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Posts Tagged ‘Construction Software’
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Many AccuBuild Customers already own the AccuBuild Document Management module aka ADMS but, have you used the user defined folder templates yet? If not, you really need to check out this video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_wrdQRZFqs
This video demonstrates a quick and easy way to organize documents into predefined folders using the user defined folder template feature in the AccuBuild Document Management Module.
Tags: accounting and document management, AccuBuild construction software, construction project management software, Construction Software, construction specific software, technology
Posted in News & Events | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
The bidding process at the beginning of a construction project might put a big smile on the owner’s face upon seeing the profit margin, however; at the end of the project, that smile may have slowly transformed into a frown projecting a noticeable look of confusion. Why? Because profit fade, the difference between the perceived profit and the actual profit, can be significant.
There are a variety of reasons why the estimated profit and the actual profit fluctuate. Maybe the initial plans were bad and the owner wasn’t willing to approve necessary change orders. Maybe the project manager miscalculated the estimate to complete during the project. Maybe weather delayed the project more than expected. Maybe the estimator missed an item on the bid.
Sound familiar? Get a firm grasp on preventing profit fade by reading my article that recently appeared in Modern Contractor Solutions, “Prevent Profit Fade: Three Ways Technology Can Increase Job Profitability.” Click here to read the full article!
Tags: AccuBuild, article, commercial industrial construction company, Construction Software, increase job profit, Josh Stearns, modern contractor solutions, Preventing profit fade
Posted in News & Events | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
If you’re a regular AccuBuild user, you may have noticed the UDF tab in various locations throughout the program.
But what are UDFs?
Simply put, UDFs allow end users to populate data in custom fields for various records like Jobs, Cost Codes, GL Accounts, Customers, Vendors etc… with custom data.
Why are UDFs important?
No two construction companies are the same and no software application (Not even one as Awesome as AccuBuild) can have every field built in necessary to track every scenario required. This is where UDFs can help.
For example, a roofing contractor may need to track Warranty Expiration Dates on each job. In AccuBuild, there isn’t a standard field called Warranty Expiration Date. With the use of UDFs in AccuBuild, you can set up a field on the Job List Called Warranty Expiration Date as shown below. UDFs eliminate the need to track information outside of AccuBuild which reduces duplicate data entry and eliminates data entry errors. Pretty neat huh?
How Can UDFs Help Manage My Business?
As mentioned above UDFs allow you to track custom information in one fully integrated database eliminating duplicated data entry, but UDFs can also help you track things like profitability or which vendors are best to work with.
Tracking Profitability using UDFs
Example:
ABC Construction Company wants to know which Construction Sector they work in is most profitable Commercial, Industrial or Residential. To find this out we can set up a UDF on the Job List called Construction Sector with a drop down list of the three sectors. This UDF allows me to classify each job in its appropriate Construction Sector as shown below.
This information can now be used to analyze which sectors are more profitable. This is done in My AccuBuild Reports (aka MAR) by copying and customizing existing reports or creating new reports from scratch.
The example below shows a modified copy of Current Contract Earnings Report in MAR. In this example, an additional group was added to the report with a subtotal for the UDF Field Construction Sector.
Now ABC Construction can quickly identify which Construction Sectors are most profitable.
This is just one example but there are endless possibilities of what can be analyzed with the use of UDFs and custom reports.
For more information on setting up and using UDFs
Click Here: http://www.accu-build.com/Downloads/UDFHelp.pdf
Tags: AccuBuild construction software, commercial industrial construction company, construction accounting software, Construction Software, technology
Posted in News & Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 17th, 2009
Only 15 days left!
If you’re planning on attending AccuBuild’s 2nd Annual Users’ Group Conference in October 2009, make sure you sign up soon to get 20% off the registration fee. The Early Bird pricing ends on August 31, 2009.
What You Will Learn:
- Microsoft Integration - How AccuBuild Construction Software integrates with Microsoft products
- Analyzing Job Profits & Cash Flow - Discover how to predict your profitability
- Custom Forms - It’s easy to brand your forms with your logo or your customer’s logo
- My AccuBuild Reports - Basic & advanced level classes about this topic
- Project Management - Basic & advanced level classes about this topic
- View PDF of complete 2009 class details
Event Details:
AccuBuild 2009 Users’ Group Conference
October 7-9, 2009
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Register Today!
You’ll be amazed at all of the new tools and existing tools you may not have discovered yet. Sign upt today and join us in Las Vegas!
Tags: AccuBuild users, AccuBuild Users' Group Conference, Construction Software, customers, Early Bird pricing, forms, investment, Las Vegas, Microsoft, Monte Carlo Resort Casino, profitable, Reports, technology, tools
Posted in Company News, News & Events | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
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.
Tags: accounting software, AccuBuild construction software blog, calculating cost savings, Construction Software, Danny Parrish, Parrish Consulting Group, profitability, substantial savings
Posted in Construction Software | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
The Federal Government issued new federal withholding tax table in February this year that were to be used no later than April 1st, 2009.  California, Arizona, and New York issued new withholding tables that are to be in place no later than May 1st, 2009. We’re also seeing notices that indicate other states might be updating their tax tables before the year is out. These changes are all in addition to the tax tables that were released in January of this year.
Because of these tax table changes, it is important that you are using the most current tax tables so that your employees are having the proper amount of payroll tax withheld. If the old tax tables are still being used, your employees could end up owing taxes at the end of the year because the wrong amounts were being withheld from their taxes.
The AccuBuild Update for Version 8404 contains all of the latest federal and state withholding tables for Payroll. If you are not running version 8404, please download the latest update from our website and start using these updated tax tables as soon as possible.
If you have any problems accessing the downloads, please call AccuBuild customer support at 800-728-6853 – ext 2 and we will be happy to assist you in getting the update installed.
Tags: AccuBuild, Arizona, California, Construction Software, deadlines, New York, states updating tax tables, tax tables, tax witholding, updates
Posted in News & Events | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
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.
Tags: AccuBuild, commercial industrial construction company, Construction Software, SQL database, tips choosing software
Posted in Construction Software | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
- Do you want access to critical project information 24/7, so you can make informed decisions quickly?
- Would you like to be able to spot small problems before they become huge disasters?
- Are your Projects Managers swamped under piles of paperwork?
- Would you like to streamline your accounting and operations, putting your staff on the same page?
If you answered “yes†to any of these questions then you need to see how AccuBuild’s Project Management and Document Management modules can make your life easier.
Tomorrow I will be hosting a live, free webinar to review the features and benefits of these modules. You’ll be amazed by how much they can help you simplify your business, boost productivity and increase profitability.
Live Webinar Tomorrow!
March 19, 2009
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST
Register to attend by sending an email to the address listed below:
We still have a few open spots, so register soon to reserve yours!
Tags: AccuBuild live webinar, construction document management software, construction project management software, Construction Software, demonstration technology, paperless system, Project Managers paperwork
Posted in News & Events | 1 Comment »
Friday, March 6th, 2009
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.
Tags: Construction Software, IRS, payroll accounting software, technology module, updating tax-withholding tables
Posted in Construction Software, News & Events | 1 Comment »
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
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?
Tags: construction projects profit margin, Construction Software, construction spending, historical data, nonresidential news
Posted in Construction Software | No Comments »
Friday, February 20th, 2009
 Want to earn a little extra cash? By praising your construction software, you can score some dough!
We decided to thank our customers for helping us spread the word about AccuBuild by offering rewards - a $250 American Express Gift Card. If you send a referral our way that ends up becoming an AccuBuild customer, we’ll send you a gift card. It’s that easy.
Check out our Rewards Program and start earning some green today!
Tags: AccuBuild Rewards Program, American Express Gift Card, Construction Software, new customers, referrals
Posted in News & Events | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
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?”
Tags: AccuBuild Founder President, calucating payroll, Construction Software, diverse deductions, Mike Stearns Sr, multiple pay rates, taxes, union reporting
Posted in Construction Software | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Last week I blogged about five ways construction software (reports) can help you increase cash flow. Today I’m going to explore this topic further by stressing how important it is to COMMUNICATE. Yes, when it comes to securing positive cash flow communication is king.
1. - Communicating with Staff - You must communicate to your sales and estimating departments that getting paid on time is very important. Set this expectation from the beginning so these individuals will focus on securing work with general contractors (GC) and owners that have a reputation for paying on time. You’ve got to talk with your project managers and superintendents about job progress vs. budget spent so they know if their projects are on target.
2. - Communicating with GC’s and Owners - Before you start a job, find out what payment terms the GC or owner is accustomed to. Ask questions like: When should we submit our billing? When should we expect payment? What is the worst case scenario for payment terms? What is the best case scenario? What do we need to provide each time we submit a billing? How would you like change orders handled? Straightforward communication about payment terms and potential problems will ensure that your invoice doesn’t get overlooked due to a technicality.
3. - Communicating with Subcontractors and Material Suppliers - After establishing payment requirements with a project’s GC or owner, you should communicate this information to the job’s subcontractors and material suppliers. Help these parties understand the payment terms for the job - and that you will pay them once you get paid. Explain the best and worst case scenario and touch base regularly until payment is made. By letting your subcontractors and material suppliers know what to expect around payment terms, you can often avoid having to pay them before you get paid.
Tags: communicating general contractors and owners, Construction Software, payment terms, securing positive cash flow, subcontractors and material suppliers
Posted in Cash Flow Tips, Construction Software | 1 Comment »
Monday, February 16th, 2009
 Company Overview
PbX Corporation is a bridge repair and maintenance contractor based in Sapulpa, OK. The company’s client base includes a number of state and local agencies throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, as well as various general contractors and private facility owners.
Challenge
Monica Blackburn, Owner and Vice President of PbX Corporation, had a problem: the company’s QuickBooks software no longer met its accounting needs. Explosive growth was the primary reason PbX had outgrown QuickBooks. In 2006, the company’s annual revenues were projected to double in one year - from $4 million to $8 million.
“We were operating QuickBooks at its maximum capacity,” explains Blackburn, “but we just couldn’t get the detail we needed to make good decisions.” Data was duplicated in spreadsheets in an effort to track information such as production rates and many staff hours were spent reconciling job cost to the general ledger. Blackburn had been researching construction accounting software for some time, but now it was time to implement a new system.
Solution
Blackburn discovered AccuBuild technology and knew it was exactly what PbX needed. “The software appeared to be a good fit for how we were already managing our operations,” she says.
After exploring other construction software solutions, Blackburn came to a conclusion. “We didn’t want to pay for a bunch of bells and whistles that we would never use. AccuBuild could do everything we needed it to do and was competitively priced.” So, in late 2005, PbX purchased AccuBuild Construction Software.
Results
Several months after PbX converted to AccuBuild, Blackburn couldn’t be happier. “The information we get from AccuBuild has so much depth. We no longer have to worry about being out of balance. With QuickBooks, it used to take 12 hours or more to reconcile job cost to the general ledger. With AccuBuild, that same function takes a fraction of the time.”
The ability to track production hours in AccuBuild will contribute to PbX’s continued growth. “The data that is available by tracking production rates helps us streamline our bids for new jobs,” explains Blackburn. “This allows us to be more competitive and win more work.”
Having an accounting system that provides a system of checks and balances has brought peace of mind to the entire PbX staff. Double billings are no longer a threat and the human error associated with duplicate data entry is a thing of the past. “Since implementing AccuBuild, we’re more confident about the state of our jobs,” adds Blackburn. “We know the information is correct and current.”
Learn more about PbX Corporation here.
Tags: case study, checks and balances, Construction Software, double billings, duplicate data entry, PbX Corporation, QuickBooks to AccuBuild, tracking production rates
Posted in Construction Software | No Comments »
Friday, February 13th, 2009
We’ve been talking about starting a blog for months because we think it’s a great way to share our knowledge of the construction industry, especially when it comes to construction software technology, with our clients and other professionals.
I’ve been in the business for many years now and one question from potential clients remains the same, “Should our project management software be integrated with our accounting and document management programs?”
My answer is always, “Without a doubt!” Why? Because unifying your accounting and document management results in benefits that are impossible to ignore.
You can eliminate duplicate data entry, unify your staff, save valuable time, manage all of your documents (say goodbye to that huge stack of paperwork!), protect yourself in the event of an audit or litigation and so on.
Find out how AccuBuild can help you streamline your business.
Tags: accounting and document management, AccuBlog, AccuBuild, Construction Software
Posted in News & Events | No Comments »
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