In this article, Akshay Mahajan, executive vice president AEC, at Unanet, explores how integrating ERP and CRM software into AEC firms can improve productivity and efficiency
Employees at ABC Architectural & Engineering know exactly what to expect when they start a workday. Whether they’re working at company headquarters, in the field or at home, they easily locate all the data they need to do their jobs and know that data will be fresh and accurate.
They know they’ll have the tools they need to easily collaborate within and across teams and departments to create forecasts, strategic plans, proposals and the like. They regularly use automation tools to relieve them of redundant data entry tasks. And they know that they and their colleagues are all synched to the right KPIs.
In short, they know they’re part of a well-oiled machine, and they’re productive and engaged employees because of it.
The same can’t be said for the frustrated employees at ACME Engineering & Design. They spend hours on mind-numbing data entry and on hunting for data and information to generate proposals and forecasts that aren’t always on point. When they do manage to get their hands on the data they seek, it isn’t always trustworthy or current.
A flawed data system creates a compartmentalised culture within a company
People eschew using the software systems at hand because the systems don’t talk to one another, and when they do, the integrations are buggy. Instead of data and insight flowing effortlessly across the firm, it remains stuck in siloes, thwarting collaboration. All this creates a compartmentalised culture within the company.
The big difference between these hypothetical firms is technology infrastructure. ABC runs its business with a tech stack built around fully integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, while ACME uses disparate, non-integrated software.
As a result, it’s miles behind competitors like ABC in terms of efficiency, employee experience, business development prowess, project outcomes, organisational agility, and profitability.
This hypothetical scenario is strongly rooted in reality. As we discovered in our annual benchmarking report for the AEC industries, the whole can indeed be greater than the sum of its parts for firms whose key systems and apps (ERP, CRM, etc.) are integrated.
This is what enables them to harness data, institutional knowledge, automation tools and the like to perform consistently well in terms of project outcomes, business development, employee retention and the bottom line.
28% of companies indicated that they use integrated technology systems
In the report, we found a strong link between the extent to which a firm relies on integrated digital systems, data-driven insights and the like and the firm’s overall performance. Firms tend to flourish when their organizational IT infrastructure runs on fully integrated business apps.
Not a lot of AEC firms fit that profile, however. Just 28% of the companies we surveyed indicated their tech systems and applications are fully or mostly integrated. And therein lies an opportunity for an AEC firm to create competitive separation simply by integrating key systems.
Your firm could be primed to shift away from siloed software to a tech stack with integrated CRM + ERP:
- The systems your firm relies on struggle to scale and keep pace with your growth plans.
- Data is scattered, obscured and often a hassle to access, stifling strategic dialogue, planning and collaboration.
- Project managers and firm leaders lack fresh, accurate data to make fully informed decisions.
- Tech overload is a problem for PMs and other key billable employees. They spend way too much nonbillable time wrestling with non-integrated tech tools.
- People waste valuable time on repetitive, unnecessary manual tasks.
- The employee experience suffers because people must use clunky technology. This in turn hampers a firm’s ability to retain talent.
- Slow billing processes delay revenue recognition.
- Business is being left on the table because evaluating pursuits is based too much on gut instinct and too little on real data.
How to identify the right software provider for your firm
Divide your tech shopping list into core and noncore items.
In shopping for core software (accounting, business development, BIM, project execution, payroll, etc.), beware generic products and instead look for systems designed specifically for AEC firms.
Life is much simpler with systems that track to your business processes because you won’t need to spend time and money developing customisations and workarounds.
As for non-core systems, prioritise user experience and products that readily integrate with one another — and into the firm’s tech stack.
Find a provider who knows the AEC business and truly values your partnership
Look for a provider who listens to and acts on your feedback, is readily available to answer your questions, consistently pushes the innovation envelope, and treats you as a long-term partner.
Consider consolidating providers
Getting your core software from a single provider is a huge convenience.
Prioritise integration-readiness
Part of building an enduring, scalable digital infrastructure is finding systems for HRIS, payroll, digital asset management, etc., that easily integrate with your core systems.
Put people first
The software you choose should ultimately improve the employee experience and foster a healthy “one-company” culture. So be sure you understand and identify peoples’ needs and priorities, then choose your software accordingly.
After you’ve done your due diligence, identified a provider and implemented the integrated software, now it’s time to enjoy the benefits. You’ll likely begin to see a marked improvement in the efficiency and productivity of your teams.
Data and insight should flow unimpeded across the organisation. Waste, delays and cost overruns should be rare. Decision-making should be collaborative and inclusive. Projects should be more profitable and deliver more value to the customer.
You should be attracting more of the right kind of business and the right kind of talent.
When you start to see results like this, you’ll know your firm has joined the exclusive company of AEC firms that run like a well-oil, digitally enabled machine.
Akshay Mahajan
Executive vice president
AEC
