William Duff Architects successfully increases revenue while decreasing accounts receivable workload

Based in San Francisco, William Duff Architects creates architectural solutions for modern lifestyles and workplaces. WDA is committed to creating innovative architecture that is responsible, sustainable and passionately delivered through great project management. Since 1998, they have specialized in retail, residential and commercial projects throughout California and the western U.S.

Challenges

• Project managers were unable to get an up-to-date view on project’s status and cost. It became too much of a hassle to search for relevant project information using their old system. By the time they reviewed it, the information was already outdated, which caused project managers to ineffectively manage resource and staff availability. WDA needed a better time tracking program that would allow project managers to easily track project’s status and cost in real-time, so that they could efficiently utilize billable staff.

• Billing clients was a long, strenuous process. Before using ArchiOffice, WDA used Excel to create timesheets and invoices. They manually totaled billable time into a summary spreadsheet before transferring the data to an invoice. Data was typically entered three different times, which caused many errors on invoices. Focused attention and multiple reviews were required to correct these errors. “Generating the final invoices took forever, sometimes an entire day to create and transmit”, said Wendy Norwood, Office Manager/Marketing Coordinator. WDA needed a better invoicing program that could meet their business needs.

Customer: William Duff Architects, Inc.
Industry: Architecture
Location: San Francisco
Challenges:
• Project managers were unable to track real-time project costs against a baseline budget.
• Billing process was time consuming and inefficient.
• Administrative billable time was overextended.
Solution: ArchiOffice – Office and Project Management Software
Benefits & Results:
• Project managers use real-time tracking tools to be more productive.
• Invoicing process is fast and reliable.
• Administrative work is more streamlined.

• Administrative staff spent too much time on correcting errors. WDA’s administrative staff had to pay extra careful attention when reviewing and correcting errors on spreadsheets. Their billable time was often overextended in order to ensure accurate invoices and less billing disputes. They needed a simple and reliable billing process that didn’t involve a painful data entry method.

Solution

After evaluating other software options, William Duff Architects chose ArchiOffice as their best solution for their business needs. “We like that ArchiOffice is affordable, includes budgeting, contacts, and file management capabilities, in addition to time tracking and invoicing features. We are able to maintain all of our information in a single database management system that is specifically tailored to the architecture profession”, said William Duff, Principal and Founder. “We also felt comfortable with our choice because we knew other architecture firms that were using ArchiOffice and were happy with the results.”

Benefits & Results

• Project managers instantly know which projects are over budget or understaffed. Project managers no longer have to waste time gathering irrelevant and outdated information for resource and staff allocation purposes. By using ArchiOffice, WDA project managers are able to track real-time costs against a baseline budget on every project. PMs now have a better insight into their project’s status, staffing needs, and cost to completion. Overall, real-time tracking tools found in ArchiOffice empowers PMs with the information they need to make smart decisions. 

• Billing clients has never been easier. ArchiOffice has reduced the effort it takes to bill clients on time. For instance, project managers are able to review employees’ timecard entries in real-time. Data from timecards are automatically included in their invoices, allowing administrative personnel to create accurate invoices and minimize billing disputes. With the help of ArchiOffice, WDA is utilizing a more efficient invoicing system to improve their cash flow.

• Administrative staff has more time to work on other projects. Since using ArchiOffice, WDA has drastically reduced administrative overhead costs. “We have saved an estimated 8 hours of Principal level time and 16 hours of administrative billable time per month or about $3,160 per month, which is nearly $40,000 per year”, said William Duff. WDA administrative staff can now focus their attention on other management projects besides reporting and invoicing.

Conclusion         

William Duff Architects has seen immediate benefits to their business since the implementation of ArchiOffice. Within a couple of months, they increased billable staff utilization and reduced accounts receivable workload. Thanks to a full suite of business intelligence tools specifically designed for the architecture market, WDA has experienced a solid return on their software investment and an increase in revenue. As their business continues to thrive, WDA managers and employees are more focused and productive than ever before.

About BQE Software
BQE Software is a world leader in time tracking, billing, and project management software for professional services firms. Its products, including BillQuick®, ArchiOffice®, and EngineerOffice®, simplify the way information is entered and utilized by firms. With over 300,000 users, BQE is the trusted solution worldwide for architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys, IT consultants and business consultants. The company is headquartered in Torrance, California with offices in Australia and Europe.