The story
Overview
Northline Advisory had grown quickly, but its internal systems had not. Partners were winning more work while operations still depended on spreadsheets, inbox threads, and a patchwork of tools.
TENSVA partnered with Northline to design and ship an operations OS: a single product for projects, people, and client communication.
The challenge
Project status was assembled manually each week. Resource conflicts were discovered late. Clients asked for updates that the team could not produce without extra coordination.
The firm needed a product that matched how advisors actually work, not a generic project tracker.
Goals
- Give partners a live view of delivery health
- Reduce time spent on status reporting
- Make staffing decisions earlier and with better data
- Create a client-ready reporting experience
Approach
We started with interviews across delivery, finance, and client leads, then mapped the weekly operating rhythm. That revealed which workflows needed software and which only needed clearer process.
From there we defined a modular architecture: a React workspace, a Node API, and PostgreSQL as the system of record, hosted on AWS.
The solution
The Operations OS brings project plans, staffing, time, and client updates into one product. Role-based views keep partners, managers, and practitioners focused on the decisions they own.
UX / Architecture
The interface is organized around three layers: a partner dashboard, a delivery workspace, and a lightweight client portal. Shared components keep reporting consistent without forcing every user through the same screens.
Key features
Delivery health dashboard
Live view of timeline risk, utilization, and outstanding client actions.
Resource planner
Staffing across projects with conflict alerts before work is committed.
Client update room
A structured place to share progress without assembling a new deck every week.
Results
Dummy sample: Northline now runs weekly operations from one workspace. Status reporting is generated from live project data instead of reconstructed from inboxes and spreadsheets.
“Dummy sample: TENSVA understood the mess behind the work, not just the screens. We finally have one place to see delivery, people, and client communication.”
