This is the third in a 3-part series dealing with efficiency in a construction contracting office. The first installment can be found here. And, the second here.
At this point you’ve begun to understand the importance of working in a pleasant atmosphere and having documented processes. You get that organized and standardized within your construction business means it will run more efficiently. Yet, there are still some issues to be dealt with.
How do you know where to start in developing processes for the systems?
There are at least three different methods to help you decide.
Start with simple. Begin with the process which is likely to have the fewest action steps involved in order to get your feet wet.
Triage your systems candidates. Which system is giving you the most trouble and needs to be addressed soon?
Use the template associated with a particular system found in the SaaS you’re using for developing and documenting processes. (I know, that came out of the blue. So, hang tight, I’m going to give you more information about this really cool tool.)
There’s a SaaS for that
We, at Schulte and Schulte were blessed to find a perfect solution for our accounting business almost from inception. We use Aero Workflow (a SaaS product) to create, store, and use the documentation we need for many of our systems. There is a bit of a learning curve involved with using Aero, yet it is a small hurdle to overcome when you consider the advantage we’ve achieved in being better able to serve our clients. There are a number of processing templates we can use. We can base a customized process off a standard template. Plus, we’re able to create from start-to-finish our own accounting processes to meet the needs of our individual clients.
Beyond that, we are also able to use Aero to designate tasks, to assign and track projects, to determine how long a task or project took to complete, and along with a host of other benefits we’re more efficient. Pretty cool, huh?
Some efficiency targeted SaaS platforms for you to choose from
There may be other similar SaaS platforms for you to choose from, but these four are all pretty well known, and all seem to have components which would be helpful for a number of different construction office applications. Plus, each of them offers a basic or starter level at no charge. That way you can look them over, play around with them, and decide which you’re most comfortable with. You can determine which would best serve your needs. Finally, none of them seems over-the-top expensive – although there is some difference in their pricing. You can decide if Process Street, Tallyfy, Asana, or Trello would be a good match for your office.
Develop a tech stack
A tech stack is the assortment of technical tools chosen to aid in the use of a foundational SaaS platform.
For example, Schulte and Schulte uses QuickBooks Online for our foundational platform. And because we believe simplicity serves us well, our tech stack includes only Aero Workflow, Hubdoc, and GSuite. (We were recently invited to be part of a beta testing group for Client Hub and are looking forward to determining how well it will serve us as well as our clients.)
The tech stack we recommend for our clients includes QuickBooks Online, Hubdoc, and Knowify.
“Knowify is a SaaS platform for construction contractors that provides job management tools and real-time business intelligence to help them streamline their business processes, take on more jobs and ultimately run a more profitable business.” I hijacked the previous sentence from a SaaS comparison site because I think it pretty well describes Knowify. What it doesn’t mention is that Knowify is much more reasonably priced than its competitors. (By the way, our clients receive a discount on the Knowify pricing by virtue of our professional relationship with Knowify.)
Take a look at the construction-centric systems you’ll find housed in the Knowify SaaS.
Bid Management
Billing and Invoicing
Change Orders
Commercial
Contract Management
Document Management
Job Scheduling
Lead Management
Residential
Subcontractor Management
Submittal Management
Supplier Management
Task Management
Time Sheets
Did I just hear you breathe a sigh of relief? I know, because we’ve heard it time after time when we’ve introduced our clients to the robust system they can put to use right away in making their construction contracting business more efficient through the use of Knowify.
In conclusion
There you have it. By upgrading your surroundings, understanding the importance of systems and processes, and choosing the right Software as a Service (SaaS) you’re well on your way to becoming more efficient and better able to serve your customers.
We wouldn’t be any good at all if you need someone to paint your office, we’re pretty good at passing on what we’ve learned about running an office, and we’re excellent at helping you get a handle on your accounting needs.
Pick up the phone and give us a call Toll Free: 866-629-7735 or contact us here.
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