get up to two hours of email or Teams clarification over the next 30 days.
Do you help owners get ready to sell or transition the firm?
Yes. We tighten your financial records and operating procedures before a valuation, for an internal or external transition. We do not perform the valuation. See A&E firm succession planning.
Do you earn commissions on software you recommend?
We recommend vendors with no vendor agenda and disclose any referral relationship in writing before you choose.