About the company
Isaman Design, Inc. is a full-service architecture firm based in San Luis Obispo. Founded in 2006 by architect Bill Isaman, the firm works on a variety of projects ranging from custom residential to commercial mixed-use spaces.
- Industry: Architecture
- Size: 12+ employees
- Location: San Luis Obispo, California, USA
- Use Case: Financial management, project management
Searching for a PSA Software
Isaman Design was at a pivotal point in its growth when COO Leslie, recognized the need for a comprehensive Professional Services Automation (PSA) solution. Leslie, with her multifaceted role spanning operations, staff management, and financial oversight, sought to streamline and enhance the firm’s operations.
Leslie began the search for the ideal PSA software, motivated by a desire for a centralized platform that could seamlessly manage all aspects of the business. A recommendation from a newly hired employee, experienced with project management software, further accelerated the search.
Leslie explains, “I have my hands in everything with my operations role. When we were looking for software, I wanted to do my due diligence to make sure the platform we chose worked on the accounting, project management, staff, the timecard side—everything.”
The search narrowed down to two promising options: BQE Core and BigTime.
Rough Start with BQE CORE
Initially, Isaman Design opted for BQE Core, but the experience did not align with their expectations.
Leslie elaborates on the challenges they faced, “The issue was it was too robust and lacked customization. We weren’t getting the value out of it that we were looking for.”
Isaman Design’s evolving structure needed a more adaptable solution. BQE Core’s all-or-nothing approach to financial data sharing, coupled with a complex interface, hindered their efficiency. The platform was filled with excessive features that didn’t cater to their specific needs and couldn’t be tailored to fit their unique workflow.
Success with BigTime
The turning point for Isaman came when they made the switch to BigTime. While there were initial challenges in transitioning from another PSA software (BQE), Leslie speaks highly of the benefits they’ve reaped since adopting BigTime.
Empowering customization & visualization in project management
BigTime’s flexibility and constant enhancements allow Isaman to customize the platform to suit their unique requirements. Project managers embrace the newfound ability to tailor reports, visualize data, and deliver compelling presentations to clients.
Leslie shares an example of the transformative impact, “I wanted staff and project managers to access budgeted hours and timelines through Gantt charts. BigTime’s updates now allow my project managers to show clients big-picture visuals during presentations.”
Enhanced financial management with BigTime Wallet
The adoption of BigTime Wallet streamlined Isaman Design’s financial processes. Leslie notes, “We realized BigTime could handle everything. I can have all of my staff doing time cards in BigTime, generate invoices, and get paid, all in one place.”
The benefits are evident, as Leslie continues, “I’ve seen a lot of time savings, especially from having everything in a centralized location. For the invoicing, the auto-population reduces admin work by 25%. It used to take us the entire day to produce these invoices, but now we are saving up to 2 hours each time we do them.”
Isaman Design’s transition to BigTime empowered them to operate with greater efficiency, transparency, and profitability. The platform’s adaptability and integrated features enabled the firm to focus on what they do best—deliver exceptional architectural designs.
About BigTime Software
BigTime takes the guesswork out of utilization, capacity planning, and project profitability while driving operational efficiency for professional services organizations. Our award-winning Professional Services Automation software provides project planning, budgeting, time and expense tracking, and invoicing, all backed by powerful reporting and analytics. We help accountants, architects, engineers, IT services firms, and management consultants budget, track, and bill their most important asset: time.
See how BigTime can move your business forward. Visit bigtime.net and book a demo today.
