What does Brown & Bancroft do?
We are a fit-out main contractor. We fit out all sorts of spaces, from colleges and reception spaces in office buildings to offices themselves. We also fit out warehouses, schools, health centers, and much more.
We do everything from building new walls to external works, painting and decorating, new floor finishes, meeting rooms, breakout spaces, and similar solutions. So, really, whatever our various customers are looking for. We also do the design with our in-house design team. Our Clients hand over their space and our Designers create a concept according to their brief. We then follow up and bring that concept to reality.
What is your role in the organization?
I am an estimator and quantity surveyor at Brown & Bancroft. I work across the full pre-contract and construction phases of the project. Sometimes, I undertake the full take-off and tender and see the project through to completion, and sometimes, I undertake the QS role once the scheme has been handed over from our Pre-Construction team.
What kind of tools have you used in the past?
At Brown & Bancroft, we’ve been using Excel and e-mails for all of our project management until now. While they are good for the task they have been designed for, they still open the door to human error. While they do serve a purpose, they are not ideal for this task. You might forget to add or adjust something or make another hidden mistake.
I have used software packages at other companies in the past. One is Navision from Microsoft, and I remember some UK-based packages. Navision is, of course, more of a generic ERP tool that is not without its flaws.
How would you describe Planyard in your own words?
Planyard is a live overview of your project's financial performance. It is basically a CVR that is live all the time. It has up-to-date data. You can see how your jobs are performing, where you’re making profits, and where you aren’t.
Because it is online, I can use it on the site. I could be on-site with a subcontractor, discussing the change orders, and I can add them to the subcontract right as we are discussing them.
I can do that because I can log on straight into the system without special VPNs or something specific configured on my desktop computer. I can get straight on and log it. It’s really easy to manage the costs of all jobs.
Planyard is a live overview of your project. How they are performing financially and it is basically a CVR that is live all the time.
Claire Hill, Brown & Bancroft
How did it work to get subcontractors on board for monthly valuations?
The feedback from subcontractors was excellent! We’ve sent out our valuation form link to several subcontractors already. Only some are hesitant to get on board because that’s not how they are used to working. Many of the other subbies have just jumped onto it and clicked the link we sent them.
They’ve been able to upload their valuations themselves and just called me saying, “I’ve done it now. Can you see it already?” It has only been to make sure that I have received them. I can see it straight away, and it’s easy for me to do what I need to do with the valuation. When I review it, they get feedback right away.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the subbies have gotten on board with it and they are quite happy to submit their valuations and invoices online. It’s a lot easier for us in the office because of this!
I’ve been really pleasantly surprised that the subbies have really gotten on board with it and they are quite happy to submit their valuations and invoices online. It’s a lot easier for us in the office because of this!
Claire Hill, Brown & Bancroft
What has changed since you started to use Planyard instead of spreadsheets?
I have saved a lot of time! It’s so much easier now that I am less reliant on Excel. When we’ve been awarded a project and uploaded it to Planyard, I don’t need to look at spreadsheets anymore. After that point, I can ignore Excel and use that tool for all of the surveying work.
CVRs are so much easier to manage because the information is there, and it’s live. We also reduce mistakes because we have the information at our fingertips, and it never gets forgotten about. So it’s saved time and money.
How much time and effort have you saved?
It’s hard to say, but I have probably saved half a day to a day per week due to less manual reporting. Maybe we could even say that it is up to a week per month. When we used to do our month-end CVRs, it could usually take 3 to 4 days to put them together.
It now takes me 10-15 minutes to review the jobs quickly and check that I haven’t missed anything. It’s just so much smoother and easier! It just visualizes everything for me, making it easier for me.
I’m sure I could even be doing more with it. I know that I am not using it to its full extent yet, but I am already feeling the benefits. It’s been really helpful for us as a business. At any point, one of the Directors can walk up to me, and in two clicks, I have all of the information in front of me.
I can probably [...] even say that it is up to a week per month. When we used to do our month-end CVRs it could usually take 3-4 days to put them together.
Claire Hill, Brown & Bancroft
What are the weaknesses of Planyard?
Some of the dashboards and graphs don’t mean anything to me. They can definitely be helpful for someone else, but not for me.
The monthly project profit percentage is missing from the project overview page. All of the numbers and amounts are there, but I still have to calculate the profitability percentage manually for some of our meetings. Of course, this is a small change that I already proposed to the team, and they already said they’d look at it.
One other thing is the forecasting of spend for the next month or the next few months. So that the financial team knows how much money we need to pay out our suppliers and subbies. If we could do it on Planyard, it would eliminate another spreadsheet to plan the company's cash flow.
How complex was it to start with Planyard?
It’s not complex at all. It’s a straightforward and user-friendly system. I was sent an email with my login credentials and just signed it. I can see the information there straight away.
I only watched some tutorial videos on the Planyard website, and I’ve been able to get straight to it. It’s intuitive to use! For example, if a button says “Subcontracts,” you can fill in the information. It leads you along the path of what to do, and it doesn’t need any thorough training to use.
I’ve used other systems in the past that require 3 or 4 days of training before you can raise a purchase order. With Planyard, you can raise your first purchase order in 5 minutes. “You just Planyard it!”
I’ve used other systems in the past that you need 3 or 4 days of training. With Planyard, you can just raise your first purchase order in 5 minutes in one go.
Claire Hill, Brown & Bancroft
Who is this system sound for?
Most SMEs would benefit from it, whether you are a small contractor who builds extensions on residential buildings or if you turn over 10-15 million pounds a year.
I log my mileage through the mobile app, and it goes straight to the correct place. When I come into the office, I can just click on it, allocate it where it needs to go, and it’s done. I don’t need to fill out a monthly expense sheet. For little things like that, it’s handy.