MAP Architects gets a taste of project efficiency

March 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Belfast-based McAlister Armstrong & Partners Architects (MAP) is realising multiple benefits from implementing Union Square for Project Accounting; the integrated management system for construction professionals. The practice, which has been trading since 1952, specialises in large-scale commercial projects such as airports, retail and master planning.

MAP holds ISO9001 and ISO14001 accreditation, derived from a good Quality Management system, but previous to the Union Square implementation there were inefficiencies in its working methods. Finance Director, Judith Cowan, discusses the issues that the practice faced. “As part of the quality system we were printing every single email relating to our projects, which culminated in the requirement for a huge amount of storage space in the office. Financial data was entered four times – into spreadsheets, Sage, hard copy invoices and a general file. At least one of the Directors needed to see any new project documentation, so we had a ‘day file’ containing copies of finances and documentation to be checked through each day. These manual processes were organised, but the issue came with the fact that they were manual and therefore time consuming.”

After attending a free seminar in Belfast, a colleague suggested that Judith look into Union Square as a solution to the issues the practice was facing. Following a personalised demonstration it was clear that the system would bring numerous benefits to the business.

MAP has now been live with the system for almost three months and is already getting a taste of the long-term benefits to come. “Our accounting process is now hugely more efficient,” says Judith. “So much time is saved now there’s no need to re-key data. The ‘day file’ is no longer required as Directors can receive notifications of updated documents/data via email subscription of their choice. We’re saving large amounts of money now there’s no need to print everything and the physical storage space can now be reduced. The cost savings on projects are immense and we have much more detailed financial reporting. It’s been a big investment for the practice but we can already see that we’ll gain a return on investment, so it’s definitely been worth it. The best part is that we’ve completely changed the way we do things, yet Union Square fit perfectly with our existing methods so we haven’t had to change to suit it,” concludes Judith.

If you’re looking for a smarter way to manage your practice finances and project documentation, get in touch with us today.