“Sage Master Builder has proven to be one of the better investments we’ve made,” says Chief Financial Officer Brent Westberg. “It lets us track project costs and customer change orders more closely, which helps us to better control project data for purchasing materials and labor.
“Additionally, it has helped us to implement very important scheduling benchmarks and in effect manage projects and clients more efficiently than we did before.”
Sound Business Decisions
With a disciplined, process-driven engineering background, Westberg is able to complement his brother Kyle Westberg’s educational background in architecture, as well as his work in the trenches of the construction industry. As co-founders, they are able to make sound business decisions that will push West Construction Services to a higher level of service that few builders are able to attain. “We are a cutting-edge company and each day we strive to make ourselves better. That not only helps us, but helps our clients receive the best possible service,” says Westberg.
Technically Savvy Customers
Anyone who knows anything about the automotive industry can tell you that Ford, GM, and Chrysler rule the roost in the Detroit area. Consequently, with such a high concentration of jobs directly associated with the automotive industry—specifically the engineering field—Detroit consumers tend to see things a bit differently than the average consumer.
“We really see the influence of having so many automotive industry types here in the Detroit area,” Westberg says. “As a general rule, these customers are very technically savvy and are used to dealing with meticulous figures and stats in their own daily jobs. They expect the same level of detail in other areas, so presenting them with a freeform estimate for a construction project just doesn’t cut it.”
Details, Accurate, Construction Estimating
The Westberg brothers certainly did their homework when trying to systematically decide which software solution would benefit them most. Through research and trying out four different options, they ultimately selected Sage Master Builder for three reasons: price, features, and financial stability with Sage Master Builder.
Since starting to use Sage Master Builder from Construction Business Solutions in 2002, West Construction has been able to provide its tech savvy customers with detailed and accurate estimates, thorough and professional-looking proposals, and vastly improved communication via speedy and accurate change orders. The company has also been able to win an increasing number of new business contracts since they began employing Sage Master Builder. In fact, they plan to more than double their current contracts next year.
“Many of my team members, including estimators, construction managers, and controllers, need access to Sage Master Builder but not always at the same time. The new flexible licensing model will save us money, and will make sure that I have all the resources I need to manage and operate my company effectively,” Westberg says.
Almost Auto-Pilot
More new jobs is not the only benefit West Construction Services has experienced by using Sage Master Builder. The software has enabled the company to decrease the amount of time spent on producing takeoffs, contracts with clients, and subcontracts with trade workers. Brent estimates that by using Sage Master Builder the company saves five to ten hours a week.
Also, managing purchase orders and tracking down accounts payable responsibilities is easier than the company thought possible. The result has been more efficient communication with their clients and their staff.
Brent Westberg, who serves as both the production manager and CFO, has precious few hours to devote to his C-level title. By using Sage Master Builder to run the business, when he puts on his CFO hat, he is able to make decisions quickly and with the necessary and critical insight required. Also, since there are less data entry points, Brent can rest assured that there is much less room for errors.
“I went into the construction business because I love construction, not because I love accounting. Luckily, Sage Master Builder has allowed me to enjoy more on the construction side while still expertly running the financials of our company—even without an accounting degree,” Westberg says.
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