“Kiss a lot of Frogs” or Strategies to Take Your Engineering Firm to the Next...
I’ve spent the last two days in Phoenix at the ACEC Annual Fall Convention. Not only is this an opportunity for us to exhibit and talk to engineering firms about Praesto (our project management system...
View Article6 things small A/E firms should consider about QuickBooks (and why I love...
I have a 25 year history in the A/E industry that started at a small software company in Fort Collins, Colorado. They shall remain nameless but we offered an accounting/project management system for...
View Article“Measure What Matters”: Client Feedback in the AEC Industry
I’ve just returned from the PSMJ A/E/C Industry Summit – it was an education filled two days with sessions covering all aspects of business management in the industry. One of my favorite sessions was...
View ArticleSmall AE firms tell us what they need in a Project Management system! Can you...
This past fall we surveyed our Praesto AE Business/Project Management System clients to find out what they love about the program and I want to share the results with you so can see what is important...
View ArticleProject Management Software that is “almost as fun as a video game”!
We just received one of the greatest compliments about our business/project management software – ever! “It’s almost as fun as a video game!” And really, why shouldn’t it be? One of the things that I...
View ArticleACEC Roundtable: Hiring/Retainment Ideas for Small AE Firms
My favorite part of my job is attending industry conferences! I’ve always felt is important to keep a pulse on the industry so that we know what issues/challenges our customers are facing. Education...
View ArticleProject Time: You’re selling your time right?
In this Blog Series “Breaking Down Praesto AE: A Business/Project Management Software Solution for the Small AE Firm”, I will be dissecting the software by each major area. The articles include...
View Article5 Simple Ways to Improve the Average Collection Period for AE Firms
Collections. It might as well be a 4-letter word in the A/E industry. I know many firms are chasing accounts receivables that are often as old as 90-120 days and I know your Principals would sleep...
View Article3 types of knowledge AE firms need to manage — and 3 reasons why!
Managing knowledge. Document management. Intellectual property management. All of these phrases are “buzz” words in the AE industry. It is a hot topic right now because being able to use your project...
View Article“Keeping Client Promises” = CRM in the AE Industry (even for small firms)!
“Having a sure fire way to track and keep client promises” is my favorite way of describing the need for a CRM (client relationship management) system. I know that the topic of CRM has been beaten...
View ArticleProject Data – Your Institutional Memory
As your firm goes through time you work on more and more projects with a wide diversity of requirements, features and challenges. Before you know it you have a history of projects with all kinds of...
View ArticleThe Right Time Tracking Software
Does your architecture or engineering firm have the right time tracking software? If you are using spread sheets the answer is no, not even close. Spread sheets are great for doing math but are the...
View ArticleDating Your Invoices
No, I am not talking about taking them to the movies and buying them a tub of popcorn, I am talking about the date you put on your invoice. Here is a little un-known trick that won’t work for every...
View ArticleAverage net profit for 2015
Scrolling through PSMJ’s website I found an article about A/E Profit Margins and how these margins have been on the rise for the three consecutive years. 2014 saw average profits of 14.3%, the highest...
View ArticleProviding Health Benefits to Your Employees
For small businesses, like most architects and engineers, this is a huge expanse. Over the past few years we have seen these costs skyrocket. But did you know that nearly 20% of Americans have...
View ArticleEmployee Compensation Plans
How you compensate your employees can make the difference of whether or not or how well you can whether a down turn in the economy. We all saw it hit us in 2008 when the economy took a turn for the...
View ArticleIn It for the Long Haul: How to Manage Lengthy (Neverending) Projects
In some architecture and engineering firms, there’s no end date in sight for a project. It may seem to go on for years, with constant upgrades and changes. As long as your company is managing the...
View Article15 Ways to Manage Conflicts on Your Team
In every project, workplace, office, and team, conflict will occur. It’s not possible to avoid it, but what you do to manage it can define the success of your engineering or architectural firm. To...
View ArticleWhat to Do When Your Project Goes Over Budget
The job of an architect, engineer or project manager is to give clients what they want. It’s quite common for budgets and expectations to be well out of line. When a project is underway changes,...
View ArticleWhy a Project Management Tool Will Let You Have More Free Time
“Time is money.” Therefore, by shaving minutes and hours off of different stages of a project can make a world of difference in your income. After all, if you finish a job faster you can move on to...
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