{"id":7080,"date":"2017-03-31T11:48:14","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T15:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundationsoft.com\/?p=7080"},"modified":"2025-04-14T09:52:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T13:52:20","slug":"even-need-new-construction-accounting-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/even-need-new-construction-accounting-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Even Need New Construction Accounting Software?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Software companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/construction-accounting-software-costs\/\">sell software<\/a>, so vendors will always be happy to sell their application to whoever raises their hand. Well, almost always.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is, <a href=\"https:\/\/cocountant.com\/blog\/accounting\/accounting-statistics\/\">61%<\/a> of small business owners are satisfied with their accountant\u2019s advisory services.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone needs new construction accounting software, and we think that\u2019s important for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/who-uses-construction-accounting-software\/\">contractors<\/a> to know, because the software you <i>don\u2019t<\/i> need <i>isn\u2019t<\/i> going to help you be successful.<\/p>\n<p>How do you know if you even need new construction accounting software? Begin by asking two questions:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\">1. What are our business needs?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\">2. Am I using my current software to its potential?<\/p>\n<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/job-costing-ultimate-guide\/\" class=\"blog-cta-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/FSL-blog-post-ad-ultimate-guide.png\" alt=\"UG to Job Costing\" title=\"UG to Job Costing\"><\/a>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Determine_what_you_need_from_your_accounting_software\"><\/span>Determine what you need from your accounting software.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Start with a blank slate. Pretend you have no accounting system at all. Think through the type of jobs you manage and how you operate. What feature sets do you need to handle your accounting processes?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><i>Certified payroll?<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><i>AIA billing?<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><i>Purchase order controls?<\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><i>WIP and bonding reports?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><i>Cash flow analysis by job?<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Create a complete list of your company\u2019s needs and your realistic wants.<\/p>\n<p><!--[bctt tweet=\"Pretend you have no accounting system at all. What feature sets would you need to handle your processes?\" username=\"foundationsoft\"]--><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Know_what_you_have_with_your_current_vendor\"><\/span>Know what you have with your current vendor.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Next, make sure you\u2019re using your current system to its potential. Before you invest in a transition, be certain that it doesn\u2019t already have what you need and that you\u2019re as effective on it as possible. Reach out to your current vendor with specific questions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gdlr-stunning-text-ux gdlr-ux\">\n<div class=\"gdlr-stunning-text-item type-normal with-padding \" style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;\" >\n<div class=\"stunning-text-caption\" style=\"color: #a0a0a0\" >\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i>\u201cWe want to begin billing for DOT contracts. How can we make that happen?\u201d<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><i>\u201cWe want our reports to break out fringe rates by trade. Can the system do that?\u201d<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Put the vendor to work. Let them recommend other ways you can get more out of their software. That might mean pursuing additional training and consulting on features you need but aren\u2019t using yet.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, compare their capabilities with the needs you identified. If your software still only ticks two out of ten boxes, then it\u2019s time to investigate other options. If it turns out your system can actually do more than you\u2019re currently taking advantage of, however, the question now becomes, \u201cHow can we move to becoming higher-level users?\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Maximize_what_you_have_with_your_current_software\"><\/span>Maximize what you have with your current software.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re not maximizing your current system, work with your vendor to set a measurable, actionable game plan. Like you, they\u2019re experts in what they do, so use their expertise to set realistic expectations and hold yourself to them. Together, you might decide that six months from now you want to be using three additional features or in one year you want to be using 60% of the system\u2019s capabilities. Find out how they can help get you there through additional training, continuing education or consulting.<\/p>\n<p><!--[bctt tweet=\"If you\u2019re not maximizing your current system, work with your vendor to set a measurable, actionable game plan.\" username=\"foundationsoft\"]--><\/p>\n<p>Whatever your game plan, <i>be committed to following through.\u00a0<\/i>Bringing a trainer on-site for several days or multiple trips can be well-worth the investment \u2014 as long as you implement what you learn and put it into practice with your processes.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_the_construction_accounting_software_you_need\"><\/span>Get the construction accounting software you need.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s no perfect out-of-the-box solution. Even custom programmed software can be an endless, expensive project in need of constant updating. The truth is, if just 10% of your functions have to be performed outside of your system, it might make more sense to stay put, rather than take on a big transition and possibly some trade-offs. For now, there may be some operations that need to be run in a spreadsheet in order to enjoy continuity with your software, your vendor and any of the features you\u2019re still able to grow into.<\/p>\n<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/demo-video-player\/\" class=\"blog-cta-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/FSL-blog-post-ad-fsl-in-action.png\" alt=\"Watch a Demo\" title=\"Watch a Demo\"><\/a>\n<p>On the other hand, if your current system can\u2019t do half of what you need, don\u2019t pound your square company through a round hole. Your list from earlier indicates what a \u201csquare\u201d system might look like. The task ahead is for you to identify a realistic game plan for what transition and implementation might look like, given your time, team and budget.<\/p>\n<p>So do you need new construction accounting software? If so, we can help determine if we\u2019re a fit for you. <a href=\"\/#schedule-a-live-demo\">Schedule a live product tour<\/a> to start the conversation, or call us at (800) 246-0800.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"gdlr-button medium without-border\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/#schedule-a-live-demo\" target=\"_blank\"  style=\"color:#ffffff; background-color:#000000; \"  >Schedule a live demo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Software companies sell software, so vendors will always be happy to sell their application to whoever raises their hand. Well, almost always. The truth is, not everyone needs new construction accounting software, and we think that\u2019s important for contractors to know, because the software you don\u2019t need isn\u2019t going to help you be successful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":7083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-selecting-software"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Do You Even Need New Construction Accounting Software?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The truth is, not everyone needs new construction accounting software, and the construction software you don\u2019t need isn\u2019t going to help you find success.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/even-need-new-construction-accounting-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Do You Even Need New Construction Accounting Software?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Software companies sell software, so vendors will always be happy to sell their application to whoever raises their hand. 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The truth is, not everyone needs new construction accounting software, and we think that\u2019s important for contractors to know, because the software you don\u2019t need isn\u2019t going to help you be successful.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/even-need-new-construction-accounting-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Foundation Software\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-03-31T15:48:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-14T13:52:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/do-you-even-need-new-construction-accounting-software.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Frank Osborn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Do You Even Need New Construction Accounting Software?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Software companies sell software, so vendors will always be happy to sell their application to whoever raises their hand. 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