In AEC firms, training is often seen as a necessary cost, something to tick off for compliance or onboarding. But what if your training program could actively drive project performance, reduce errors, and improve retention? That’s exactly what firms like NORR are experiencing with Pinnacle Series by Eagle Point Software.

Why Training ROI Is No Longer a Guessing Game

1. From One-Off Learning to Workflow Integration

Traditional training happens in bursts; seminars, courses, or PDF manuals tucked away on internal drives. Pinnacle Series changes that by embedding learning into your team’s actual workflow. Whether it’s a Civil 3D layout issue or Revit design question, users can access targeted answers instantly—on demand, without breaking momentum.

2. Measurable Gains, Not Just Good Intentions

With Pinnacle’s built-in analytics, managers can see learning adoption, usage trends, and areas for improvement across individuals and teams. That means your investment isn’t abstract, it’s tied to actual project delivery and user proficiency.

3. Turn Training Into a Strategic Growth Lever

Pinnacle Series helps firms go beyond “checking the box” for training. With personalized learning paths, custom content, and integration into the tools your team uses daily, it becomes a platform for continuous improvement—and real business impact.

In Action: Discover How NORR’s Learning Transformation Has Changed Their Mindset

When NORR, a global architecture and engineering firm, faced growing demand for project efficiency and onboarding support, they turned to Pinnacle Series. The results?

With over 800 employees across 12 global offices, NORR used Pinnacle to:

• Streamline internal training by reducing repetitive support

• Empower new hires to self-learn at their own pace, accelerating productivity

• Scale knowledge-sharing across regions and disciplines with custom content

Their full story is featured here: 👉 Read the NORR Case Study

How to Measure the ROI of Training with Pinnacle Series

Many AEC leaders struggle to tie training to tangible financial outcomes. But with Pinnacle Series, you can measure ROI through a few key performance levers:

1. Reduce Downtime (Unbillable Time)

Time spent waiting for help, searching for answers, or sitting in passive training sessions adds up quickly.

Example:

If an employee loses 1 hour/week to inefficiencies, and their billable rate is $120/hour, that’s $6,240/year lost per employee.

Multiply that across 50 team members = $312,000/year in lost productivity

2. Decrease Support Burden on Senior Staff

Experienced BIM managers or CAD leads often spend 10–20% of their time answering repeat questions. Freeing them up adds high-value time back to projects.

ROI lever:

Redirecting even 4 hours/week from internal support to billable project work can equate to $24,960/year per senior employee (@ $120/hour). For just 3 leads, that’s $74,880/year gained.

3. Accelerate Onboarding of New Hires

Getting new employees productive faster means you start realizing ROI on their salary sooner.

Example:

If onboarding is shortened by 4 weeks, and your average billable rate is $100/hour, that’s an additional $16,000 in early productivity (assuming 40 billable hours/week).

For 5 new hires/year, that’s $80,000.

Simple ROI Formula Leaders Can Use

Training ROI = (Time Saved x Avg Billable Rate x # of Staff Impacted) – Cost of Training Tool

For example:

Let’s say Pinnacle Series helps save 1 hour/week per user across 40 users, and your average billable rate is $110/hour:

Annual ROI:

1 hr/week x 52 weeks x 40 users x $110/hr = $228,800/year
Tool cost = approx. $20,000–$30,000/year

Net ROI = $198,800 (or 7–10x return)

Final Thought: This Isn’t Just Training, It’s Margin Protection

In a market where winning work is competitive and project margins are razor-thin, the firms that train smarter—not just harder—are the ones that stay ahead. Pinnacle Series helps AEC leaders reclaim time, boost productivity, and enable continuous improvement at scale.

Want to calculate the ROI for your firm?

Start your free Pinnacle Series trial or talk to us about building your ROI model.