Hartzell Construction Increases Profits with Cloud Construction Software

Hartzell Construction Taps Acumatica for Integrated Construction Management

OVERVIEW

In South Florida, an abundance of aging infrastructure in need of upgrades has allowed Anderson Pinto and Hartzell Construction to establish a thriving remodeling business. Anderson's company has evolved from a painting business to a firm offering a wide range of construction services, such as concrete restoration, residential, commercial, and municipal building remodelling. Hartzell Construction is also planning to add plumbing services and new building construction to its offerings. When the legacy software ProContractor failed to provide Anderson with the necessary insights, data, and back-office foundation, he turned to Acumatica Construction Edition. This modern construction accounting software solution offers financials, project management, job cost accounting, customer relationship management (CRM), and mobile access, making it much easier to use.

SITUATION

Anderson Pinto, the owner of Hartzell Construction in South Florida, has found success in his vision of providing top-quality craftsmanship and construction services, ranging from residential remodeling to high-rise concrete restoration and, soon, new home construction. The challenge of aging infrastructure in need of updating has motivated Pinto to diversify his firm's offerings in order to thrive during industry downturns. He previously assisted in launching Hartzell Painting and the company's concrete high-rise reconstruction business before returning to become the owner. Since 2000, Hartzell Construction has expanded to include a commercial remodeling and maintenance division, serving property management firms with large complexes and clubhouses, as well as municipality remodeling for local and federal governments. Recently, they acquired a window company and are now launching Hartzell Plumbing. Pinto's near-term plans include entering the new construction business as a developer of new homes, duplexes, and apartments. With a growth rate of $1.5 million to $2 million per year, the firm is projected to hit $15 million this year. Pinto aims to double revenue within three years and grow his team of 60 to over 150. To streamline operations, he invested in ProContractor software for integrated business management, which is widely used in the construction industry.

ProContractor was Hard-to-Use, Limits Growth

With no one designated to implement the solution, ProContractor sat idle for two years. Anderson hired Reinaldo Mesquita to help streamline operations, including the company’s technology. After Reinaldo attended training on ProContractor, he attempted to use the software but found the product extremely difficult when it came to the ability to obtain the insights, reports, and data Hartzell Construction and the expanding business required.

Manual Workarounds and Paper Process

Hartzell Construction experienced difficulties with its manual vendor and subcontractor approval process, which was implemented as a ProContractor workaround. According to Anderson, the process was long and prone to errors and involved writing an approval, placing it in a folder, and submitting it to the project manager for signing. The folder would then be sent to accounting and sometimes got misplaced or lost, resulting in incorrect or unapproved checks being issued. The company struggled to keep track of paperwork per project, and as it grew, paper documents filled up an entire room, making it hard to reconstruct or reconcile the paper trail.

Project managers had to drive to headquarters to process paperwork because there was no way to access information from a job site, which added to their already long days. ProContractor's job cost reporting was not ideal, and project managers and management had to consistently ask the Finance team to run reports to ensure invoices were paid since they had no access to the system. Due to their growing frustration with ProContractor, Anderson and Reinaldo agreed that they needed to find a new, user-friendly solution that would better suit their construction company's business needs.

SOLUTION

Reinaldo collaborated with Alliance Solutions Group, an external IT consultant of Hartzell, who introduced him to Acumatica Construction Edition. This mobile cloud software is designed specifically for construction management, allowing firms to manage projects, costs and access company-wide information from a single screen. Acumatica Construction Edition enables construction firms to make more informed decisions by connecting opportunities, contracts, schedules, budgets, change orders, subcontracts and compliance information. Anderson found Acumatica Construction Edition to be user-friendly and less complex than ProContractor. He was also impressed with the mobile application that provides project managers with critical information while on job sites. 

BENEFITS

Hartzell Construction successfully implemented Acumatica Construction Edition, resulting in a smooth transition for their team. One of their biggest frustrations, the inability for everyone to be on the system simultaneously, was resolved immediately. With 40 Acumatica users, the company can grow without concern for expensive seat licenses due to the consumption-based pricing structure. Hartzell purchased the Construction Edition and utilized various Acumatica modules such as CRM, Financials, Project Management, Inventory, Intercompany, Distribution, Field Services, and Outlook integration.

KEY RESULTS

• Improved total gross margins by at least 15 percent with better visibility into operations

• Eliminated time the Finance Team spent assisting project managers by 20 percent, giving them more time for higher-level tasks

• Gained a single connected system for project accounting, job costing and estimating

• Increased productivity, giving the Hartzell Construction team access to critical data

• Provided real-time mobile access for project managers on job sites to the back office

• Automated and improved the vendor and subcontractor approval process

An Acumatica Partner Can Guide You

Aqurus believes in a custom approach to migrating and implementing Acumatica Cloud ERP solutions for your business. Acumatica helps boost productivity and efficiency to grow your business by providing real-time data across departments.

At Aqurus, we know how valuable Acumatica ERP software is for businesses – especially those in Manufacturing, Distribution, eCommerce, and the retail industries. Contact us today if you’re interested to learn how Acumatica’s Cloud ERP software can help your business grow! Our Aqurus team is passionate about delivering Acumatica with smooth implementation and ongoing support. 

Acumatica Cloud ERP provides the best business management solution for transforming your company to thrive in the new digital economy.