We live in a fast-paced world. As such, we have all learned to expect what we want, when we want it. In business, in order to stay competitive and provide value for our customers, we also have to give clients what they need, when they need it. And the construction world is no different. This is why an all-in-one approach to software is important for construction businesses.
Take MAX Construction Inc. for instance. This Denver-based “build-out” construction company relies on an all-in-one solution to ensure that all team members work together in all project stages for their $1M – $3M jobs.
In business since 1991, MAX Construction started out using programs like QuickBooks and Excel to manage projects, job costing and accounting. As the company grew, they realized that they had to streamline processes in order to save time, money and reduce the margin for error.
President of MAX Construction, Alex Szollosi describes their switch to all-in-one software. For them, the solution was Premier Construction – the #1 Construction Cloud software on the market.
“Most construction companies start out using QuickBooks as their accounting software. Construction accounting can get very complicated…we used QuickBooks to its maximum capacity and Excel spreadsheets to create change orders while trying to manage all these different forms and documents. We had a cumbersome way of managing everything because we relied on excel folders for our change orders, daily reports, documents, pictures etc., and our accounting in a completely separate software. And it worked but it wasn’t fluid and we couldn’t get a real-time picture of how we were doing on our jobs.”
We were growing – we are now a 29-year old company. We were getting bogged down with the cumbrous process of creating change order forms and proposals in Excel, documenting invoicing and cost-coding manually, etc. Basically, Premier allowed us to become more efficient. Initially it still takes time to set up, but the real key is being able to set up the product properly for the use that it’s intended for.
Bookkeeping is important and spreadsheets can be helpful; but so is job costing, change order development, retainage, forecasting and construction billing. So having one software to do all of this and more is the reason why so many construction companies trust Premier Construction Software.
A Hand-in-Hand Approach to Projects
To have accounting data that speaks real time to project management reports is a great way to ensure project managers have the information they need to make more informed decisions. It allows them to understand their actual costs so they can assess where they are today and more accurately forecast where they will finish, before they run into costs overruns or cash flow issues. Optimizing these processes allows teams to make smarter and better decisions; saving time, which allows priorities to shift and more tasks to be accomplished. This hand-in-hand approach was something that Szollosi needed.
“When I was looking for a product, I spoke to a number of my cohorts in the business and I asked them, ‘are you using an accounting software?’, ‘are you using a project management software?’, and most said that they hadn’t found a product that provides both accounting and project management. I have been with Premier Construction for six years now and we are using both sides simultaneously. We are using one product and we can find everything we need.”
When business gets busy and workload priorities shift, it’s even more essential to have a software that can keep up and more importantly, keep you on track. Szollosi appreciates this ability with Premier Construction Software.
Because we’re using an all-in-one system, our accounting side is in-tune to the project at their level and our project managers are in-tune to the project on their side.
“On the PM side there’s job budget control, which allows us to look at the job in real-time. We can easily raise change orders and our subcontracts with minimal data entry. We can look at the progress of the job to see if we’re ahead or behind our projections and easily drill down into vendor information to view if they were invoiced and paid, so that’s really valuable.”
“On the accounting side, I can always print out an outstanding billing report to know if we’re getting paid on time. Also, we can always produce an up-to-date financial statement. We can see percentages, projections and we know just by looking at our reports.”
Gaining A Competitive Edge in Construction
In the end, the ability to operate a business that can keep up to the demands of the industry is an essential competitive edge. Szollosi understands this and provides further insight.
“The real key is ‘real-time’. It’s difficult to do if you don’t have a program like Premier. If you’re doing it in a long-hand method you’re always going to be behind. We can look at our projects monthly and review budgets, explain variances, complete budget transfers, review pending items, drill into actual costs and forecast accurately. We just have a better opportunity to know exactly where we’re at as a result.”
With a focus on empowerment through automation, the Premier Construction Software includes additional game changing features such as built-in alerts for cost or commitment overruns, change order and subcontract signature automation with workflow routing, subcontract pay apps and even unlimited document management storage for internal or external users.
In construction, to get what you want, when you want it means applying a hand-in-hand team strategy using an all-in-one software. For Alex and MAX Construction, the solution is Premier Construction. Szollosi’s advice:
Number one, don’t agonize the decision. Make the choice to move in the direction that benefits you. If you understand what the system can do for you, you’re in the right place and you should move forward with your team.
What are you waiting for? Get everything you need, when you need it, today.
About Premier Construction Software
Premier Construction Software is a true cloud, all in one accounting, job cost, project and document management solution, specifically designed to meet the needs of General Contractors, Construction Management, Land Developers, Homebuilders and Specialty Contractors. The solution comprises of fundamental modules including accounting, job costing & estimating, forecasting, sub pay apps, cost plus billing, progress billing, time & expense, reporting and document management. Running in the cloud, Premier provides the ability to access and input information at any time, from anywhere on any device. Built on modern software architecture, it is fully flexible, powerful and most importantly, simple to use.
For learn more on Premier Construction Software or to see a live demo, click here.
