An increasing number of construction firms are abandoning traditional spreadsheets for job costing and ongoing budget management. With a variety of options available on the market, Procore may be considered the most knowledgeable construction software company. In this article, we will look at seven job costing alternatives to Procore for small contractors.
Implementing dedicated software presents a great opportunity to increase both efficiency and accuracy. Procore offers great software with features to streamline construction project management, including finances.
However, while Procore offers a broad range of features, its pricing model and functionality might not always align with the needs or budget of the smaller construction businesses.
Below you will find 7 Job costing alternatives to Procore, focusing specifically on the aspect of project budget and financial management.
Planyard
Planyard, a cloud-based cost control software, empowers smaller construction companies to eliminate the reliance on spreadsheets. By utilising Planyard, construction companies are saving significant time on budget management-related tasks. Furthermore, the software guarantees enhanced accuracy in forecasting and provides a more comprehensive overview of project financials.
Industry professionals and the Planyard team designed the software to improve workflows connected to project financial management. Users have reported saving up to four work days every month by utilising Planyard.
The software integrates with the most commonly used accounting software to ensure that correct information moves within company functions seamlessly.
Key Features
So, what types of budget-related processes does Planyard support? Let’s go through some of them and look at an example of how these features interlink with each other and the budget when used practically. Planyard includes features for the management of:
Purchase order management: The platform facilitates a seamless workflow for issuing purchase orders directly to vendors. The budget and budget line-items will automatically be updated with the corresponding ordered amounts.
Subcontracts: add subcontracts to the platform to get a full overview of committed as well as approved costs for all of your contracts.
Purchase invoices: Planyard automatically imports purchase invoices and uses advanced OCR scanning to extract information, greatly simplifying invoice processing.
RFQ/RFT: The platform offers a comprehensive solution for managing tendering processes at your site. Easily create a bid request, share it with relevant contractors, gather all bids, and directly compare and accept bids from within the platform itself.
Valuation/Progress reports: Collect valuations and process payment claims from your subcontractors directly in the platform. Additionally, submit your valuations to your client with ease and precision.
Change orders: You can efficiently manage and track change orders for subcontractors, clients, and purchase orders within the platform.
CVR reporting: Planyard’s CVR functionality streamlines financial management by automating the comparison of actual costs against budgets, significantly reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy. It offers real-time insights into the financial performance of projects, enabling quick and informed decision-making.
Example
Let’s go through a short example of how purchase orders and invoices interlink as well as the flow of information and impact on budget:
- Issue a purchase order directly from the Planyard platform by simply using the template to create a purchase order, selecting the vendor from your list of contacts, and submitting it. The purchase order will automatically be sent to the vendor, including all details about the specified goods. Once the purchase order has been issued, both the budget and the corresponding line items within the budget will be updated with the new committed cost.
- When the vendor eventually sends an invoice, Planyard automatically scans the invoice, and allocates it to the correct project, vendor, and line items in the budget, making the invoice processing effortless.
- Once Planyard processes an invoice, it automatically forwards the relevant information to accounting.
With just this example, numerous instances of double data entry are eliminated compared to managing these processes across different spreadsheets. Furthermore, while significantly saving time, Planyard also reduces the risk of manual errors.
In conclusion
Planyard is an affordable yet powerful software solution to make project financial management easier and more accurate for smaller construction companies and is more than a viable alternative to Procore. Furthermore, due to the system being developed together with industry professionals, it’s easy to use and easy to implement, ensuring a fast ROI.
InEight
InEight is one of the Job costing alternatives for Procore. InEight’s software offers a structured approach to budgeting and continuous budget management, developed to meet the needs of construction projects. InEight offers tools for detailed cost estimation, a project’s financial foundation.
Key features
Budget Tracking and Forecasting: Real-time budget tracking allows project managers to monitor expenditures against the original budget. Forecasting tools enable anticipation of costs based on current spend rates.
Reporting and Analytics: The software includes reporting capabilities that provide visibility into the health of a project’s budget
Integration with Accounting Systems: It integrates with accounting tools, ensuring seamless data flow
Collaborative Workflows: It supports collaborative workflows, allowing team members to contribute to and review the budget
Real-Time Data: Managers can access real-time data to make informed decisions that can impact the budget
Cost Management: The system offers tools for managing committed costs, actual costs, and the remaining budget to complete work
InEight’s budgeting features are built to adapt to the ebbs and flows of project management, providing a robust platform for managing the financial aspect of construction projects in a streamlined and effective manner.
Jobber
Jobber offers a focused solution for small home service businesses, making it a practical alternative to Procore for those seeking simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The software offers scheduling, invoicing, and client management for smaller operations.
Key features
Detailed Job Tracking: Ensures precise billing based on services rendered.
Automated Invoicing: Facilitates prompt payment processing and improves cash flow.
Comprehensive Financial Reporting: Offers insights into business performance and financial health.
Client Relationship Management: Builds and maintains customer records for better service customisation.
In conclusion, Jobber stands out as a tailored solution for small home service businesses, offering an accessible alternative to more complex systems like Procore. With its emphasis on efficiency, simplicity, and direct support for the unique challenges faced by smaller operations. This makes Jobber an excellent choice for those looking to streamline their processes without the overhead associated with more extensive project management platforms.
CoConstruct offers an integrated construction project management platform designed for custom home builders and remodelers. This solution serves as a more alternative to Procore, focusing on the challenges of custom construction projects. It emphasises collaboration, client communication, and financial management to streamline the entire building process from plan to punch list.
Key Features
Project Scheduling: Facilitates detailed planning and tracking of every project phase, ensuring timely completion.
Client & Partner Communication: Enhances collaboration with clients and stakeholders through centralised communication tools.
Budget & Financial Tracking: Provides real-time insights into project costs, helping to manage budgets effectively and improve profitability.
Customisable Proposals & Contracts: Simplifies the creation and management of documents, tailored to each client’s needs for clarity and precision.
In conclusion, CoConstruct stands out for custom home builders and remodelers by offering a platform that addresses the intricacies of custom construction projects.
CoConstruct is a good choice for professionals aiming to optimise their construction processes with a system that caters to the custom building and remodeling sector, thus being one of the alternatives to Procore.
BuildOps
BuildOps is tailored for HVAC, plumbing, electrical service businesses, and commercial contractors, offering field service management software solutions. It focuses on modernising and streamlining operations through a cloud-based platform, making it a good choice for businesses aiming for efficiency and growth in the commercial contracting space.
Key Features
Office to Field Coordination: Integration between mobile technicians and office workflows, enhancing job tracking and invoicing efficiency.
Dispatch Board: Provides an interface for scheduling and dispatching, improving operational workflows.
Project Management: Includes tools for project oversight, from initiation to completion.
Invoicing and Financial Integration: Offers invoicing capabilities and integrates with multiple accounting systems.
Preventative Maintenance and Service Agreements: Facilitates the management of maintenance contracts and service agreements
BuildOps is designed for commercial subcontracting businesses in the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing industries, aiming to consolidate tech stack for more efficient operations.
In conclusion, BuildOps distinguishes itself as a specialised solution for commercial contractors seeking to enhance operational efficiency, customer service, and financial management within their businesses.
BigChange
BigChange offers a job management platform tailored for service businesses looking to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
This platform is distinguished by its suite of tools designed to streamline operations both in the office and out in the field and in managing customer interactions.
Key Features
Financial Management and Invoicing: Simplifies invoicing processes, ensuring quick and accurate billing to boost cash flow. The platform aids in closely monitoring job costs and expenses to stay on top of business finances.
Job Scheduling: Workforce allocation, reducing unnecessary costs associated with mismanaged resources. Efficient scheduling aids in budget adherence by preventing overbooking and underutilisation.
Reporting: Offers insights into performance metrics, including job costing and profitability analysis.
CRM for Contract Management: Provides an overview of each customer, site, and contract, enabling better management of job quotes and proposals. This ensures that all financial aspects are considered and handled efficiently from the first customer interaction..
In conclusion, BigChange positions itself as a solution to help service businesses reduce administrative burdens, optimise field operations, and manage customer interactions more effectively.
Contractor Foreman
Contractor Foreman is a feature-rich, construction management software. It includes job costing and financial dashboards for a view of financial health, estimates, and bid management for accurate project pricing, change orders and invoicing for streamlined financial transactions, and a real-time costs database for up-to-the-minute financial tracking. Among job costing alternatives to Procore, Contractor Foreman will help your organisation improve financial management on the project level.
Job Costing & Financial Dashboard: Offers insights into financial health and job costs.
Estimates & Bid Management: Streamlines creation and management of bids and estimates.
Change Orders & Invoicing: Facilitates handling of change orders and swift invoicing.
Real-time Costs Database: Keeps track of costs with a detailed, real-time database.
Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses, Contractor Foreman ranks highly among job costing alternatives for Procore, emphasising budget control and financial efficiency.
Conclusion
Planyard stands out among job costing alternatives for Procore, especially for small contractors, by prioritizing efficiency and affordability. It offers a tailored feature set focused on budget management, automated invoice processing, and seamless software integration, contrasting with Procore’s broader and potentially more expensive offerings. Planyard’s dedication to minimizing time spent and manual errors positions it as an ideal solution for contractors seeking to streamline their operations. Furthermore, its user-friendly interface, developed with input from industry experts, ensures straightforward implementation and a quick return on investment.