Keystone method · Process framing

The process before the tool.

An ERP project that starts with the tool starts in the wrong place. You pick software, then bend the business to fit it. The right method starts with the process. You describe it as it should be, with no tool in mind. You test it against how the company really works. The need comes out of that confrontation, not from a copied requirements list.

The chain

The processes, end to end

These are the processes of a project-based company, from sale to close. Eight domains, and how they connect.

Frame the project

›

Sales

From opportunity to order, a profitable flow of business.

›

Bills of materials

The technical backbone, reusable across projects.

→

Deliver

›

Purchasing

Secure margin and lead times through controlled buying.

›

Downstream purchasing

Pay only what is truly owed, at the right time.

›

Time tracking

Real time spent, by project and activity.

→

Bill and account

›

Billing

Turn delivered value into cash.

›

Accounting & banking

Reliable, compliant accounts, on time.

› CROSS-CUTTING

Project financial control

Master the margin, from budget to close. It runs across the whole chain.

Common analytical framework

The project as the primary object, activity carried by the task.

project · task · activity

Three stages. You frame the project, deliver it, then bill and account for it. Project financial control runs across everything, from budget to close. The analytical framework is the foundation: everything reads by project and by activity. Each domain unfolds into an objective tree, from the broad goal to the finest. Open a card to see the detail.

The domains

Eight objective trees

Each domain, from the broadest goal to the finest objective. Each level details the one above by the objective it pursues.

Sales

From opportunity to order

Master objective

Build a profitable, lasting flow of business.

Capture every opportunity

Define target markets and value proposition
Identify target accounts
Pick up early signals
Centralise every opportunity

Target high-value deals

Qualify the need
Assess attractiveness
Decide Go or No-Go
Prioritise the pipeline

Respond fast and well

Acknowledge and pace
Understand in depth
Build a professional bid
Mobilise the right experts

Cost it right, stay competitive

Structure the costing
Adapt logic to the work type
Firm up costs
Cover the risks
Build the selling price
Approve before sending

Win and secure the order

Present and defend the offer
Negotiate within set limits
Follow up methodically
Secure the order
Hand over cleanly to delivery

Retain and capitalise

Follow the relationship after the order
Spot recurring needs
Turn wins into references
Capitalise know-how

Steer by data

cross-cutting objective

One view of the pipelineForecastMeasureImprove continuously

Bills of materials

The technical backbone of the project

Master objective

Structure each project around one reliable bill of materials, reusable across projects, feeding costing, purchasing and execution without re-entry.

Structure the product

Break down into levels
Set make or buy
Attach technical data
Keep a consistent structure

Standardise and codify

Codify parts
Keep structured master data
Avoid duplicates
Separate standard and specific

Reuse and capitalise

Build a module library
Reuse known components
Enrich with each project
Measure reuse

Build at the right time

Estimating BOM at quotation
Definitive BOM next
No rebuild
Trace the handover

Master changes

Version
Manage changes
Manage variants
Freeze a reference version

Feed the whole chain

To costing
To purchasing
To execution
Without re-entry

Govern the master data

cross-cutting objective

Clear rolesData qualityShared rulesIndicators

Purchasing

From need to purchase order

Master objective

Secure project margin and lead times through controlled, reliable, capitalised purchasing.

Translate the need faithfully

Start from the BOM
Compute the net requirement
Freeze and trace the need
Standardise parts

Buy at the right cost

Put to competition
Rely on a qualified panel
Pool volumes
Arbitrate on value

Secure lead times

Anticipate
Track lead times
Chase and alert
Manage contingencies

Master quality and supplier risk

Qualify suppliers
Check on receipt
Manage discrepancies
Reduce dependence

Make spend reliable

Order cleanly
Three-way matching
Handle invoice discrepancies
Secure the approval to pay

Capitalise and pool

Keep clean master data
Feed a price base
Measure supplier performance
Pool at group level

Steer by data

cross-cutting objective

VisibilityPerformanceForecastContinuous improvement

Downstream purchasing

Receipt, invoice, payment

Master objective

Pay only what is truly owed, at the right time, while securing receipt, spend and cash.

Receive right

Check quantity and quality
Link to order and project
Manage discrepancies
Record the receipt

Control the spend

Three-way matching
Handle discrepancies
Approve to pay
Frame off-PO spend

Pay at the right time

Keep the supplier schedule
Optimise payment timing
Prepare the payment run
Match the payment

Master stock and WIP

Keep one stock view
Value it
Feed the net requirement
Track project WIP

Secure and prevent fraud

Segregate duties
Control bank details
Detect duplicates
Trace and audit

Steer payables and cash

Measure payment days (DPO)
Track payables by due date
Forecast disbursements
Balance

Compliance and governance

cross-cutting objective

Tax complianceRights and approvalAudit trailInterfaces

Time tracking

Time spent, by project and activity

Master objective

Know the time actually spent by project and activity, reliably and frictionlessly, to control costs, steer workload and capitalise.

Capture simply and regularly

Accessible entry
Frequent entry
Guided entry
Cover the useful time

Allocate at the right level

By project
By activity
By lot or task
Fixed-price and out-of-scope

Link to costing and budget

Reuse the costing structure
Track consumption
Alert on overruns
Measure the gap

Steer workload and capacity

Know availability
Plan the load
Anticipate bottlenecks
Arbitrate

Validate and make reliable

Manager approval
Check consistency
Close periods
Trace corrections

Capitalise

Feed the cost base
Improve costing
Build ratios
Measure reliability

Govern

cross-cutting objective

Activity master dataRights and confidentialityEntry qualityIndicators

Billing

From order to cash

Master objective

Turn delivered value into cash, fast and without leakage: bill at the right time and error-free, collect methodically, receive and reconcile cleanly.

Bill at the right time

Billing plan per project
Right trigger event
Bill recurring revenue
Miss nothing

Bill accurately, error-free

Start from order and delivery
Justify out-of-scope work
Avoid re-entry
Check before issuing

Secure customer risk

Track customer exposure
Set credit limits
Require down payments
Adapt the terms

Collect methodically

Track due dates
Dun in cadence
Handle disputes
Escalate

Receive and reconcile

Record payments
Match payments to invoices
Handle discrepancies
Close out cleanly

Steer cash and receivables

Measure DSO
Track the aged balance
Forecast collections
Cut delays

Compliance and governance

cross-cutting objective

Tax complianceAudit trailSegregation of dutiesInterfaces

Accounting & banking

From integration to reporting

Master objective

Produce reliable, compliant accounts on time, with controlled cash, fed automatically by operations.

Reliable, integrated accounting

Integrate operations automatically
Keep the ledger
Post project entries
Guarantee balance

Tax and legal compliance

Manage VAT
Meet accounting standards
Meet deadlines
Handle local specifics

Master cash and banking

Keep bank accounts
Reconcile the bank
Track flows
Forecast cash

Close on time

Organise the close
Manage cut-off
Check before close
Cut the lead time

Reporting and consolidation

Produce statutory accounts
Feed group reporting
Handle currencies
Link to steering

Secure and control

Segregate duties
Keep the audit trail
Manage rights
Internal control

Master data and interfaces

cross-cutting objective

Chart of accounts and journalsThird-party master dataInterfacesOpening balances

Project financial control

From budget to close

Master objective

Master the margin of each project, from budget to close, anticipating drift and making the result reliable.

A reliable baseline budget

Reuse the approved costing
Structure the budget
Freeze a baseline
Trace change orders

Actual costs and commitments

Capture valued hours
Capture purchases
Include subcontracting
Separate committed, posted, paid

Revenue and revenue to bill

Capture issued billing
Track revenue to bill
Link to progress
Track down payments

Project to completion

Estimate to complete
Cost at completion
Margin at completion
Revise regularly

Recognise the result correctly

Measure progress
Recognise revenue
Manage WIP
Provision for losses

Steer, alert, revise

Hold a project review
Detect drift
Alert
Decide

Feed group steering

cross-cutting objective

ConsolidateReportHandle currenciesCapitalise

Who it's for

Those who structure before choosing a tool

This method is for project-based companies: engineering, integration, custom equipment, build-to-spec projects. For those launching an ERP or a transformation who want to start from the business, not the software.

The engagement

The approach is public. The framing is an engagement.

Reading these trees costs nothing. Framing your information system means testing these targets against your reality, domain by domain, with your teams.

Describe the target processes of your domains, with no tool assumed.
Test each target against how you really work, in workshops.
Frame the need and formalise it for tool selection.
Prepare and run the workshops with your teams.
Steer the transformation project over time.

An ERP or a transformation to frame?

Let's start from your processes, not from a tool.

Let's talk