Streamlining invoice time turns wasted hours into profits

The Challenge

Allen Harrison Company (AHC), a builder and operator of multifamily properties, was bogged down in manual processes, cutting checks by hand, chasing lien waivers by email and managing budgets through spreadsheets. With many opportunities for mistakes and rework, there was a need for technology to help them automate and scale the accounting processes.

The Solution

Accounting pros with experience implementing Procore, and recruited by AHC, immediately integrated the company’s ERP with Procore, streamlining much of the accounting process. The real solution came when Procore Pay was released and AHC became one of the first customers.

The Results

• Working with Procore has given AHC the flexibility to take on more projects and ensure that the additional revenue contributes to higher overall profits
• By saving time and minimizing errors, Procore allowed AHC to reduce accounting costs — even as they took on more work helping to cover the cost of the platform
• With real-time insights into budgets and streamlined invoicing processes, AHC has gone from being stressed to completing jobs in time and budget

When Bonnie Castle and Crystal Taito arrived at Allen Harrison Company (AHC) in 2020, they found a company prime for transformation. The real-estate investment and services firm, which builds and operates exceptional multifamily properties, had spent years relying on yesterday’s technology and processes and was ready to grow the accounting platform with the business.

“They were emailing invoices and then inputting them manually into Sage 100, which left room for error. During the draw period, staff would spend time emailing around trying to get lien waivers from subcontractors. There were just all these pieces of paper coming in for staff to input manually.” Plus, with budgets tracked on spreadsheets, staying current on project financials was challenging. “The PMs found it difficult to get reporting that would let them know where they stood financially.”

With using yesterday’s technology along with manual processes, it was time for a change. AHC needed a software solution nimble enough for their business that could be scaled as they grew. AHC did not want to add resources with growth as they knew technology could take them further.

AHC had already signed up for Procore Project Management and Financials when Castle and Taito were recruited specifically for their experience using Procore. Castle and Taito commented that staff were reluctant to make changes. ‘There was a lot of this is how we’ve always done it,’” says Taito, AHC’s Project Accountant.

An ERP integration streamlines accounting, but the best is yet to come

Castle and Taito’s first order of business was to upgrade to Sage 300 and integrate the ERP with Procore Financials, streamlining the budgeting process and giving everyone real-time insight into project budgets — a benefit that helped change the minds of reluctant staffers. “Once the PMs started seeing expenses hitting the budget in real time, they realized how Procore could help them track their budgets and make adjustments, and people started getting on board,” says Castle. They also eliminated paper checks by implementing ACH for all payments. By implementing Built’s Lien Waiver Management and Billy Insurance integration tools for Procore they stopped relying on email to track the critical documents.

The changes helped AHC take control of the process and quickly reduced errors, resulting in a more efficient operation. “AHC started growing, and things were going great,” says Castle. But invoicing still relied on several manual processes that consumed significant staff time. Even with the new lien waivers tool, staff still had to audit each pay app that was billed to see if conditional waivers were attached. And confirming that insurance was compliant still required the team to log in to their insurance carrier’s platform or to each individual subcontractor directory within Procore.

Still, the team remained hopeful, because they knew that Procore Pay was coming.

“We heard rumors about it years ago, and every year we would ask if it was ready yet,” says Castle. When the solution became available, AHC was among the first to sign up as a beta customer.

Procore Pay makes invoicing faster, easier and less stressful for everyone

With Procore Pay, AHC has streamlined every aspect of specialty contractor payment, including invoice submission and review, collection of payment requirements and compliance documents and payment disbursement. “The whole invoice process is faster and more accurate with Procore Pay,” says Castle. “It speeds up creation, submission, payment out, questions of how they've been paid. It's absolutely everything.”

With compliance documents all in one area, projects have far less exposure to risk, and the information is more transparent to business partners. Employees are not spending time chasing down waivers.

Overall, the accounting team has massively cut down on the time it takes to process invoices. “It used to take us days to get all the payments out,” says Taito. “And now it only takes 10 minutes.”

Procore Pay is even helping AHC save money. “By integrating functions like budgeting and communication in one platform, it reduces the need for multiple software solutions, which can add up in costs,” says Castle.

Less wasted time, more projects and higher profits

Since AHC has adopted Procore Pay, the company has been able to complete projects more efficiently, allowing employees to grow and expand their experience. “The past two projects we had finished early and Procore was a driving factor in the Accounting Department,” says Taito. “And there are three jobs that we have right now with tight deadlines that we just could not have taken on with the existing staff if it weren’t for Procore Pay.” Thanks to the efficiencies they’ve gained from working with Procore across the company, AHC has been able to ensure that managed costs result in higher profits.

Four years after they arrived at AHC, Castle and Taito jokingly refer to themselves as IMF, the Impossible Mission Force, for what they have accomplished in the Accounting Team. But as much as they deserve the title, they are quick to share the credit for their new software upgrades.

“Procore Pay has clearly had a transformative impact on our business,” says Castle. “It has allowed us to work more efficiently, minimize risks and deliver projects on time and within budget. It’s everything we hoped it would be.”