What to Ask Before You Purchase AE Software
As a leader and decision maker for your firm, you will need to determine the value of new software by asking yourself:
- What needs to be accomplished?
- What benefits is your firm likely to recognize as a result?
- What processes does your firm have in place now? Which ones work and which ones need improvement?
- Who will benefit most from using the software?
- Who needs access to what data?
Know Before You Buy
With any software purchase, it's important to look for a partner, not a provider. Migrating to a new system is an ongoing process and your best bet is to look for a company that provides value-added services, such as data conversion, process audits, live training and live support.
Ask How Long a Company Has Been in Business
If a company is new to the architectural and engineering software industry, has no live support or no headquarters, this should raise a red flag. In the past, AE software companies will discount the initial cost of purchasing the software package, and later sell its client base to a larger provider. Once this happens, your software may not get updated, technical support might be phased out and you might be forced to upgrade to more expensive software.
For more than 25 years, Axium has built a positive reputation in the AE industry by consistently following ethical business practices and standing by our customers. We are a privately held company without outside funding or debt, and all of our software is born and bred in the USA. Year after year, we make Oregon's Top 100 Fastest Growing Revenue list, as well as Oregon's Top 100 Companies to Work For, because we consider our reputation one of our greatest assets.
Look for Live Support
For some firms, Support is the single most important criteria when selecting a provider. Nothing is worse than not being able to get a real person on the phone to help you when you need to get payroll or invoices out the door. Some companies outsource their support while others only have e-mail assistance.
At Axium, we answer 80% of support calls within 30 seconds, and resolve most questions during the initial conversation. Every expert in our award-winning Support team is based in our home office in Oregon and is trained in best practices for our engineering and architecture financial management software and the AE industry in general.
Look for Software That is Robust Enough to Handle All of Your Needs, but Doesn't Add Unnecessary Complexity
New software should make your job easier. Bells and whistles are not useful if they are not easy to use. You're looking for a good "fit." If your goal is to find software that will get your project managers more involved, make sure it's intuitive and not time intensive, otherwise you can bet they won't use it.
Our research has determined there were three important features for AE firms:
- Real-time information
- Ease of use
- Single-entry Project Command Center
ajeraCore and ajeraComplete provide all the user friendly tools an architecture or engineering firm needs to get more visibility into their projects and financials, resulting in better project management and increased profitability.
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Become Educated
Make sure you're not investing in financial management software that already uses outdated practices. Current accounting software should allow for things like paperless billing review and automated processing. There is no reason you should be making decisions based on outdated information and reports.
Remember the goal is to make it easy for everyone in your firm to use it. That means looking for function before form. Don't be fooled by flashy reports that pull from a database that will be painful for you to maintain. Test drive before you buy. Ask how to set up a project so you know what it's like to bill time and run reports. Pull a list of words you know are red flags, like batch processing, and ask to do a search in the Help files to see how the software really ticks.
You Get What You Pay For With AE Financial Management Software
Some AE software companies will reduce the initial price of the software to make it up on the back end with higher support costs from a higher retail product value. Make sure the support you are paying for is efficient, and that software updates are aligned with the your needs. It's also a good idea to ask what the hardware requirements are.
At Axium, we invest in updating and enhancing our software and work hard to make sure we are meeting all the needs of our clients and of the industry.
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Make Sure the AE Software Company Has Extensive Experience in Reporting for Government Regulations
Companies often claim they have the ability to do government reporting, but don't have the experience to handle all requirements. The key is to ask for specific examples of work with FAR, DOT, DCAA, AASHTO and DOD compliances. Inexperienced or underdeveloped reporting capabilities can cost your firm money and might result in a loss of future business.
Learn More About How Axium Can Help with FAR & DCAA Compliance
For AE firms working on government contracts, understanding how systems need to be configured to become FAR and DCAA compliant software is critical to ensuring your success.
Ask for Referrals from AE Firms That Match Your Size and Type of Business
It is important to speak to someone who knows what you are going through. The AE industry is incredibly diverse in terms of how each firm operates financially and organizationally. Take the time to talk with companies that are similar to your firm and find out what is working for them, and ask them:
- Do your project managers actually use the software?
- How long did it take you to get your financials up and running?
- What did it take to install the financial management software?
Our end goal at Axium is to build sustainable and successful relationships with our clients. We have a portfolio of clients who are happy to be references and we can connect you with firms similar to yours. We look forward to building this same connection with your firm in the future.
+ read Axium client success stories