Exceptional Service Through Exceptional Cost Control

Alan Johnson Associates, Chartered Architects, prides itself on its close connections to its diverse client base. In this case study, we see how this growing practice uses Sage Coretime time sheet software to increase its customer service levels, while also helping them to closely monitor the bottom line

Established in 1979, Coventry-based Alan Johnson Associates Chartered Architects have built a solid reputation in a number of different sectors with particular expertise in masterplanning, commercial, large-scale distribution, industrial, retail, and more recently, residential development. Employing 26 staff as well as three partners, this dynamic firm of architects has a focused philosophy: by working closely with their clients in order to understand their real needs, they will deliver a solution that best serves the true requirements of those clients.

This philosophy extends not only through their design, planning, and customer service capabilities, but also into their admin, cost control, and accounting functions.

Mary Corrigan, the firm’s Financial Controller, recognises the value that such a philosophy provides. ‘The relationship between Alan Johnson Associates and its clients is one of mutual professional trust,’ she states. ‘Our clients expect us to provide exceptional capabilities at an agreed budget. On the other hand, our firm expects to be paid for agreed schedules of work that have been carried out.

‘As Financial Controller, my duty is to ensure financial accuracy. We must closely monitor our costs for every project. In this manner, we are able to demonstrate to our clients the exact work that has been carried out by us on any particular project, and also bring best practice financial control to the firm in order to nurture profitability.

‘Through such financial controls, we protect the best interests both for our clients and our firm.’

Alan Johnson Associates uses the Sage Coretime project costing application to provide these financial controls.

Tracking and Managing Time, Made Easy

Sage Coretime timesheet software is a powerful and easy to use time recording and project accounting application that enables users to track all costs relevant to specific projects. Users can easily record time spent on any project, as well as relevant third party expenses, while also maintaining a record of activities carried out during specific project phases.

Instant data availability allows for accurate invoicing, while also yielding a comprehensive management capability that provides the firm’s partners with an instant overview of any project’s costs, resource deployment, and activity levels.

In this manner, the Sage Coretime project accounting module not only acts as a comprehensive cost control system, but also provides managers with a detailed history of any given project.

‘Except for two people, all members of our staff use the Sage Coretime time tracking software on an ongoing basis,’ Mary explains. ‘Because the system is so easy to use, Alan Johnson staff can quickly enter relevant time into the system, as well as other project details. This data becomes a permanent record within the firm which not only allows us to accurately invoice out both time and third party costs, but also provides a detailed record of activities carried out for any project.’

Comprehensive time and activity details held by the Sage Coretime time recording software allow Alan Johnson staff to serve their clients even better. Coretime enables managers to quickly determine not only the number of hours spent by all staff on particular projects, but also drill down to determine precisely which staff members are involved in any project, and what they accomplished on any particular project phase.

These capabilities allow the Sage Coretime timesheet recording software users to develop comprehensive reports that demonstrate to clients exactly how staff has been deployed to accomplish specific project objectives, and what costs have been incurred to accomplish those objectives.

Activity reporting enables the Sage Coretime timesheet tracking software users to also deploy staff more effectively and to also communicate levels of service (including project hours spent, staff deployment, and specific activities carried out) to clients on an almost real-time basis.

The Sage Coretime project software therefore provides a powerful time tracking and project management software solution that facilitates best practice management capabilities, while also facilitating strong customer relationships and accurate financial controls.

Efficiency for Profitability

Due to its accurate time recording processes, the Sage Coretime project accounting software enables Mary to invoice accurately, while also allowing her to closely monitor the profitability of any project.

‘Because this software accurately tracks all hours spent on any particular project, as well as relevant third party costs, I find that the invoicing and budget tracking process is efficient and accurate, ’ Mary states. ‘At the end of a period, I can quickly print out a report on specific projects. This provides me with the number of hours spent during that period as well as any expenses that were incurred.

‘I then assign the relevant hourly rate to time costs incurred in order to determine the invoice amount. Using this information, together with recorded expenses incurred on specific projects, we are able to accurately invoice out those costs. In that we are also Sage 50 users, I can quickly transfer invoiced amounts to this general management accounting system in order to track our profit and loss, cash on hand, debtors, creditors, and similar.

‘The Sage Coretime project costing software quickly provides me with the data that I require to invoice accurately. And because it captures all other relevant third party costs and expenses, I can ensure that those costs are correctly invoiced in order to maintain project profitability.’

This Sage Coretime job costing software also acts as a financial management tool that allows managers to accurately monitor costs against budgets. Because staff and third party costs are accurately recorded, managers can quickly determine the total costs incurred on specific projects in almost real-time, and can take required actions in good time should actual costs be higher or lower than anticipated.

‘This Sage Coretime job costing application facilitates comprehensive project reporting,’ Mary explains. ‘This capability allows our firm’s partners to quickly determine if we are on track to meet budgets. Such reporting provides us with the ability to control our costs in order to maintain profitability, while also allowing us to serve our clients better.’

Acting as a Company’s Memory

The Sage Coretime project tracking software also provides users with comprehensive histories of any project. Those histories, stored in a stable system’s archive, can provide exceptional details of any project including time incurred on specific project phases, third party costs and expenses, details of staff assigned to those projects, and day-to-day reports that provide a diary of activities carried out to complete project objectives.

These histories can act as a long-term memory for any company. Multi-level data provides managers with information resources required to help make informed decisions regarding future strategies, staffing levels, resources requirements for future projects, and as a basis for determining budgets for new projects.

‘Historical information available through Coretime can help us to better budget future projects,’ Mary states. ‘For instance, if we have been asked to tender for a specific project, we can look back into the Coretime database and determine what resources were required to complete a past project of a similar type. By so doing, we are in a much better position to accurately budget future projects.’

Sage Coretime can act as a comprehensive memory for any company. By understanding what resources were required to accomplish past projects, managers are in a better position to more accurately budget future projects.

Support for Confidence

Alan Johnson and Associates receive comprehensive support for Sage Coretime from Sage software partner onesys. With offices in Yorkshire and London, Onesys prides itself in delivering professional service support and training for those software solutions that it provides.

‘Onesys are right there when I need them,’ Mary states. ‘I find them excellent, and if I have any questions or queries the company is there to help me instantly.’

Onesys, an authorised Sage Business Partner, is now accredited to also provide other Sage Software Solutions and support for products including Sage 50 accounts, Sage 200 ERP, Sage CRM, and Sage ACT! customer relationship management systems.

‘All in all, we are delighted with Sage Coretime,’ Mary concludes. ‘We find it accurate, robust, and easy to use. Our staff find it user friendly, providing them with the confidence that they require in order to use it on a day-to-day basis.

‘I would recommend Sage Coretime to any company that desires to increase its ability to track and record time, invoice accurately, and establish better project-related management and financial controls. Its reporting facility helps us to increase efficiencies, and the level of information available also allows us to provide even better levels of service to our clients.’

For more information, please download the Coretime brochure. (pdf)
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