You Engineer the Project. We Engineer the Commercial Strategy.
Financial modelling, contract risk assessment, and tax strategy for South African engineering firms.
Technical excellence wins tenders, but commercial strategy determines if they are actually profitable. At Finance Deck, we move beyond bookkeeping. We act as your commercial sounding board, helping you navigate complex contracts, volatile import costs, and project cash flow gaps.
THE STRATEGIC GAP
The Risks That Actually Keep You Awake
Standard accountants look at what happened last month. We look at what could go wrong next month. We partner with you to mitigate the specific risks inherent to engineering:
- Contractual Risk: Signing a tender without fully understanding the commercial implications of penalty clauses, payment terms, or subcontractor liabilities.
- The Costing Trap: Under-budgeting on the Bill of Quantities (BOQ) due to overlooked logistics, time-to-completion creep, or fluctuating import costs.
- The Cash Flow Crunch: The dangerous gap between paying for materials/labour upfront and receiving payment 60 days post-valuation.
Your Commercial Sounding Board
We provide the strategic advice needed to make high-stakes decisions with confidence.
Contract & Tender Review
Before you commit to a project or appoint a subcontractor, we help you assess the financial risk.
• Upstream & Downstream: We align your client contracts with your subcontractor agreements to ensure you aren't holding the bag for delays or disputes.
• Scenario Planning: We model the "what-ifs"—what happens to your margin if the project runs 3 weeks over?
Strategic Project Costing & Imports
Global supply chains introduce volatility. We help you plan for it.
• Import Strategy: We factor in exchange rate risks, customs clearance delays, and logistics costs into your initial project costing, so your margin isn't eaten by the exchange rate.
• True Job Costing: We implement systems to track actual spend against your BOQ in real-time, flagging overruns before they become losses.
Cash Flow & VAT Engineering
Managing SARS is about timing.
• VAT Strategy: Large construction projects often trigger massive input VAT claims upfront with output VAT due only later. We manage this cycle aggressively to aid your cash flow rather than hinder it.
• Retention Planning: We forecast your cash flow specifically around retention releases to prevent the "mid-project crunch".
Advanced Tax Incentives
Engineering firms are innovators. You should be rewarded for it.
• R&D Allowances: We identify qualifying Research & Development activities within your projects to unlock Section 11D tax incentives.
• Manufacturing Incentives: If you fabricate components, we ensure you are utilizing available manufacturing tax allowances to reduce your liability.
The Operational Foundation
While we focus on strategy, we never neglect the “business hygiene” required to keep you compliant and operational.
Engineering sites are high-risk environments for labour disputes. You get direct access to our in-house labour lawyer for:
- Employment contracts (Permanent vs. Project-based).
- Disciplinary hearings and CCMA representation.
- Retrenchment management when projects end.
We understand that site payroll is not standard payroll. Our internal PaySpace-certified team manages:
- Complex site allowances, standby pay, and overtime.
- Bargaining council compliance.
- Project-based contractor payments.
- Tender Readiness: We ensure Tax Clearance, COIDA, and CIPC are always green so you never miss a bid.
- Banking Confidence: We provide the assurance reports and management accounts banks require for asset finance and overdraft facilities.
A Finance Partner Who Speaks Engineering
You don’t need another accountant who sends you a trial balance and an invoice. You need a partner who understands BOQs, retention, import logistics, and labour risk.