HOW A NATIONAL STAFFING FIRM STREAMLINED COMPENSATION TRACKING WITH EXCEL, POWER BI, AND MAKE AUTOMATION
quicker reporting time (from days to minutes)
%
faster workbook refresh speed
%
faster query performance
The Bottom Line
ProsperSpark helps staffing and professional services firms turn manual reporting into automated, error-free systems.
By consolidating large Excel files, optimizing Power Query connections, and integrating data across multiple platforms, ProsperSpark delivered a faster, cleaner, and more reliable reporting process.
Situation
A national staffing firm was managing all compensation and financial reporting manually. Each month, the finance and operations teams reconciled data from several systems—Bullhorn, QuickBooks, and others—just to calculate commissions, verify payroll, and prepare reports.
This manual workflow created delays, inconsistencies, and frustration. As the firm grew, maintaining these workbooks became unmanageable. They needed a system that could handle complex data but operate seamlessly behind the scenes.
Every phase made the process smoother. What once took hours of manual review now updates automatically, providing clarity and control that was previously unattainable.
Solution
ProsperSpark partnered with the company through a long-term engagement to modernize and automate their reporting ecosystem.
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Excel Optimization: Consolidated five large workbooks into one, cutting queries by ~20% and reducing file size by 10 MB.
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Power Query and VBA Improvements: Streamlined redundant modules and logic for deal types, revenue allocation, and salary profiles.
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Power BI Dashboards: Delivered real-time visibility and automated data refreshes for leadership.
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Make.com Integrations: Automated data flow between Bullhorn, QuickBooks, and later Sage Intacct, removing the need for manual updates.
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Security and Ongoing Support: Added access control features and provided continuous refinement, bug fixes, and enhancement meetings.
Each phase had intervals of testing and adoption between implementations.
Results
The company’s reporting process transformed from manual and reactive to automated and proactive.
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Reporting time reduced from days to minutes
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Errors and manual input significantly reduced
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Clear, real-time visibility into compensation and revenue
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Streamlined payroll and month-end processes
This project reflects ProsperSpark’s automation-first approach: identifying repetitive manual steps, designing data flow between systems, and building integrations that keep reporting live and accurate. By automating the movement of data between Bullhorn, QuickBooks, and Sage, ProsperSpark eliminated hours of manual upkeep and built a foundation for scalable growth.
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At a Glance
Client
A privately held executive search firm based in New York, connecting talent with leading companies in finance, technology, and corporate services.
Industry
Executive Search and Staffing
Organization
- Privately held executive search and staffing firm based in New York City.
- Known for high-quality, relationship-driven recruiting and candidate vetting.
- Serves industries including finance, accounting, HR, technology, and digital media.
Business Challange
- Manual compensation and reporting processes slowed payroll and monthly close.
- Disconnected data from multiple systems caused frequent errors and rework.
- Large, complex Excel files were difficult to maintain and prone to performance issues.
Tools
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- Microsoft Excel, Power Query and VBA, Power BI, Make, Quickbooks, Sage Intacct, Bullhorn
Market Considerations
- Growing pressure in staffing and recruiting to automate back-office operations and reduce manual reporting.
- Demand for real-time visibility into compensation, placements, and performance metrics across multiple systems.
- Increased reliance on integrated cloud tools to handle complex payroll, invoicing, and revenue tracking efficiently.
Key Takeaways
- Automating data flow between systems eliminated hours of manual reporting each month.
- Consolidating and optimizing Excel tools improved speed, accuracy, and reliability.
- Real-time dashboards now give leadership instant visibility into compensation and performance.