Click the link below for more details and registration:
http://marketing.accu-build.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/1963/p/p-002d/t/page/fm/0

Kick off the summer with a faster, better version of AccuBuild Construction Software!

Scheduled for release in June of 2012, AccuBuild Version 9 has a newer, more user-friendly interface that helps construction companies operate more efficiently and make faster, better business decisions.

To get a preview of AccuBuild Version 9 click the VIEW DEMO button below.

When I talk to potential customers about AccuBuild Construction Software, one of the most popular questions is “how will your Project Management Module help me?” Well, it’s not a simple answer because there are so many benefits, but I like to explain it like this - if you could save each of your Project Managers two hours a week, would you? If you have ten PMs, that would be 20 hours of time that could be spent on more productive things. Powerful stuff, right?

Every contractor knows how project management can impact profitability. Yet managing all of the complex aspects of a project is a difficult and often overwhelming task. Thanks to AccuBuild’s Project Management Module, you can take the headaches out of your day-to-day business by streamlining operations and accounting. After implementation you will have instant access to critical project information 24/7, allowing you and your team to make more informed decisions, control costs, and keep small problems from becoming huge disasters.

You will be able to track correspondence to the finest detail with our full Microsoft Office integration. Thanks to our easy-to-use document scanning feature, you don’t have to worry about digging through huge jobsite folders. You can effortlessly create and track daily tasks, calendars, RFI’s, Change Orders, Submittals, Meetings and Daily Reports, as well as Word, Excel, email and paper files.

Learn more about what AccuBuild’s Project Management Module can do for your company by clicking here.

As we begin reflecting about business in 2009, it’s normal to look ahead as to what 2010 may bring. This is a great time to think about ways you can improve your processes and make the tweaks necessary to get organized. For commercial and industrial construction companies, streamlining your accounting with operations is imperative.

At AccuBuild Construction Software, we know exactly what you need to do business more efficiently. We’ve been immersed in the construction industry for a long time and the knowledge we have about software and technology makes it easy for us to create tools you can use quickly and easily.

AccuBuild software saves you time, keeps your staff on the same page and gves you the freedom to build your business. If everyone can stay on top of projects and not fall behind due to lack of organization or human error, your company thrives. If you’ve been considering construction specific software, I encourage you to contact me and discover what we have to offer.

Across the board, industries are trying to cut down on the wasteful use of paper and the commercial construction industry is no exception. Unfortunately, the commercial construction is a paperwork-intensive business. There are POs, change orders, transmittals, RFIs and multiple copies of everything. Most construction companies are constantly facing a barrage of paperwork, files and huge storage facilities.

AccuBuild Construction Software not only offers an efficient way to deal with all of the documents, but also an eco-friendly solution - Document Management Module. AccuBuild’s document management software (ADMS) delivers a powerful business management system to your desktop that reduces the administrative costs associated with filing, retrieving and re-filing paper documentation. Features such as batch scanning, drag-and-drop file attaching and shortcut keys speed and simplify your construction imaging software use.

Instead of copying and storing pages upon pages of physical documents, construction companies simply scan, save and store files electronically. Then, instead of printing copies for everyone working on the project, digital copies can be distributed via email electronically.

Based on an article on DigitalLandfill.com, a conservative estimate says scanning can reduce paper consumption by one to three percent. Document management also saves time, resources, the opportunity for human error and space - no more huge files! If you’re struggling with too much paperwork, give AccuBuild a call today!

Today kicks off the first day of AccuBuild’s 2nd Annual Users’ Group Conference! Despite the challenging economy, close to 50 AccuBuild Construction Software users are able to join us here in Las Vegas. The day started off with registration and a lovely breakfast.  Many attendees have not seen each other since last year’s event, so folks were happy to see familiar faces of friends and colleagues.

Mike Stearns, Jr. & Mike Stearns, Sr. set up laptops

Breakfast kicks-off 2nd Annual Conference

Attendees gather in Las Vegas

The Monte Carlo is providing us with an ideal set-up for dining and training. We are pleased to have two sponsors this year, Comdata and Advantage Database. Advantage Database Server is a high-performance relational database management system. In other words, it is the software that manages your data, including how it is created, accessed, updated and maintained within an application like AccuBuild. The database has a dramatic effect on an applications performance, stability, and reliability. Advantage Database Server is one of the most reliable, secure and highest performing client/server databases in its class. Thousands of businesses throughout the world rely on it to
manage their data.

Advantage Database Server & Comdata are sponsors

Comdata

Comdata can help you turn your accounts payable department into a revenue generator. Thanks to AccuBuild’s recent integration with Comdata, you can pay vendors electronically with one time use credit cards. Your company will earn cash rebates of up to 1% paid to you the following month through this secure process.The AccuBuild MasterCard solution and platform provided by Comdata, will help you reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Learning more about AccuBuild Construction Software

Today attendees will learn about accounting basics within AccuBuild, Microsoft integration, change order processing, Project Management, custom forms and MAR basics. After an informative day of training session, attendees will get to relax and network  at a reception hosted at The Pub in the Monte Carlo.

According to a recent article in the Dayton Business Journal, the backlog of construction projects increased from June to July.An economist from the Associated Builders and Contractors was asked when all of this stimulus money will start showing up in the economy. Good question!

Anirban Basu, chief economist for the organization, said the uptick answers the question: When will the stimulus package passed in February begin to show up in the nation’s economy?

Significantly less than 50 percent of the $131 billion earmarked for infrastructure improvements of the $787 billion has been spent so far, Basu said. The western states have the longest backlog in the country, rising from 7.1 months in June to 7.2 months in July. The backlog in the middle states, including Wisconsin, rose the most, to 5.6 months from 4.6 months in June.

“The backlog data is revealing because it reflects an acceleration of the pace at which stimulus money is flowing through the economy,” he said.

Maybe the downturn is over for the commercial construction industry - at long last!

Many small commercial construction companies started off using basic accounting software like QuickBooks or Peachtree. In the beginning, these tools are useful and help you stay organized. But as you grow and become more profitable, you need to re-examine these tools. Why? Well, here are three good reasons:

1. - Entry level software does not leave an audit trail. This is problematic. At some point it can be very important to go back and look at certain data and know where it came from and/or who changed it.

2. - Creating a WIP schedule is not easy. If you don’t have construction accounting software, you can’t easily create a WIP schedule in a fully integrated environment. Exporting data becomes a timely process and opens opportunities for human error.

3. - Creating a Committed Cost Report is not easy either! This is one of the most valuable reports you can use to proactively manage your company. Again, using entry level software does not give you the ability to generate this type of report.

The bottom line is it may seem like a hassle to switch to a new software system ot it may seem like a big investment, but the reality is this software is built exactly for the complexities in construction. Construction software can handle all of your requirements and offers an infinite amount of features and benefits that you might not even think of until you start using them. It will make your life easier and help you focus on the jobs at hand.

It’s hard to believe our annual Summer Sale on construction software ends today.  We have been offering special discounts for both existing and new customers since April 2009. It’s our way of trying to help out the construction industry during these difficult economic times.

You can still take advantage of these discounts if you act today! New customers can take 20% off the purchase price or get a free user’s license. Take a look at these incredible features for existing AccuBuild customers:

Excel Time Card Import  - No need to enter data twice! Remote employees or job supervisors can fill out timecards in an excel spreadsheet that seamlessly integrates with the AccuBuild Software. Reduced from $1800 to $1260

Direct Deposit - Upload one file! AccuBuild payroll users can easily create the direct deposit NACHA (National Automatic Clearing House Association) file for employees that are setup on direct deposit. Reduced from $1295 to $910

Subcontractor Payment Sheets - Process subcontractor payments in seconds! This features allows you to automate the entering of sub invoices and ensures that subs do not overbill for items on the project. Reduced from $1800 to $1260

Tra-Ser Integration - Get pricing and create POs with ease! This feature helps Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing contractors integrate the AccuBuild Parts list with the Trade Services Database pricing information. Reduced from $1500 to $1050

Import Job Estimates - No need to re-enter Budget or Schedule of Values! Eliminate duplicate data entry associated with setting up a Job in AccuBuild. Reduced from $1500 to $1050

Multi-State Payroll - Print one check for deductions in multiple states! For employers that have employees in multiple states or work in multiple and need to hold taxes based on the Jobs Location. Reduced from $1200 to $910

Magnetic Media - File your W2s electronically! This feature allows employers to file W2’s electronically using the US Social Security Administrations (SSA) AccuWage software. Reduced from $1000 to $700

Certified Payroll - If you work on federally funded projects, you know how important this is and you also know how time consuming it can be.  With this feature, you can easily automate Certified Payroll. Reduced from $1500 to $1050

It is easy to find a variety of opinions when it comes to selecting the right construction software provider for your company.  While pricing is always important, there are many other things to consider like does your software provider offer customizable solutions?

AccuBuild Construction Software has the flexibility to offer customizations because we are not a reseller. We actually develop the software in-house, which gives us the ability to provide customized solutions to our clients.  For example, if we are taking on a new account and our system does 95% of what they need but maybe that other 5% is critical to their business, we can offer services that allow you to customize the software to meet your needs.

We have programmers on staff that can develop custom solutions that meet the exact needs of the customer. After completing customization for a client, we put it in the main source code of the program so that the customer doesn’t have to continually pay us to upgrade their customized solution. This ensures that all customizations are compatible with all future updates at no additional charge.

As I explained in my previous blog entry, Tips for Selecting Construction Software, there are many things to consider when investing in construction software. The first item I mentioned was asking the construction software provider if they use a SQL database. I’d like to elaborate on why that is so beneficial in this blog post.

AccuBuild utilizes an Advantage Database Server (ADS) which provides the power and scalability of a SQL database without the headaches of high costs and administrative downtime.  This solution provides you with a bevy of benefits that ensure you will get the absolute most out of your construction software. Here is a quick list:

- Flexibility - You have the freedom to access your AccuBuild Construction Software data using native relational SQL or direct navigational database commands

- Server Stability - Innate database intelligence that protects your data from corruption, does not require a database administrator and significantly reduces related support costs

- Accounting - Corrupt files are no longer a possibility because you have the ability to perform automatic roll-backs in posting processes (AccuBuild’s code is written specifically to leverage this SQL functionality)

- Security - This includes user-based and group-based setup, with login required to protect your data against unauthorized access

- Scalability - It is easy to upgrade your AccuBuild Construction Software user counts as your company grows due to ADS (supports local, peer-to-peer and client/server environments)

There are many more benefits of using SQL, but these are some of the most important. If you are a commercial or indsutrial construction company owner seeking a smart way to streamline your business, AccuBuild Construction Software is a great place to start!

In this economy it is so important to keep an eye on your finances down to the smallest detail. In the world of construction this is especially crucial to your profitability. Let’s face it, you may not be getting paid on time right now from your clients because everyone is feeling the financial pressure.

AccuBuild’s General Ledger Module is the perfect tool to help you accurately access the fiscal health of your company. How? It allows you to easily create create custom financial statements, generate a trial balance and reconcile job costs or equipment costs to the Ledger. In addition, the ‘Bank Reconciliation’ option provides a convenient method for reconciling your bank statement to the Ledger’s bank account balance.

Almost every transaction entered in the AccuBuild Construction Software modules automatically posts to the Ledger. Integration of the AccuBuild modules provides this seamless flow of information from a single source of data entry.

The Ledger’s accounting integrity protects your financial activity and an easy-to-follow audit trail tracks data detail to its origin. If you want to gain a competitive edge and be ready to roll when the market bounces back, investing in construction software is a great idea.

Earlier this month, I blogged about the benefits of construction specific software as opposed to generic accounting software in Three Reasons to Use Construction Accounting Software. Today I’d like to give you some more reasons to consider when it comes to why construction companies should invest in an industry-specific software solution.

According to Danny Parrish, President of Parrish Consulting, there are several ways to measure the cost-to-benefit ratio of implementing new accounting software. One of the more fundamental analysis you can do is to calculate the amount of time it takes to complete various tasks with your existing software and then compare the amount of time needed to complete those same activities with an alternative software program.

For example, if it takes two hours to do a billing using your current program and 10 billings are prepared each month, a total of 20 hours is required for this activity. Using an alternative program, it may take only one hour to do a billing, thereby saving 10 staff hours every month. Multiply those 10 hours of time by your employee’s fully-burdened hourly rate to see the significant cost savings. Even at a conservative $15 hourly rate your monthly savings would be $150 on this one activity.

Now, let’s assume that you have at least three similar savings opportunities each month within your operations. Using this same $15-per-hour labor burden, you could easily save $5,000 or more each year by implementing a more robust and efficient system. In the first year alone, this is enough to recover a significant portion of the cost of new software.

Although this analysis does not take into account the additional benefits of using a more complex system with better reports, it is one way to measure the financial gain that can be achieved by moving to new construction accounting software.

Want to learn more? Visit the AccuBuild Construction Software website.

At least once a week, I do a demonstration of AccuBuild Construction Management Software for a potential client. And every time I do one, the person is always amazed at the features and capabilities and typically says, “I can’t believe I didn’t get this sooner!”

Every contractor knows that managing construction projects is a very complicated task. Why? Well, the paperwork alone is mind-boggling.  Every single document must be handled properly or the entire project can suffer. Sadly, even the most organized person can make mistakes. That’s why Project Management software is so great - it allows you to go paperless and avoid the hassles of misfiled or misplaced documents.

In addition to the Document Management capabilities, Project Management Module is totally customizable so you can create the exact report you need when you need it. You can also filter information down to the smallest detail.

If you haven’t explored the benefits of construction software, maybe it’s time to check it out. In this economy, you can’t afford to make mistakes and modules like Project Management go a long towards perfecting your processes. Check out a demo here!

Choosing the right construction software for your company is a big investment. The good part is if you do choose the right solution it will make your life easier, your staff more productive and your company more profitable.

When selecting construction software, here are a couple of things to consider that may not be apparent by just seeing a presentation.

1. - What kind of database does the software use? Is it an SQL database? If so, that’s a good thing. If not, that means the software performance will decrease dramatically over time and the more users you, add the slower the database will become. Most software companies that are dedicated to keeping their system up-to-date have invested in the development cost of implementing SQL database.

2. - How many updates do you get annually? This is an important question to ask because you will be paying a annual maintenance fee between 18-21%. Make sure you will get what you’re paying for. No matter how good the construction software might be, there are always enhancements and updates that can be made to better it. If you’re only getting one or two updates per year, you might want to reconsider.

3. - Will the application you’re looking at become obsolete? Ask questions like what programming language is being used. If the construction software uses old language, chances are a re-write of the software will have to happen in the near future. Find out if you will be charged for that upgrade.

4. - Who are you buying from? Is the company the developer of the product or a reseller? If you need customization, can they provide it? If they are not the original developer it may be harder for them to update the software as they did not create it originally.

It always surprises me when construction owners aren’t making a profit off of their equipment. You see, each piece should serve as its own little profit center. One of the main reasons construction companies don’t realize this profit is because it’s too hard to track with generic accounting software. If you use construction-specific software, it’s a no-brainer.

AccuBuild’s Equipment Module helps you determine if a single piece of equipment is generating enough income to be profitable, because the Equipment system tracks rental income, maintenance costs, indirect costs, hours used, depreciation and more.

The Equipment module collects transactions generated through the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Orders and Payroll modules and acts as a subsidiary ledger of the General Ledger to record equipment transaction detail.

As equipment information is collected, the AccuBuild Construction Software reporting system is used to analyze the data for profitable decision making. Detailed Equipment reports for costs, income and utilization may be printed at any time for any period and with a variety of options.

Click here to read more about the many benefits of using our Equipment Module.

Want to know why our customers chose AccuBuild? Take a look at this short video and hear it from them. Video was taped at the Users’ Group Conference in Las Vegas 2008. If you have specific questions about our software or how it can be customized to suit your needs, visit our website and download a demo. Find out how AccuBuild is changing the way contractors do business.

Yesterday MSNBC reported Mississippi is seeing construction dollars like $205 million for construction at the Yazoo City Federal Prison, $61 million for construction of Mississippi River levees and $20.8 million to construct mooring cells for barges along the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway.

This money is actually separate from the federal stimulus package that is expected to bring $2.8 billion to the state.

Remember, with all government funded projects certified payroll becomes critically important. Generic accounting software does not have these capabilities. AccuBuild’s Payroll Module handles union reporting, certified payroll and multi-state processing.  You can choose pay methods, set user-defined deductions and automatically calculate employer burdens. If you’re looking to grow your business and take on big government projects, make sure you’re prepared to do it the right way.

A major benefit of using construction software is the ability to generate custom reports. Many construction company owners don’t realize how beneficial this is initially, yet it quickly becomes one of their favorite features. You see, custom reports can bolster your company’s productivity. Think about this…

With AccuBuild construction software, users can create customized reports. Let’s say you want to sort/filter a cash flow report by Project Manager. (If you aren’t currently doing this, you should be. I’d say this should be done at least once a month.)

By viewing projects according to PM, you can see who is doing well and easily determine raises and bonuses. Thanks to our built-in custom report writer, it’s easy to make a copy of the existing report and simply change the grouping by Project Manager.  Timely positive reinforcement keeps your staff motivated to succeed and they are more willing to go that extra mile to get things done. Retaining good employees is the cornerstone of every successful company.

In addition to rewarding PMs for the projects that are doing well, you can also identify the jobs that are negative on cash flow. You should sit down with your PM and figure out what’s going wrong with the project and what measures need to be taken to remedy them.

Want to learn more? Read my article about securing positive cashflow.

If you haven’t heard, new tax-withholding tables are supposed to be put in place by April 1, 2009. That means you have 25 days to get your act together. Stressful, right? If you’re in the construction business, there is an easy solution - construction software.

By automating and streamlining your business with AccuBuild construction software, you can increase productivity and profitability. In addition to our software, customers receive timely updates and enhancements. For example, the next update we will be releasing includes the new tax-withholding tables (payroll module). That way your payroll department can implement these tax changes quickly, easily and accurately.

AccuBuild encourages all construction companies to explore the benefits of construction software. It’s an easy way to ensure compliance.

It comes as no surprise that construction spending has dropped 3.3%, the lowest since July 2004.  According to the Associated Press, residential fell 2.3% and nonresidential fell 4.3% - ouch!  Until recently, the strength in nonresidential building was offsetting the weakness in residential building.  That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

This downturn makes historical data more important than ever before. Here are a few points to consider:

- When local and federal government spending drops, it makes winning jobs more competitive.  That means contractors have to bid against many more competitors, making profit margins lower and jobs harder to win. This can be problematic if you don’t know what your costs are going to be. Contractors that have historical data know exactly how much they can trim off a bid and still turn a profit - because they can look back and analyze previous jobs and come up with an Estimate VS Actual Cost.

- Historical Job Cost information like fully burdened labor rates. Price per Unit. Or Price per sft can be priceless in tight market.

- If you have this kind of historical Job Cost information to rely on, you can bid projects with confidence that you will still turn a profit. If you don’t have this kind of information and you’re just giving a best guess, you may find yourself in trouble.

- With historical information you can drop profit margins to win the bid.  For example, normally you may bid your job with 15% profit. Now study your historical projects and see what profit margin you completed the project with. Was it higher or lower and why?

- Did change orders give you a higher profit than originally expected? Will the job you’re bidding potentially have change orders? With this kind of information you can work smarter to win projects.

In a tough economy we all have to trim the fat off our pricing. If you don’t know how much fat there is, how will you know how much to trim?

One of the reasons we moved AccuBuild headquarters to Austin, was because we felt it was a cutting-edge city in terms of responsible growth - a mecca for construction.

An article in the Austin Business Journal last week addressed the green trend and what Austin is doing to actually “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk.” It’s easy to say you’re building an eco-friendly city, yet how to do you ensure it actually is? There are new buildings in Austin like the Dell Children’s Medical Center and City Hall that have achieved green benchmarking. This is no easy feat!

City Hall was trying to meet 37 of the 38 criteria set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  There is also a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) checklist including six categories like: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.

It takes a huge team of intelligent resourceful minds to bring these ideals to fruition. For example, during excavation of City Hall, workers hit water below the garage level. The water had to be diverted and was not potable, so it was pumped out and used to water the landscaping. As stated by LEED, more than half of the water used for irrigation purposes has to be obtained from non-conventional sources or be captured rainwater.

Read the article to find out how Austin plans to green its commercial real estate.

The buzz in the construction industry these days is all about the stimulus package. From the small companies struggling to survive to the larger corporations that continue to thrive, they all want a piece of the pie.

Recent news:

MSN - $1 Billions in DHS Headquarters Coffers
MSN - Officials Meet to Discuss Stimulus Spending in S. Florida
USA Today - Airports Benefiting from Economic Stimulus
ACP - Missouri Steel Bridge Kicks Off Infrastructure Stimulus Program

Obviously none of us are shocked to see lots of work in the public sector - infrastructure, schools, local government projects, etc. But just because the funds are going to be there doesn’t mean any contractor can get these projects.

Contractors usually have to be pre-qualified to bid these kind of projects and must have the proper bonding capacity to win such projects. If a contractor that has not previously done public works wants to get into the picture, they must first take the appropriate steps to make sure they are eligible.

Bonding capacity is not the only requirement, but it is usually the deal breaker for many. A surety bond gives the government or local agency an insurance policy that the contractor who is building the project will finish the work and if they are not capable the surety or insurance company will step in and make sure its finished.

One way to increase your bonding capacity is by implementing construction specific software, giving sureties and insurance companies the reports they need to issue a contractor a bond.

Want to learn more? Here are 5 tips for increasing your bond capacity.

Do you have effective processes in place for improving cash flow? As you know, accelerating cash collections is a crucial component. Here are three helpful management techniques to consider:

1. - Attend Pre-Construction Meetings

Get answers regarding payment processing so you are prepared.

- When to bill each month
- How many days for payment cycle
- Discuss the billing breakdown for the schedule of values or billing line items
- Discuss procedure on billing for “stored materials”
- Discuss process of handling change orders should they arise
- Ask for early release of retention money or reduction in retention percent
- Develop a good relation with the person responsible for issuing payments
- Ask if checks can be picked up in person instead of being mailed

2. - Act on Preliminary Items Immediately

- Sign and return contract
- File Preliminary Lien Notice
- Submit insurance certificates for Workers Comp and liability
- Submit bonds when applicable
- Shop drawings, submittals etc.
- Determine method for acquiring billing percentages

3. - Discuss Job Requirements with Subcontractors & Vendors

- Issue subcontracts / purchase orders where applicable
- Obtain insurance certificates as necessary
- Clarify pay when paid policy and make it clear to your vendors and subcontractors the number of days it will take to process their payments once you have been paid on the project.
- Check the project specifications for details and use the maximum number of days to pay your vendors whenever possible.
- Incorporate retention withholding policy with subcontractors

I spoke with a potential customer last week who told me it was harder for his company to calculate payroll than it was to complete a job. I couldn’t believe it! Sadly, this situation is true for many construction companies. Things like multiple pay rates, union reporting, diverse deductions and taxes can make payroll complicated and time-consuming.

There are many software options out there, but some are too basic while others give you too much data and make the process even worse. The truth is, we built our software to handle problems just like this. Our construction software can help you automate and streamline your payroll. You can read an article written by AccuBuild Founder & President, Mike Stearns, Sr. to learn more about ten capabilities that will help you get the job done faster and easier, “How Well Does Your Payroll Software Get the Job Done?”