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Firm profile
Abacus Architects, Inc. is a full-service firm deeply committed to enhancing human lives and enterprises through the practice of architecture. They apply their expertise in architecture, civil engineering, interior design, lean concepts and consulting, master planning, facility and site studies, and construction administration to help our clients maximize their success.
The Challenge
Abacus Architects was founded in 2003 and was built on the philosophy of maintaining relationships and repeat clients. 95 percent of our projects are brought to us from returning clients, a number that indicates clients are not only happy with the finished product, but also with the experience and communication the firm provides.
Like many other firms, we were using a large number of traditional spreadsheets to keep records. However, as our company grew, the process was no longer effective and we decided it was time to try something new.
After an initial search of the market, we didn’t come across any platforms that catered to our specific needs – they all felt generic and left much to be desired visually. We decided to take matters into our own hands and hire a software developer to work alongside us to create our own project tracking software.
Like many other firms, we were using a large number of traditional spreadsheets to keep records. However, as our company grew, the process was no longer effective and we decided it was time to try something new.
The "Critical" Solution
As we began the (admittingly grueling) process of creating a new software system, the developer came across Monograph and suggested we take a look at the program since it fulfilled so many of the needs we were looking to meet.
After reviewing the software, we came away very impressed with Monograph and came to a turning-point company decision; team up with Monograph and walk away from months of our software development or continue with developing ours.
We decided to make the switch to Monograph in July 2019. Since then, we have grown to value the intuitive nature of the software and have seen positive and significant changes over time.
For us, it’s been incredibly beneficial that we are able to get a quick analysis of how the business is doing with real-time feedback based on the information we enter.
Most of the software changes have been an easy transition and haven’t caused any complications with our staff. If we ever have a question about new updates, Monograph is always quick to assist or discuss.
As a company, we have utilized Monograph not just as a project-by-project management tool, but also as a firm management software that helps us track projects, billing, and overall profitability in one interface.
As a company, we have utilized Monograph not just as a project-by-project management tool, but also as a firm management software that helps us track projects, billing, and overall profitability in one interface.
To date, we’ve used Monograph on over 220 projects across all four offices and every employee is able to use the software for timesheets. The program is a great asset for project managers and the owners of the firm given that they can provide real-time feedback to their associates on the progress of a project.
The accessibility of this information can help managers decide if they need to speed up a part of the project or clarify any confusion in cases where extra time is being spent on a certain phase that shouldn’t be taking as long.
Most recently, we used Monograph while working on a retail center with a tight deadline and it was a great tool to have. We were able to track who was going to be on the project and their progression throughout the duration of the project.
This allowed us to allocate enough team members, see the status of our fees, and finish the project on time –– overall, having Monograph allows us to continually evolve and improve our processes.
We know as Monograph continues to grow it will change the way we operate. We are looking forward to working in a world where traditional spreadsheets are completely behind us, and we’re pleased that this transition has already begun from our time working with Monograph.
Their team is constantly improving the software and we are excited to see what they come up with next.
