Centralizing COAR Operations with ERP Foundations and AI Readiness
How Leeway helped COAR centralize operational workflows in one ERP environment while preparing a practical path toward AI-enabled analytics and reporting.
Program scope
Multi-function ERP centralization
Operating areas
Finance, HR, procurement, project operations
Strategic extension
AI-readiness roadmap
0min
Timesheet submission
Per consultant, each month — down from roughly 30 minutes.
0min
Invoice preparation
Per consultant invoice — down from roughly 30 minutes.
~0modules
Purpose-built for COAR
Custom modules across finance, delivery, people, and AI.
0core
System of record
Operations, projects, and people in one governed platform.
The Need
An organization ready to consolidate.
COAR Global runs complex, multi-entity operations across research and advisory work. The processes were sound — they simply lived in too many places. COAR needed them connected, governed, and ready for what comes next.
A single source of truth
Finance, projects, recruitment, and people management spanned multiple entities and currencies. COAR needed these connected in one governed system rather than reconciled by hand.
Faster, auditable monthly cycles
Timesheets and consultant invoicing were essential and recurring. COAR needed them quick, accurate, and traceable from entry through to finance.
Approvals captured in-system
Sign-off needed to happen inside the platform — with signatures and approvals recorded in sequence, not chased across email.
Room for AI
COAR wanted a platform ready to adopt AI where it earns its place — beginning with the high-volume work of reviewing applicants.
Measured Impact
The same work, in a fraction of the time.
Two routine, recurring tasks — submitting a timesheet and preparing a consultant invoice — each dropped from around half an hour to about two minutes.
Time per monthly cycle
Per consultant. Lower is better.
Consultant timesheet≈ 93% faster
Before
30 min
After
2 min
Consultant invoicing≈ 93% faster
Before
30 min
After
2 min
Time reclaimed per consultant
Cumulative hours saved across a year on these two tasks.
≈ 11 hrs
reclaimed per consultant each year on these two tasks alone — time returned to delivery rather than administration.
The Build
One platform, built module by module.
Rather than force COAR's operations into off-the-shelf assumptions, Leeway built on a mature open ERP core and extended it with purpose-built modules. Each one solves a specific operational need and connects to the others.
4 modules
Delivery & Operations
Project Allocations
LeewayProject codes and monthly allocation of every consultant, with bulk import and export.
Timesheet & Invoicing
LeewayMonthly consultant timesheets through to vendor bills, with allocation checks built in.
Org Chart
LeewayLive organizational and team hierarchy, with branded PDF generation.
Team & Rate Types
LeewayTeam grouping and rate structures that feed billing consistently.
4 modules
Finance & Compliance
Expense & Salary Advance
LeewayMulti-currency expense workflow tied to projects and consultant invoicing.
Project Budgets
LeewayBudget holders and simple per-project budgets for clear ownership.
Currency Rates
LeewayDaily synchronization of reference rates for accurate multi-currency accounting.
eSign
LeewayIn-system signatures applied consistently to documents and reports.
4 modules
People & HR
Time Off
LeewayLeave allocation with calendar-year handling and a clear dashboard.
Contract Expiry Alerts
LeewayAutomatic notice well ahead of contract end dates.
Recruitment
LeewayStructured applicant data — expertise, languages, and country experience.
CRM Additions
LeewayProposal fields and client tagging that keep the pipeline organized.
3 capabilities
AI & Automation
AI CV Analyzer
LeewayRole-aware analysis of applicant CVs, with a structured strengths-and-gaps read-out.
Scheduled Automations
LeewayBackground jobs that keep rates, alerts, and analysis current — unattended.
Branded Home
LeewayA clean, branded landing surface for everyday work.
Modules marked Leeway were designed and built by Leeway for COAR, on top of a standard open ERP foundation.
Workflow stepper
A governed path from draft to invoice.
Approvals, signatures, and handoff states are captured in sequence so finance-critical work moves faster without losing traceability.
4
Manager approved
Reviewed in sequence
Manager5
Manager signed
Approval finalized in-system
Manager6
Ready to invoice
Finance-ready state
Finance7
Invoiced
Recorded and traceable
Finance1
Draft
Prepared by consultant
Consultant2
Submitted
Entered into workflow
Consultant3
Consultant signed
Formal sign-off captured
Consultant4
Manager approved
Reviewed in sequence
Manager5
Manager signed
Approval finalized in-system
Manager6
Ready to invoice
Finance-ready state
Finance7
Invoiced
Recorded and traceable
Finance1
Draft
Prepared by consultant
Consultant2
Submitted
Entered into workflow
Consultant3
Consultant signed
Formal sign-off captured
Consultant4
Manager approved
Reviewed in sequence
ManagerConnected, Not Siloed
The website and the ERP are one system.
COAR's public website is not a brochure bolted onto the business — it is wired directly into the ERP. Three connections do quiet, continuous work in the background.
Live
Careers & Recruitment
WebsiteCareers page
⇄
ERPRecruitment
Roles opened in the ERP appear on the public Careers page on their own. Every application flows straight back into recruitment — where the AI CV Analyzer reads it against the role.
Live
Contact & CRM
WebsiteContact form
→
ERPCRM lead
Each inquiry submitted on the website is created as a lead in the CRM the moment it is sent — captured with full context, nothing re-keyed, nothing lost between systems.
Daily
Currency & ECB
ECBReference rates
→
ERPMulti-currency
The platform syncs official European Central Bank rates every day, so expenses, consultant invoicing, and accounting stay accurate across every currency COAR works in.
AI Where It Earns Its Place
An AI CV analyzer, built into recruitment.
Rather than bolt on a generic tool, Leeway built CV analysis directly into COAR's recruitment workflow — so every applicant is read against the actual role, consistently, with a recruiter always making the final call.
How it works1
Read
CVs and cover letters are parsed from PDF or Word attachments into clean, structured text.
2
Compare
The text is assessed against the specific job description and the experience the role requires.
3
Summarize
A plain-language read-out of strengths and gaps is written back onto the applicant record.
4
Recommend
An indicative score and a recommendation support — never replace — the recruiter's decision.
PDF & Word parsingRole-aware analysisStrengths & gapsHuman-in-the-loopRuns on a schedule
Applicant assessmentRecommended
0
Overall
Skills alignment84%
Experience92%
Illustrative example. Every assessment is confirmed by a recruiter before any decision is made.
One team designed the system, built it, and still supports it in production.
Leeway — software development & implementation partner
Built to Last
Designed for control, not just features.
A system of record has to be trustworthy. Every workflow was built with clear roles, an auditable trail, and quiet automation that keeps the platform current.
Role-based by design
Consultants, managers, and finance each see and do only what their role requires, across every workflow.
Multi-entity multi-currency
Company-specific records, sequences, and journals — with reference rates kept current automatically.
Audit-ready trail
Approvals, signatures, and finance hand-offs are recorded in sequence on every document.
Automated upkeep
Scheduled jobs handle currency synchronization, contract alerts, and applicant analysis — unattended.
Supported in production
The team that designed and built the platform maintains and evolves it as COAR's needs change.
Standards-based core
Built on a mature, open ERP foundation and kept upgrade-friendly rather than forked into a dead end.
Outcomes
A coherent core, and time given back.
COAR Global now runs its operations on one governed platform — faster on the routine work, clearer on approvals, and ready to extend AI where it proves its value.
0%
Faster monthly cycles
On timesheet and invoicing, per consultant — from ~30 minutes to ~2.
~0
Custom modules
A connected platform across finance, delivery, people, and AI — not a patchwork.
≈0 hrs
Reclaimed per consultant / year
On two routine tasks alone — recurring time returned to delivery.
Work with Leeway
Ready to discuss your software requirements?
Whether it is consolidating operations, an ERP rollout, or putting AI to work where it counts — one team can design, build, and support it.