How a development controlling function gets built from the ground up
A hotel in planning or under renovation has different control needs than one in operation. You have to monitor investments, allocate budgets, and flag variances early. Without a structured development controlling function — project cost controls, in US terms — you find out where the money went only after the project is closed. This is a representative pattern, not a specific client engagement.
What I do
First step is the inventory: which cost centers exist, how is project spend captured today, where are the blind spots? Then we build a structure that cleanly separates project costs, ongoing operating costs, and investment budgets. For each phase, we define budget-to-actual comparisons, usually monthly. The core piece is a real-time dashboard in Power BI that pulls directly from the relevant accounting and project data. That turns a spreadsheet into a steering tool. Setup typically runs four to eight weeks, including data cleanup.
Representative engagement
Typical outcomes: 10 to 20% in unplanned cost overruns only become visible — and steerable — once the new system is in place
"Run a development project without real-time controls, and you find out about variances after they are no longer fixable."
Owner-operated house or hotel company, DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), new build or renovation from EUR 2M in investment volume
Development controlling is not a luxury for chains. It is the minimum for anyone signing off on capital spend.