of Project

Management
to for Engineers.
 Tools for Tools for Tools for Tools for
Director Engineer Quantity Surveyor Accounts
Administrator
L ead Manager (CRM) P roject Management Time tracking Xero integration
Custom Quotes Collaboration Manager iOS app Timesheets
Powerful reporting Document Management Job costing Invoicing
Job costing Staff Scheduling

Attend a free webinar Why WorkflowMax?

A new client walks
into your office.
You sit down with them and they describe their
vision for their new project. It’s bold, complex, full
of I-beams and cantilevers - all the engineering
buzzwords that set your soul alight.

It has a turret …

… and a cantilevered viewing platform ...

… and a revolving, light-up disco floor.

You sign them up immediately, and

leave the office dancing.
And then reality sets in.
This is a huge, complex project:

The engineering calculations for the turret are rather complex and, since you
don’t have any medieval castle builders on staff, you’re going to need to hire a
contractor. Where do you even find a contractor to design a medieval turret?

The local council is making a fuss about the cantilevered viewing platform.
The way the architect designed it doesn’t meet their safety requirements,
and the architect doesn’t want to “compromise the integrity of the building.”

The neighbours are complaining about the plans

for the light-up revolving disco floor.

The clients are demanding and they expect perfection. Is your engineering
team up to the task? Is your project management system up to the task?
Tools of the trade
When an engineering firm first begins, project
management is easy, and you develop ad hoc methods
for dealing with timesheets and job costing.

Perhaps you use spreadsheets to track time and costs …

… or you have some paper forms you’ve created for this purpose ...

… or maybe you try to memorise everything you need.

But as your practice grows and the jobs grow in

number and complexity, these systems start to
become stretched. So, what’s your next step?
 Perhaps it’s time you
investigated the cloud.
What is the Cloud?
When we talk about “The Cloud”, we’re not referring to a mass of
condensed water vapour floating in the atmosphere. Oh no.

“The Cloud” is just a fun way of referring to “the internet”. In the early
days of the net, programmers would create diagrams and flowcharts
showing the internet as a fluffy cloud floating through space, accepting
connections and showering the world with information.

When your business works “in the cloud”, it means you’re logged in to an
online program. All your files, all your work, as well as the software program
itself, are stored online, instead of on your computer’s hard drive.

Instead of paying a one-off fee for a software license that can be

used on only one computer, most cloud software is charged on a
recurring monthly basis. Many businesses will be able to meet all their
computing needs with cloud software from as little as $100 per month.
This type of software is called SaaS - Software as a Service.
Working in the cloud has several
advantages. These include:

Always working on the latest version of the software.

Ability to login from any computer and get to work – no more license issues.
Computer crashed? Lost something? You’ve got immediate access to automatic backups.
Information can be moved between different cloud programs to eliminate admin time.
Why is the cloud ideal for
your engineering firm?
Capture all the costs:If you’re tracking costs in
 K
the cloud, it’s so easy to enter and automate your
data entry. You can capture every cost - from that
extra box of rivets to 3D printing the final prototype.
Everything is on one, easy-to-use system.
Schedule and keep track of staff:Your

team can place their name next to a job, and
you can see exactly what each team member
has on their plate, when everything is due,
and how far along the process they are.
 eep it all together:You can store everything
relating to a job on the cloud - notes, images,
specifications, documents, contracts, plans,
emails … if you need to look anything up,
it’s right there in one system, not buried
under paperwork on someone’s desk.
I mprove your cashflow:All the costs associated
with a project can be accurately recorded, and
you can see exactly where all your money is going.
With the system alerting you when invoices aren’t
paid, you’ll never forget a payment again.
 Eliminating admin tasks:Press a button, and all the
 P
data from one stage of the project moves on to the
next, from the beginning of a project right through to
sending the invoice at the end. Tasks that once took
hours can be completed in minutes, leaving you with
more time to grow the business.
Scalability as the practice grows:On the cloud it’s
 Stay connected:No matter where you are in the
just as easy to manage multiple, complex projects as
it is to manage one single project. The software can
grow as your company grows.
Gain visibility in your business:Want to know

which type of work brings in the most profit? Have
you lost money on that particular job? Which clients
haven’t paid their invoices? With a cloud-system,
you can quickly and simply run reports on the data
you put into the system - so you get an immediate
snapshot of how you’re doing.
 rofessional look to clients:Clients can be given
login details to check the status of their project
online, collaborate and approve work, and can even
pay invoices online. This looks way more impressive
than constantly shuffling different bits of paper
around.

world, you can log in to approve projects, check up
on your team, and stay in the loop. With a cloud-
based system, you’re always working on the most up-
to-date version of the software.
D
 isaster recovery: What if your premises are
destroyed in a fire or a horde of flesh-eating zombies
chew through your back-up server? If your business
is on the cloud, you can log in from anywhere in the
world and still manage your projects.
I’m sold! I want to
manage my projects
in the cloud. Now what?
Good question!

The first thing you need to do is understand exactly what you need out of a cloud
software package.

One of the major issues with finding the right cloud software for your engineering firm is
that you don’t actually know what’s out there. With so many different products on the
market, it can feel overwhelming. If you don’t know exactly what cloud software can do,
how do you know you’re looking for the right thing?

Turn the page for a complete A-Z of cloud software for engineers. You’ll find out exactly
what cloud software can accomplish and why it’s perfect for your business:

Ready? Set … GO!

 of Project
Management
to for Engineers.
Automation
Instead of entering the same information time
and time again as a project goes through
different stages, just click a button and
all the job info moves from lead manager
to a quote to a job to an invoice.
Billing
Sick of being paid late? Tired of taking weeks
to notice unpaid invoices? With an automated,
online system, you’ll be paid faster and you’ll
be able to quickly see who is behind.
Client login
Give your client a login to your project
management system. Now, they can view
all the details of their job, collaborate with
your staff, and sign off stages of the project.
With custom permissions, you can ensure
your client only sees their own project
and all your files remain confidential.
This is a simple way to offer superior service
and set yourself apart from your competitors.
Document management
Store documents against a job - images,
contracts, specifications, CAD drawings, and
more - and keep everything in one place.
And, you can even improve the performance of
your document storage with clever integrations.
For example, WorkflowMax integrates with
popular document storage platforms such
as Box, DropBox and Google Drive. You
can utilise the functionality of these great
platforms all from within the project itself.
Effortless integrations
Those clever techy people can write cloud
software that talks to other cloud software.
After all, everyone is friends on the cloud.
This means that your engineering project
management system can talk to other
programs you might want to use. With a
click of a button you can send data from one
program to another - no more copying out
the same information over and over again!
What kind of cloud-based programs
might your company want to use?
• Accounting software, like Xero or Quickbooks.
• CRM software, like Salesforce.
• Payroll software, like iPayroll or SmartPayroll.
Fields
• Staff Scheduling software, like WFM Plan - a Clouds, fields … you must think we’re
custom-build integration for WorkflowMax. all mad for the outdoors.
• Expense-tracking software, like Receipt Bank. With custom fields, you can add information
against jobs, clients and leads, and then
• Time-tracking software, like Actual, enabling
group this information however you want.
you to log time without signing in.
For example, you can record clients on credit,
• Document management software,
or store important birthdays, or keep lists of
like Box and DropBox.
contacts based on favourite football teams.
If you use it for your business, chances
are it has a cloud solution that will work
together with your other cloud solutions to
create a seamless, all-in-one system.
Golf
With all the admin time you’re saving, you
can get out on the green a lot more!
Engineering firm Stilwell have cut
down invoicing from hours to mere
minutes with WorkflowMax.
Find out how.
Held accountable
With accurate cost and time tracking at the
tips of their fingers, your team plan their
schedules, track costs on a job, and see how
much time they have remaining on a task.
In the cloud, everyone is able to be
accountable for a job well done.
Invoicing
Invoicing is one of the biggest advantages of a
cloud-based system. With a few clicks, you can
transfer project data into an invoice, then send
it out in an email and get paid in minutes.
You can customise your invoices however you
like, and the system will even keep track of
which invoices have been paid, so you can
quickly chase up those tardy payments.
Once you start invoicing online,
you won’t go back.
Jenga
Part of the difficulty of large projects is juggling
all the details. It’s like a big game of Jenga
- as soon as you start shuffling the pieces
around, the tower gets precarious. If you aren’t
careful, it can all come tumbling down!
With your project management on the cloud,
each part of the job can talk to the others. As
the project administrator, from one screen
you can see all the different elements of
a job, or all the jobs being undertaken by
your team. You can stay on top of all the
details and prevent the tower from falling!
Kaput
Oh, no! You spilled soda in your laptop! Where
you should see blueprints and invoices, you
now see only the blue screen of death.
Not to worry, if you’re in the cloud, you can log
in on a new computer. All your files are there,
just as you left them, ready to pick up where
you left off.
Lead management
How do you manage leads and prospects
in your firm? Do you have post-its scattered
over the walls, or an Excel spreadsheet
you’re constantly forgetting to update?
How many opportunities have you missed
because you forgot to follow them up?
With a cloud-based project management system,
you can track your leads, proposals and sales
pipeline from one place. Then, when you win
a lead, simply click a button and it becomes
a job you can track time and costs against.
If you choose WorkflowMax for your project
management and you already use a popular
CRM software like Salesforce, you can integrate
this for a completely streamlined experience.
Mobile
Got some of your team out on site?
With the cloud, they can take their
project management tools wherever
there’s a signal available.
WorkflowMax offers a clever iOS app
where team members can log their
time and find contact details while
out on the road - perfect for a busy
engineering firm where site-based
project management plays a big role.
No more paper Octopus
Being eco-friendly is a big deal these What does an Octopus and WorkflowMax have in
days. Being a tree-hugger is cool, even common?
if you might get a few splinters.
They both have many different arms, each capable
At your engineering firm, you love to of performing a separate task, but all connected
preach the green message. That’s why via an intelligent hub, and all capable of moving a
you’re designing solar panel arrays and project … or an octopus … forward.
creating more efficient machines.
A great way to practice what you preach at
your firm is to run a paperless office. Save
some trees and do all your admin online.
Purchase orders
Yes, a project management system
can even handle your purchase orders.
You can even integrate this with your
company’s accounting package and have
the data automatically push through.
Have a look at how WorkflowMax
and Xero work together to make
purchase orders a breeze.
Quoting
Your clients like to have an accurate
idea of what a project will cost.
QUOTE
Unfortunately for you, working out all
the costs associated with a job can
take hours … but does it have to?
Keep your prospects happy with fast and
easy quoting software. Use a template to
add your logo and branding, and drop in
different tasks and times - the software
will calculate the totals for you.
Using your project management software
you can even see the margin you’ll make
on a job, so you can adjust your price to
take advantage of a value pricing strategy.
Reporting
Your project management software
Get the down low on what’s going on in the
can pull up data on:
business with reporting. You can slice and dice
your data however you want to gain insight • Your most profitable clients or employees.
into how your practice is performing. Just
• The services to make you the most money.
think of what you can achieve with this kind of
information at your fingertips. It’s a little like • Estimated hours on a project
being a CIA agent - you can know everything against the actual time it took.
there is to know about your practice.
• Work-in-progress billing, invoices paid
by month, or outstanding invoices.

• The amount of time written off

for a particular clients.

• Completely custom reports using

your own choice of data.
Safe & secure
One of the biggest reasons people fear the cloud cloud company wanting to attract customers is
is because they worry about the security of their going to need to invest heavily in ensuring that
data. data remains safe. It’s more likely your building
will burn down than your data will be hacked.
We hear about Facebook accounts getting
hacked, email going down, the FBI having files Here at WorkflowMax, we place the security of
stolen, and we assume the internet isn’t safe. your data as our top priority. All your data is
hosted at a tier-one facility called Rackspace, in
Yet, how often do you turn the page in the
the USA. They provide exemplary support and
newspaper to see another natural disaster
performance, and have never had a failure. Our
destroying hundreds of homes and businesses?
servers and firewall are monitored 24/7/365, and
How often do fires or construction accidents
that security system includes multiple power
render offices unusable? How often do computer
and internet redundancies. Even during a zombie
servers go down for no apparent reason, taking
apocalypse, this thing ain’t going down.
your data with them … forever? The truth is, any
Timesheets Uncaptured costs
Engineers hate timesheets, the way Hobbits hate Are you collecting every single receipt associated
adventures - “Nasty, disturbing uncomfortable with a job? Are you charging for every single
things that make you late for dinner!” page of printing, and for every gas bill out to the
client’s site?
Not anymore. With several different ways to
track and enter time, employees will have no Probably not. I wouldn’t.
trouble filling in their timesheets online. Using
When you’re on the cloud, keeping all the costs
time tracking features you can see who has been
together is simple. A running total allows you
working on which job and how long they took.
to see where a job is in danger of going over the
With all timesheet data stored you can use it to
quoted price, so you can go back to the client
run reports, so you can create more accurate
before it’s too late.
quotes - never undercharge for a job again.
Plus, you can instantly see where you are making
In WorkflowMax, you can also integrate your
or losing money. No more waiting till the end of
project management with any number of popular
the financial year to find out how your practice
payroll or time tracking add-on partners, and
performed - you’ll be able to track profit and
import your timesheets directly into payroll,
progress every single day.
saving you hours of time each month.
Value
Sick of software upgrades and huge IT
migrations costing thousands of dollars? And
then, as soon as you’ve finished installing
the program, your software is out of date.
With cloud software, updates are
automatic, and for a low monthly fee,
you’re always using the latest software.
Most engineering firms will need less than
$200 a month to invest in enterprise quality
project management and accounting
cloud software, and the value you gain
from these systems is priceless.
Worry-free maintenance
How sick are you of little pop-up messages
advising you that your software is out
of date? Don’t you just cringe when
your IT specialist suggests it’s time to
update all your software licenses?
Updates mean turning hourglasses and
frozen computers. Updates mean annoying
popups and constant restarts. Updates
can even mean a huge cash outlay and
weeks of implementation and training …
… but do they have to?
With cloud-based products, updates are
rolled out to all users instantly. You’re
always working on the latest version
of the software. It’s a no-brainer.
X-ray
Want to strip away the skin and see
right into the guts of your business?
With WorkflowMax, you can do
this without messy surgery.
Yippee!
Have your staff singing songs of joy!
With WorkflowMax behind-the-scenes
at your company, “Yippee!” is a word
you’ll be hearing a lot more often.
Zambia
When you’re working in the cloud, you can
run your business anywhere in the world,
from any device. Want to send an invoice
from the back of an elephant? You can!

Because all of your data is part of the
same online system, you can quickly drill
down to any aspect of your business.
Now, you are the overlord of your own
domain, with the ability to see what’s
going on, even when you’re not around.
No more groans and eye-rolls every time
you have to introduce a new process. No
more frustrated cries when the computer
crashes, taking the morning’s admin with it.
Everything staff need to do their jobs well is
all on one system. Plus, because the system
is so intuitive, no one needs to sit through
hours of tedious training. Most employees
find they can simply log in and go.

That’s definitely something to sing about!

Tips to Get Staff on
Board with the Cloud
That’s it! You’re ready to sign up to a cloud-based
project management system. But what happens
when you break the news to your staff?

Instant moans and groans.

And can you blame them? Even if the old system didn’t
work, it was all they knew. No one likes learning a new
system. But there are so many advantages to your staff,
it can help to make them aware of what they are gaining
with a cloud-based project management system.
Why your staff will love the cloud
Free up time for actual work: No more complaints
about filling in timesheets. You can do them on the cloud
in minutes, maybe over a beer at the end of the day.
Admin that used to take hours will now take only minutes,
leaving lots more time for doing what you do best.
Easy to implement: N  o more waiting for IT to get to you,
no more constantly updating your package. No more boring
software training going on for days. With intuitive software
designed around the way people use the internet, you’ll
find your cloud software easy to pick up and stick with.
Ability to work from anywhere: Got a kid at home sick
with chicken pox? Want to attend a conference in China and
work at the same time? With the cloud, it’s no worries.
Collect data from the field: D  o you work our on site
or in a client’s office? With the cloud, you can log on
wherever you are and check or fill in job details.
It’s cool: Who doesn’t love entering data on your desktop
or smartphone, instead of shuffling paper around?
There is plenty you can do to help your
team adjust to this new system:
Be a Pioneer: You can’t just tell your team “it’s easy,”
you need to practice what you preach by being
one of the first to adopt your new cloud system.
As staff see you getting to grips with the system,
they will feel more inclined to get on board.
I ncentivise adoption: The first person to track a
job in your new system gets a chocolate bar … or
a bonus. Find a way to get the friendly competition
going and it will make learning a new system a lot
more fun.
Provide Training: N  ot everyone understands
technology in the same way, and your team will
need different levels of training. Use various
channels, from webinars and videos for self-directed
learners to onsite training for those who need
someone guiding them. At WorkflowMax, we’ve
created a series of self-paced online courses
to help you get set up and train your team.
Celebrate Ownership: A  ny engineer who wants to
advance his/her career gets excited at the prospect of
more responsibility within a project. Show your team
how they can track time, costs and expenses against
each job and take ownership for their own projects.
Ten Tips for A Successful Project, Every Time
Set realistic expectations- make sure your client
1 understands that, however good an engineer you are,
you can’t bend the laws of physics to accommodate
their vision. Establish expectations from the start
so everyone knows that the outcome will be.
Establish criteria for success- what is the
2 client’s definition of a successful project? Make
sure you and the client are on the same page
and you’re able to deliver what they want. (See
above point about defying the laws of physics!)
Make everyone accountable- get the team on-
3 board with making sure the entire project is a
success. Avoid micromanaging - empower each
team member to take the reins and push the project
forward. Give your team the opportunity to shine!
Get the systems right- a good project begins with
4 a good system for moving it from point A to point B.
Will your system buckle under the pressure? Why
not try WorkflowMax for your project management
system and discover the difference it can make!
 Manage risks - In the engineering industry, things
5 always seem to take twice as long and cost twice
as much as you anticipate. Don’t start a new client
project without first figuring out the biggest risks
and coming up with a plan for managing them.
Define milestones - Break the project down into
6 smaller milestones - this makes complex projects
more manageable and helps everyone feel as if things
are moving forward. You could even celebrate each
milestone by sending a nice in-progress invoice..
Communicate! - Ensure that everyone involved
7 with the process knows what they need to do and
when it needs to be done by. Talk to the client about
how they prefer to communicate and regularly
check in to make sure they feel in the loop.
Don’t Get Distracted- Often the client will change
8 his mind, decide to add something, or get a great
idea halfway through a project. Ensure you don’t
end up adding swimming pools to plans and making
huge alterations without charging for your time.
Price for Value- As an engineer, you provide
9 valuable services to ensure products, buildings
and machines function the way they should
and are safe and easy to use. Don’t undersell
yourself by focusing on hourly rates - take into
account the your building’s future value.
Love what you do- Love what you do. As long as you
10 can continue to design remarkable buildings, explore
bold, adventurous and exciting ideas, and you’ve got
a team of passionate, hardworking people behind
you, you’ll never be “working” a day in your life.
 All-in-one job management
software for engineers

“The demands that our clients make

are pretty incredible – no one else
can produce those reports unless
they are using WorkflowMax.”
Darren George
DIRECTOR, STEELCRAFT

workflowmax.com/engineers
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