Robert B. Somerville provides a comprehensive and fully integrated range of infrastructure services across Canada. They plan, build and maintain oil and gas pipelines, power and other utilities systems and related facilities. With the main objective of improving organizational effectiveness and streamlining business processes, Robert B. Somerville determined that they would require a software system to handle their growing operation. With 6 divisions, roughly 3,000 employees, and over 1,200 pieces of equipment, Robert B. Somerville wanted a software solution that could automate and integrate their business. They quickly came to the conclusion that Jonas Construction Software was the right solution for the business and have not looked back since.
Recognizing The Problem
Prior to making to the switch to Jonas Construction Software, Robert B. Somerville relied heavily on manual processes and spreadsheets to manage their day-to-day operations.
“Prior to implementing Jonas, and more specifically the Digio Document Management System, we were literally spending tens of thousands of dollars a month on couriers to send and receive our invoices,” stated Paul Heino, Consultant at Robert B. Somerville, “Now, we don’t spend anything on couriers anymore.”
Also, because invoices were physically being shipped, their approval process was delayed by two or three weeks, greatly reducing their overall productivity. With Robert B. Somerville relying on manual processes, their back office staff had to spend several hours a week correcting any mistakes that occurred through human error, which was very tedious and time consuming. They also lacked visibility into their inventory and equipment utilization, and were limited in their ability to make accurate decisions. With a growing business and a desire to improve their overall processes, Robert B. Somerville came to the realization that they had to invest in a construction management software solution to take their business to the next level.
Jonas Construction Software To The Rescue
Jonas Construction Software has specifically helped Robert B. Somerville enhance their document management, streamline invoice processing, reduce expenses, and improve their equipment utilization. With Digio, Robert B. Somerville has been able to store their existing 13,000 invoices digitally and save about 5 hours a week by no longer having to manually process new invoices. Also, because they are able to scan invoices directly into Digio and no longer operate with physical invoices, they have completely eliminated their courier expenses, which saves them about $120,000 per year. With Jonas Construction Software, Robert B. Somerville has also reduced their invoice processing time, as Paul Heino stated, “Since implementing Jonas, we are now able to scan, process and approve invoices within 2 days, which used to take us about 2 weeks without Jonas.” Robert B. Somerville has also drastically improved their equipment management and utilization. They now have the right metrics in place to determine the profitability of each piece of equipment, and can easily determine what equipment to buy, rent, or sell. Equipment is no longer being left at a jobsite that is not going to be used or does not need to be there, which has allowed them to make better use of their equipment overall.
Benefits
Since partnering with Jonas Construction Software, Robert B. Somerville is now operating a more efficient, organized, and profitable business. With regards to payroll and union reporting specifically, Robert B. Somerville now has the ability to store all applicable union rate codes and apply them to each job. “I can’t even imagine not having Jonas for payroll and union reporting,” stated Paul Heino, “If our accounting department had to go back to doing things manually with Excel, our employee satisfaction would definitely decline.” Simply by having Jonas Construction Software, both field employees and back office staff are much happier and more satisfied overall. Robert B. Somerville is also running a more efficient business in the sense that they are able to catch any mistakes quicker and rectify them in a timely manner. They are also more organized with Digio Document Management in place, as anyone with access to the system can easily search and retrieve invoices themselves. This saves accounts payable roughly an hour a week in which they had to spend time physically searching for documents.
Conclusion
By partnering with Jonas Construction Software, Robert B. Somerville has truly been able to improve their business and reduce their reliance on manual processes. With invoices digitally managed and stored, streamlined processes such as payroll and union reporting, and more detailed and accurate equipment management, Robert B. Somerville is able to operate their business more effectively. With Jonas Construction Software, they are able to attain a real-time view of how the business is performing and make real-time decisions that reflect their business today. In an ever-changing landscape such as the construction industry, Robert B. Somerville, in partnership with Jonas Construction Software, has the confidence that they can continue to grow their business without having to worry about their software system, allowing them to focus on what they do best.
About Jonas Construction Software
Jonas Construction Software provides industry-leading business management and accounting software to our clients. Our fully-integrated solutions provide all of the tools that you need to increase productivity and improve your bottom line. At Jonas, we make it easier for companies to focus on what is important – their customers, their projects and their employees. We do this by streamlining their operations and giving better visibility to the entire organization. This gives your employees the tools to do their jobs better, support your customers and achieve your company goals. Over 25 years ago, we made a promise called ‘Software for Life’. This is our commitment to never phase out any of our products and to continue to invest in improving them, so you’ll never have to implement a new system. Jonas Construction Software is backed by Constellation Software Inc. (CSI), a global software company that acquires and builds high market share, mission-critical vertical market software companies. CSI consistently maintains profitable growth and is entirely debt free.
