Established on the South Coast of New South Wales in 1980, Edmiston Jones (EJ) is an architectural firm based in Nowra, Wollongong and Batemans Bay. The practice has grown to a solid architectural team consisting of qualified architects supported by technicians and clerical assistants. Their prime objective is to provide highly creative and innovative design solutions delivered with a clear management process that keeps clients involved and informed. Environmentally sensitive buildings that maximize site opportunities, while responding to climate and context, are the outcome of their design process.
Challenges
Edmiston Jones was in need of a simple and efficient billing process. Employees used to manually enter their time into Excel and then produce invoices on a separate system based on the spreadsheet calculations. “Using one system to enter data and then transferring this data to different software to create invoices and reports was very time consuming and open to errors”, said Lesley Drysdale, Accounting Manager of EJ. She wanted a software product that would streamline the entire process and automate time and expense tracking, billing, invoicing and reporting for her firm.
Solution
Since EJ employees primarily use Apple computers, they needed a solution that was compatible with Macs. The Executive Assistant at EJ was in charge of the product evaluation process and she found that there were not many Mac-based solutions available that were easy to use and had the functionality that they were looking for. After researching online, she stumbled upon ArchiOffice and was immediately attracted to the product’s intuitive and streamlined design, robust features and high level of value for a reasonable price. She requested a live demo to see the software in action and was not disappointed by the presentation.
Benefits & Results
Smart Project Management
Since installing ArchiOffice, employees at EJ have had great experiences working with the software. Lesley mentions that the firm heavily uses the project management and reporting features: “Project leaders use the tasks and time sheet reports in ArchiOffice to manage their time and percentages on a weekly basis. Also, phases and job codes work well - we have a few projects that use consultants as part of our fee, so sub-phases are a great way to manage this as well as producing reports. The Budget vs. Actual Report gives us the necessary information for our monthly billing cycle and the best part is we can invoice from the same software that we use to track time.”
Robust Reporting
“I use the Report section quite a lot to produce information relevant for our quarterly review meetings where we document staff percentages, non-chargeable time, write ups and downs per project and per project type, fee proposal success, professional development accrual, etc.”, Lesley continued.
Efficient Billing
When asked about how ArchiOffice has increased her firm’s efficiency, Lesley said, “Invoicing has become more streamlined and easier to manage, especially on large projects with consultants. Productivity has increased dramatically as we spend less time on managing projects since all relevant information is in one place.”
About BQE ArchiOffice:
ArchiOffice is a simple-to-use project management and time tracking software created by architects, for architects. It offers mobility that meets your needs in an intuitive and streamlined design that works across all major platforms.
To learn more about ArchiOffice or schedule a free demo today, visit here.
Related Stories
| Apr 13, 2011
Expanded Museum of the Moving Image provides a treat for the eyes
The expansion and renovation of the Museum of the Moving Image in the Astoria section of Queens, N.Y., involved a complete redesign of its first floor and the construction of a three-story 47,000-sf addition.
| Apr 13, 2011
Duke University parking garage driven to LEED certification
People parking their cars inside the new Research Drive garage at Duke University are making history—they’re utilizing the country’s first freestanding LEED-certified parking structure.
| Apr 13, 2011
Red Bull Canada HQ a mix of fluid spaces and high-energy design
The Toronto architecture firm Johnson Chou likes to put a twist on its pared-down interiors, and its work on the headquarters for Red Bull Canada is no exception. The energy drink maker occupies 12,300 sf on the top two floors of a three-story industrial building in Toronto, and the design strategy for its space called for leaving the base building virtually untouched while attention was turned to the interior architecture.
| Apr 13, 2011
Former department store gets new lease on life as MaineHealth HQ
The long-vacant Sears Roebuck building in Portland, Maine, was redeveloped into the corporate headquarters for MaineHealth. Consigli Construction and local firm Harriman Architects + Engineers handled the 14-month fast-track project, transforming the 89,000-sf, four-story facility for just $100/sf.
| Apr 12, 2011
Rutgers students offered choice of food and dining facilities
The Livingston Dining Commons at Rutgers University’s Livingston Campus in New Brunswick, N.J., was designed by Biber Partnership, Summit, N.J., to offer three different dining rooms that connect to a central servery.
| Apr 12, 2011
Retail complex enjoys prime Abu Dhabi location
The Galleria at Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi will be built in a prime location within Sowwah Island that also includes a five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the healthcare facility Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and nearly two million sf of Class A office space.
| Apr 12, 2011
Luxury New York high rise adjacent to the High Line
Located adjacent to New York City’s High Line Park, 500 West 23rd Street will offer 111 luxury rental apartments when it opens later this year.
| Apr 12, 2011
College of New Jersey facility will teach teachers how to teach
The College of New Jersey broke ground on its 79,000-sf School of Education building in Ewing, N.J.
| Apr 12, 2011
Mental hospital in Boston redeveloped as healthcare complex
An abandoned state mental health facility in Boston’s prestigious Longwood Medical Area is being transformed into the Mass Mental Health Center, a four-building mixed-use complex that includes a mental health day hospital, a clinical and office building, a medical research facility for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a residential facility.
| Apr 12, 2011
Miami courthouse design does justice to children and the environment
Suffolk Construction broke ground recently for the Miami-Dade County Children’s Courthouse, a $328 million project the firm has a 30-month contract to complete.