Project controllers are often employed by consulting firms that perform management,
technology, and/or
human capital work for an external client. Although titles vary from firm to firm, most large consulting firms such as
Accenture,
PWC,
Deloitte and
Bearing Point have individuals who perform project controller duties. The project controller is responsible for overseeing the financial health of the project by analyzing costs, revenue, risks, and pricing for the consulting firm. The role of the project controller can vary depending on the type and scale of the project, but most all project controllers maintain budget tracking tools, issue invoices and billings, manage fee structures, and forecast potential gains and losses in pursuing future work with a client. Not all projects have a project controller. Smaller projects that are expected to be shorter in duration typically may have no project controller overseeing the daily financial activity of the project. The responsibility will usually be assumed by the
project manager of the project. For larger scale projects or projects requiring on-site interaction with the external client (typically
public sector projects), there may be one or several project controllers to ensure that staffing levels and billing rates are appropriate for the budgetary scope of the project. Because most project controllers are serving the internal project management team, they are typically considered non-billable to the client. However, in projects where client staff and the consulting firm work in the same unit, some clients have agreed to be billed for project controllers to facilitate financial transactions and communications between the
consulting firm and the client. Some project controllers will also perform
expense audits for the project to ensure that all expenses to the project are in compliance with the consulting firm's and the client's expense policies. Along with profit/loss analysis and budgeting, project controllers are often involved in the original pricing of a project. The pricing of a project occurs before the work begins and is meant to decide the best fee structure and overall cost to the client for the service that will be provided. The project controller helps determine the optimal price to charge the client in order to retain profit at the end of the engagement. ==Qualification==