Operating vs. Kantata
With Operating, professional services teams get a full, realistic trial and phased rollout instead of a high‑stakes Kantata implementation project they must commit to before seeing real value. That, and real-time reporting!
Why choose Operating over Kantata?
Three practical reasons firms pick Operating when they outgrow spreadsheets and find Kantata too heavy.
See the real product before you buy
With Kantata, you commit to a big PSA project just to test it. Operating lets you spin up a full trial with sample data and expert help first.
Adopt at your pace, not all at once
Kantata pushes a full replacement. Operating lets you start with resourcing and forecasting, then add timesheets and invoicing when your team is ready.
Answers in the app, not in Excel
Kantata users often export to spreadsheets to see utilization and margins. Operating gives live billable mix, planned vs actuals, and margins in one view – and in real-time!
With 150 people across countries, Operating helps us staff projects efficiently by aligning our sales pipeline, allocations, and our consultants’ skills and interests. This helps us minimize costly bench time.
Operating connected with HubSpot provides our team of 10+ staffing managers the forward-looking view they need to plan our company's work.
See your people, projects, and profits in real time
Modern resource planning, time tracking, and forecasting built for services firms that want PSA-level insight without an ERP-style project or heavy change management.
Try the full product before you buy
Spin up a live account with realistic sample data, guided by our team, so leaders and staffing managers can see how Operating fits their firm before signing anything.
Start with resourcing, add more later
Begin with resource planning and forecasting next to your current finance tools, then add timesheets and invoicing once the team is ready, not on day one.
Real time utilization, no more Excel exports
See billable utilization, capacity, and margins update instantly across people and projects so you can stop chasing spreadsheet versions and answer questions in one place.
Planned vs actual hours in one view
Track planned vs logged hours at project, client, and phase level to spot overrun risk early and adjust staffing before it hits margins or client expectations.
Billable and non billable clarity
Break down billable and non billable work by person, team, and client to protect utilization rates, reduce hidden cost leakage, and defend pricing in conversations.
Connect to the stack you already use
Use our REST API and direct integrations to HubSpot, Pipedrive, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and HiBob so Operating fits your stack instead of forcing a full replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Operating a better fit for my firm than Kantata?
With Operating, you actually get to use the product before you buy. You spin up a full trial with realistic sample data, guided help, and no commitment so you see how staffing, utilization, and forecasting really work for your firm. With Kantata, you typically need to sign up for a bigger project before you get that level of access.
Can I start small with Operating instead of replacing everything at once?
Yes. You start with resource planning and forecasting alongside your current finance and CRM stack. Once your team is comfortable, you switch on timesheets and invoicing. You control the pace so you avoid a risky all or nothing rollout.
How does Operating help me see utilization and margins without Excel?
Operating gives you live dashboards for billable vs non billable work, planned vs actual hours, and margins by person, project, and client. You log in, filter what you need, and get answers without exporting to spreadsheets or stitching reports together by hand.
Will my project leads and staffing managers actually use Operating day to day?
Yes. Operating is built for operators, not just system admins. You get a clean, modern UI with simple staffing views, quick edits, and ready made reports so people can adjust plans mid week and move on. You do not need heavy training or a dedicated admin to keep it running.
Can I connect Operating to the tools I already use?
You can plug Operating into your existing CRM, HR, and finance tools instead of ripping them out. Use direct integrations and the REST API to sync with systems like HubSpot, Pipedrive, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and HiBob so data flows without a full ERP style rebuild.
How quickly can I get value from Operating and what does it cost?
You can be testing a live trial in just minutes and you'll be running real resource plans in days or weeks depending on your setup. Pricing is transparent and per user, starting from low cost resource planning only plans, with the option to add timesheets and invoicing when you are ready. You avoid big upfront projects and long lock in contracts.
Want to try PSA your way?
Spin up a full account with live-like data, see real time utilization and margins, then decide if and when you phase out your old stack.