Factor Blog for Architecture & Engineering Firms

There are so many interconnected aspects of a project that need managed: budgets, timelines, tasks, resources… To do so effectively across a portfolio of many projects, your firm needs an effective and consistent process. The best way to start formulating or improving this process is by identifying the information about each of those subjects that will be tracked and then determining how often they should be reported. Think of it like an inventory of sorts.

Investing in an industry-specific firm management system can be daunting. However, organizations that implement the right solution almost universally find that their new software drives tremendous process improvements and profitability increases, and that the system pays for itself in no time!

Sometimes we get lost in the work as we are busy doing it, but just as an architect or engineer can watch their plans come to life in the form of physical new structures, we can do the same with all of the features that have been added to Factor this year. Without further ado, here is the wrap-up of feature enhancements, brand new functionality, and technical improvements that Factor has brought to you in 2022.

When it’s time to do strategic planning and the topic of benchmarking comes up, architecture and engineering (A/E) firms often ask, “What’s the benefit of it?”
While it may be true that benchmarking for the purpose of comparing your firm to others may not be particularly useful, there are many other uses you may not be considering.

We’re pleased to announce that Architosh named Factor A/E its 2022 AIA National Best of Show in the Cloud category at the national convention and expo in Chicago.

Finding the ideal software solution is an important step in managing your architecture or engineering (A/E) effectively. But it’s just the first step. Next, you’ve got to implement that system, train your people, and get them comfortable using it. Of course, even with the most intuitive systems, implementations can “go sideways” for various reasons. Fortunately, you can take action to ensure a successful system launch.

QuickBooks Online (QBO) is a powerful financial tool that pairs well with architecture and engineering (A/E) project manager platforms. But to migrate your data to QBO efficiently and effectively, you’ve got to know the benefits of making the move and how to prepare properly for it.

The Factor team has wasted no time developing a variety of new and improved features in Q1 2022. Make sure you are taking advantage of all of these exciting enhancements or reach out to a product specialist to learn more.

Architecture and engineering (A/E) firms use various methods to manage the fees of subconsultants (subs) within their projects. Ideally, all the various subconsultant scenarios a firm encounters could be handled in a system that combines project management and invoicing capabilities. Unfortunately, most project management software is designed to handle only one or two scenarios at best. Here is a breakdown of more common scenerios and best practices on how to handle them.

For architecture and engineering (A/E) firms, resource planning is both an art and a science. You’ve got to consider several variables, including team capacity, project timelines, and client budgets. Fail to consider all of these factors, and projects can go “off the rails” very quickly!