SMOOTHER AP AND AR

Using ProNovos’ AP and AR dashboard also stands to make it easier for Thomas Construction to furnish customers like PennDOT with requested information such as which subcontracting firms were on site, whether they were minority-owned, how much they were paid, and other details. “It’s right down to the check number and date,” Thomas said. “Before we implemented ProNovos, my project managers had to ask me for that information. Now they’re able to see it for themselves, which allows me to focus on other tasks.”

Thomas, who uses FOUNDATION accounting software, also appreciates the way ProNovos allows her to see custom views of key information and tailor the data to the needs of busy PMs. “Sometimes you don’t need a 37-page document,” she said. “A snapshot will do.”

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Thomas Construction has a total of nine project managers. While it’s too early in the ProNovos project to accurately predict return on investment, Thomas is confident that efficiencies such as those described above will add up over time.

“If even one of my PMs uses it as I want them to—tracking their jobs better and faster, using it for billing and to know right away when line items or bid amounts have really gone haywire—it will be money well spent,” she said.

The controller also believes her PMs will use ProNovos in creative new ways as they gain familiarity with it. “They’ve already started coming up with ideas, like adding labor hours to one of our ProNovos reports.”

Finally, greater data visibility should help the company develop best practices that can be applied from project to project.

“Ultimately, all of our projects are unique, but certain components can be similar, like when we’re doing wastewater treatment plants, which are $10 million to $15 million jobs,” Thomas explained. “It has already been a real help for our guys to be able to go back and look at historical cost data and compare it, and I can’t wait to customize ProNovos even more as we go on, so it has been great.”