Merging project management and accounting

The Challenge

BBL Construction Services wanted to merge their project management and accounting processes. They turned to Procore’s Sage 300 CRE Connector for a cutting-edge solution to their project management and accounting challenges.

BBL’s Project Manager and Technology Training Director, Eric Weatherwax, was one of the many satisfied customers who flagged a huge opportunity to Procore. The company, like many other construction firms, was struggling with the lack of integration between project management processes and accounting.

"Previously, we used a homegrown solution to connect our project management to accounting, but it left a lot to be desired," recalls Eric.

The company had been using Sage 300 Construction & Real Estate (CRE) for over a decade, but having excellent accounting software alongside excellent project management software left them yearning for a closer integration between the two.

"It was an enormous headache to have to enter contracts, change orders, and POs in two separate places. That duplicate entry felt like wasted effort and resources, and it doubled the risk of human error that can lead to great losses."

Finally, PM & Accounting Merge

Eric was delighted when Procore approached him and let him know they would be developing a connector to make Procore the only comprehensive cloud-based project management application integrated with Sage 300 CRE.

"Full credit to the Procore team! They brought us in early on during the development phase and worked exceptionally close with us. The Procore team listened well, and I think all users will benefit from the collaborative approach they took to building this integration."

Procore is the only project management suite that seamlessly synchronizes accounting data with Sage 300 CRE. This eliminates the need to manually enter data into multiple systems and gives teams the power to accurately forecast and monitor project health from the field.

"With duplicate entry, one of the two systems is receiving the data at a different time—perhaps four hours apart, perhaps even longer. Yet projections and decisions relating to the job are happening continually throughout the day, so there's a huge possibility for error and confusion."

Eric and BBL are glad to see the days of painstaking dual entry in the rear view mirror.

"We use Procore on every job now, and it has been an absolute game changer," says Eric Weatherwax, Project Manager at BBL. Eric began using Procore two years ago. He admits it has been a revelation for both the business and him personally.

"I'm a project manager by trade, but I have recently taken on the responsibility of overseeing and directing our efforts to advance our technology platform. In my role, it's hugely helpful to have such a user-friendly tool that everybody within the business actually wants to use and is enthusiastic about. In this business, you can spend a lot of energy trying to get colleagues to embrace new technology, so it's a welcome change of pace when that happens naturally!"

Eric recalls an encounter with a particularly stubborn superintendent who he thought would complain about the new software's drawbacks. "I couldn't believe it! He was positively beaming and waxing lyrical!"

Accurate Projections

Along with the accuracy benefits of syncing data entry between Sage and Procore, BBL feels they have gained a competitive edge as an early adopter thanks to the significant advances of real-time forecasting that the integration allows.

"We've been able to cut costs substantially thanks to real-time forecasting," Eric explains. "We can derive a much greater understanding of what resources we need for each stage of a job as the requirements fluctuate. That means saving on unnecessary labor costs and other significant on-site overhead."

Accurate cost data that automatically feeds into Procore's cost management tool gives Eric and other project managers at BBL control over project budgets, allowing them to accurately forecast project costs with better insight into the financial impact of a project.

The Procore Sage 300 CRE Connector gives project managers one-click access to the latest financial data for full and accurate management of a project's financial details. At the same time, it gives the accounting team the peace of mind to retain full control over data that is entered into Sage 300 CRE.

According to Eric, the Connector has also served as a peacekeeper. "Project Managers can now act independently from accounting when forecasting and planning, yet the accounting team retains full control over Sage 300 CRE. That's the ideal outcome for avoiding World War III in the office."