Accelo vs. Kantata

Information contained in this post is based on publicly available documentation as of the most recent publish date. Products and features are continually updated and we will make an effort to update the information in this post to reflect those changes.

The importance of time for professional services firms cannot be overstated. From accurately tracking billable vs. non-billable hours to improving team utilization, the efficient management of a team’s resources is essential for leaders wanting to sustain and grow a business. 

We work with industry leaders daily, so we know that time spent tediously researching new tools is time spent away from your main priority — your clients. Because time is so valuable, many leaders end up settling for a platform without ever knowing a better solution was out there. 

We don’t want you to have to settle.

To save you time and help eliminate some leg work, we’re breaking down the most important information you need to consider in your search for a new system for managing your client work.

Considering Kantata vs. Accelo? Let’s see how they compare.

What Is Kantata?

Kantata, formerly Mavenlink and Kimble, is a cloud-based software system built to support the needs of service businesses with tools to optimize resource planning, automate workflows and deliver projects on time and on budget. The platform provides solutions to boost team collaboration, improve cross-departmental visibility and ensure project delivery is predictable and profitable.

Kantata’s schedule planning view (Image from Kantata.com)

Product Offerings

• Resource management
• Financial management
• Project management
• Team collaboration
• Business intelligence
• Integrations and workflows

Pricing

Kantata's pricing starts at $59 per user per month with the option of unlimited users. Actual pricing will vary depending on individual business needs, and additional pricing details must be requested on their website.

Platform Options

Kantata OX, formerly Mavenlink, is a platform best fit to support teams needing resource management tools. For teams primarily seeking a platform to manage scheduling and team utilization, this platform may be enough to successfully support their work, but it lacks features needed to support the full client journey. 

Kantata SX, formerly Kimble, is built with Salesforce and is a better fit for larger teams and teams primarily focused on project management and project accounting. Because Kantata SX is a Salesforce-native solution, users must also purchase a Salesforce subscription for their CRM. While this CRM does make it possible to tie projects back to a client record, some will prefer a platform built specifically for small to mid-sized service businesses.

Notable Integrations

• JIRA
• Microsoft Dynamics 365
• HubSpot
• QuickBooks
• Salesforce
• Xero

Strengths

• Task management and built-in client interaction capabilities
• Comprehensive resource management tool that explores resource impact on revenue and timelines
• Team scheduling tools to maximize employee utilization
• Proprietary integration platform

Kantata's capacity forecast dashboard (Image from Kantata.com)

Weaknesses

• Without a built-in CRM, businesses lose the ability to seamlessly track each customer's journey from opportunity and sale through to project delivery and billing
• Without sales management or quoting capabilities, users need additional tools to bridge the gap from prospect to client
• No built-in ticketing or service solutions system to manage and fulfill client requests, making it more difficult and time-consuming to deliver consistent client support 
• Some users shared difficulties with Kantata’s reporting tools, including feedback that built-in reporting is too simplistic, that there are issues with lag time and that there is a need for additional training to fully utilize custom reports 

What Users Have To Say About Accelo vs. Kantata

To better understand the two platforms and how they compare, we looked at feedback from users of Kantata and Accelo. While users find Kantata’s setup and administration to be easier, they say Accelo is easier to use and do business with overall. 

Users also shared they feel Accelo meets the needs of their business better than Kantata and also prefer the direction of Accelo’s product. 

Lastly, users prefer Accelo’s quality of support, so it’s no surprise that we were a recipient of G2’s Best Relationship badge in the Professional Services Automation software category for all of 2022 — a reflection of our focus on customer satisfaction. 

Kantata Alternative

Although Kantata provides professional services teams with the tools they need to manage their resources, the platform lacks some essential capabilities for supporting the full client lifecycle. For that, you will need a fully comprehensive client work management solution that can support your client journey from sales to billing. 

Accelo is an end-to-end solution that offers products to support sales, projects, tickets, billing, reports and retainers, with a built-in CRM that connects each core function to your client record. 

With resource management tools supported by native time-tracking capabilities and automation tools to build more efficient workflows, professional services teams using Accelo can improve visibility and increase profitability across all aspects of their business by creating one source of truth. 

Accelo's platform is a solution for managing the full lifecycle of client work

A CRM That Connects Your Entire Client Journey

As a service business, your clients are at the heart of everything you do. Because of this, you need a tool that can connect all aspects of your work to your client record. This is why every client-based business needs a CRM to manage client work. 

While tools like Kantata require a CRM integration to connect their work to their client journey, the most efficient solution is finding an option that has a CRM built into its platform. 

Accelo provides a built-in CRM that connects your sales, projects, tickets, billing and retainers in one centralized place. This centralized record helps create visibility across your business, especially with its Activity Stream, a feature that creates an easily accessible client communication record for every client. 

Seamlessly Transition From Sales to Projects

Smooth transitions between each stage of your client journey improve business efficiency and create a more positive client experience. Because Accelo’s platform connects sales and projects in one system, users can convert an accepted quote into a project with the click of a button, eliminating extra steps and minimizing the risk of any oversight in the handoff between sales and account management.  

Without sales management capabilities, Kantata users are left with the need to integrate another tool to transition sales to active client projects, leaving room for error and adding the additional expense of a sales management tool. 

A Robust Ticketing System To Support Client Requests

Accelo’s Tickets product is a full-service ticketing system helping teams receive, monitor and complete ad-hoc work requests through a collaborative request inbox. Through automation, users can quickly triage tickets based on urgency and assign them to the appropriate team members with custom rules and triggers. 

And because Accelo is an end-to-end platform, the work completed through ticket requests is connected to the client record for a more accurate client history — making a huge impact on support teams needing to reference past solutions or identify recurring issues.  

With Kantata, clients can submit issues to share requests and feedback or to request action items that were not originally included in a project plan. While these project requests can be used to manage client needs, the feature does not replace a full ticketing or service solution system that can process, manage and track customer issues. 

READ NEXT: Learn how one MSP used Accelo’s ticketing system to save 40 hours per month.

Trial Accelo

From managing project schedules to supporting successful client relationships, your team needs a system that can handle the complexities of your service business. 

Professional services businesses benefit from having software designed with client work in mind. Accelo’s client work management platform offers an end-to-end solution with a built-in CRM, sales and quoting, ticket management, billing and retainers to minimize your tech stack and simplify your work.

Selecting a tool to support your business is a big decision. Before making the jump, be sure to see the platform in action with a free trial. If you have questions or want a more in-depth look at the unique features of Accelo, request a demo. 

About the Author

Kit Lewis is a Content Manager at Accelo, where she manages content projects, social media and content reporting. With a decade of writing for industries ranging from education to tech, past experience supporting client work and a commitment to building efficient systems, she is passionate about creating valuable content to help professional services teams.