"Implementating VOGSY was really an enjoyable process to go through rather than feeling like a task."
Emma Crowl, CFO, Datarock
How Datarock scaled revenue 10x without scaling finance
A global geoscience technology company gained audit-ready project finance, real-time margin control, and 10x revenue growth — all managed by a finance team of two.
Revenue growth
10x over four years
Finance team growth
Zero additional headcount
One system
Multiple revenue models, one audit trail
Time to value
Day two - first invoice
The challenge of starting right
When Emma Crowl joined Datarock as CFO, the priority was clear: build the operational foundation before the complexity of a fast-growing business made it harder to do so.
Datarock combines AI technology with deep domain expertise in geosciences to serve the global mining industry. The revenue models vary — platform services, subscription fees, and consulting engagements, each with distinct pricing, delivery models, and invoicing methods.
The challenge was getting proper visibility around projects and financial tracking from day one.
At a glance:
| Before VOGSY | The challenges | The solution with VOGSY |
|---|---|---|
| No connected operational system | No visibility into projects or financial performance from the start | Real-time tracking of project and financial data from day one |
| Multiple revenue models with no unified view | Different pricing, delivery, and invoicing methods across the same account | All revenue streams managed in one system without customization |
| Manual capitalization process | Software development costs could not be tracked, linked, and reported to auditors in one place | Capitalized costs calculated from timesheets, reportable to external auditors in one system |
| Fragmented tools | Manual effort and data gaps between CRM, project management, and accounting | HubSpot, VOGSY, and Xero connected without complex setup |
Why VOGSY?
Emma's requirement was a system close to out-of-the-box that could support Datarock's complexity without heavy customization or bespoke builds.
It needed to manage both customer-facing and internal projects, support multiple revenue models with their own invoicing rules, and integrate cleanly with HubSpot and Xero.
She also needed it fast. There was no time for a months-long implementation.
How VOGSY created clarity and control
One system for every revenue model
Multiple revenue streams, different pricing, different delivery approaches, different invoicing methods — all handled out of the box. No separate systems, no heavy customization. Customer-facing and internal projects in the same view.Audit-ready capitalization from day one
Engineering time tracked in Jira links directly to costs in VOGSY. Capitalized software development costs can be calculated from timesheets, compiled into a report, and audited by external parties — all in one place. In Emma's words, that gave a lot of comfort when talking to auditors.A two-person finance function at scale
The finance team stayed at two people as revenue grew 10x over four years. Real delivery data enabled Datarock to refine pricing models, improve forecasting, and maintain gross margins as the business scaled.
| Metric | Before VOGSY | After VOGSY | The impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue scale | Hundreds of thousands | Supported tens of millions without effort | 10x+ growth over four years |
| Finance headcount | — | Two people throughout | Zero additional headcount to manage the growth |
| Capitalization process | Manual, fragmented | Calculated from timesheets, auditable in one system | Audit confidence from day one |
| Time to first invoice | — | Day two | Immediate operational impact post-implementation |
| System ecosystem | Disconnected CRM, project management, accounting | HubSpot, VOGSY, Xero without complex setup | One connected source of truth across the revenue lifecycle |
Ready to run your global project business with clarity and control?
Whether you're expanding across borders or streamlining operations, VOGSY gives you the visibility, speed, and confidence to scale profitably, without replacing your local finance tools.
In their own words: a Q&A wiht Emma, CFO of Datarock
What challenge were you trying to solve when you implemented VOGSY at Datarock
Emma: The challenge when you're starting a new business is getting proper visibility around projects and financial tracking, because you tend not to have systems set up to enable that. I really wanted to make sure we had a connected system that enabled us to track data from the start. That's really where VOGSY came in.
How does VOGSY handle multiple revenue models and invoicing methods in a single professional services platform?
Emma: We had multiple revenue streams, different pricing, different deliveries, and different invoicing methods. We needed a system that could support that complexity without heavy customization or builds — as close to out of the box as possible. It also needed to manage both customer-facing and internal projects, which was crucial for visibility and control.
How does VOGSY support software development cost capitalization and external audit requirements?
Emma: The ability to have capitalized software development costs calculated based off timesheets, linked back to the costs within timesheets, build a report and audited by external parties all in one place — that was something that really was appealing and gave a lot of comfort when I had to talk to auditors.
How fast can a professional services firm get operational value from VOGSY after implementation?
Emma: The implementation and onboarding experience at VOGSY is really second to none. Implementation was fast, which was critical — I didn't have months to get a new system in place. The reduction in manual effort improved alignment across teams straight away. I could invoice on day two. All of those elements made it really seamless, and it was an enjoyable process rather than something that felt like a task taking time away from other areas of my job.
How does VOGSY use real project data to improve pricing and protect margins in a services business?
Emma: What it has enabled us to do is gain real insights into how we could refine and adjust our pricing models based off that real data. That really has been invaluable to us in ensuring that we were able to maintain our gross margins and profitability.
How has VOGSY enabled Datarock to scale revenue without growing the finance team?
Emma: VOGSY has enabled us to scale revenue without any significant growth within the finance team. When I say no significant growth, our finance team is me and one other person. We've really moved from revenue in the hundreds of thousands up to the tens of millions over four years and have not had to scale the team at all to manage that additional load.
What would a CFO considering VOGSY for their professional services firm need to know?
Emma: Start by focusing on the integration and end-to-end workflows, not just individual features. The real value comes from connected systems that reflect how the business actually operates. The right provider will take the time to understand your business, adapt with you, and bring a growth mindset to solving problems — which is something I feel VOGSY has done really well across both times I've worked with them.