2025 Business Operations Benchmarking Tool

Your data-driven roadmap for smarter budgeting, optimized operations, and better decision-making.

The Business Operations Benchmarking (BOB) Tool gives AEC firms a clear and accurate picture of how their business support functions compare to industry benchmarks. Built specifically for AEC firms, this interactive tool breaks down overhead spending, support staffing, and departmental performance — empowering leaders to plan with confidence and allocate resources where they matter most.

Whether you're preparing your 2026 budget, evaluating staffing needs, or aligning operations with strategic goals, the BOB Tool provides the insights you need to run a more efficient, future-ready firm.

What You Can Do With the BOB Tool

✔ Benchmark Your Overhead Spending
Understand how your investments in HR, Marketing, Finance, and IT align with peer firms — and where you may be over- or under-spending.

✔ Optimize Support Team Structure
Gain clarity on ideal staffing levels, labor distribution, and departmental roles to ensure your support teams are efficient and aligned with firm needs.

✔ Build Smarter Budgets
Use real industry data to plan for growth, defend investments, and forecast future support needs with confidence.

✔ Analyze Departmental Efficiency
Break down spending relative to Net Service Revenue (NSR) and uncover opportunities to enhance performance across core business functions.

✔ Strengthen Organizational Alignment
Use insights around structure and financial expectations to build clarity and consistency across the firm.

✔ Identify Strategic Growth Opportunities
Pinpoint the areas where operational improvements will deliver the greatest return — from tech investments to staffing decisions.

Perfect For:

• Firm leaders preparing 2026 budgets
• Operations, finance, HR, marketing, and IT leaders
• Firms evaluating organizational structure and efficiency
• Strategic planners focused on growth and scalability
• Anyone who wants clearer insight into how their firm compares to others

Why It Matters

AEC success isn’t just about winning work — it’s about running the business behind the work. The BOB Tool helps you replace assumptions with accurate data, giving you the clarity to operate more strategically, allocate resources effectively, and strengthen your internal operations.

When you understand where you stand, you can make smarter decisions that move your firm forward.