NZCB InHouse Magazine April/May 2022

Page 26

IN THE KNOW —

Always be on the money with tech With the price of building materials rising, it’s more important than ever to manage your project budgets as well as keeping on top of costs. Put simply: if prices go up during a job, you could lose control of the budget and have your profits wiped out. The good news is, tech can help you avoid this.

Being able to see what is being charged by the supplier makes it easy to identify and deal with unexpected variations.

There’s a range of apps available, designed especially for builders – including NextMinute, Buildxact CoConstruct and Builda Price – which will put you back in control of your projects.

Tech gives you total visibility and better control The key to successfully managing your budgets and keeping on top of costs is having all the information visible and easily accessible. Here’s how tech helps: • Real-time numbers at your fingertips – get accurate up-to-date information on figures such as estimated cost, actual current costs and gross profit % – so you always know exactly where you are with each job. • Complete project overview – quickly access your original estimate; see what have you ordered; how costs are tracking; and how much budget do you have left. • Keeping you on top of costs – easily identify and track cost variations, so you can adapt planning and anticipate problems. This is important for fixed price projects, where your margin can be squeezed. • Communication with clients – keeping your client in the loop with better financial visibility will help you avoid difficult conversations about money as well as build trust. • Better systems and delegation – your back office will run more smoothly with clear processes for your staff and bookkeeper, plus improved communication on-site means everyone knows what they’re doing.

Real-life examples using tech How to track costs with Buildxact: 1. Create a quote using take-offs, measurements and estimated costs for the project. 2. Order the construction materials and subcontractor services. 3. Your bookkeeper (or you) allocates the supplier’s invoice against the Purchase Order when it comes in. Progress

Variance

Invoiced

Gross Profit

88%

99%

100%

24%

Result: as the business owner, you’ll have easy, clear visibility of how much you estimated, how the costs are tracking and whether you have a budget surplus.

24

How to track profitability with NextMinute or Builda Price: 1. Create your estimate including all of your labour, materials, subcontractor costs, P & G items, overheads and your margin. 2. Track all your costs in one app against your expected costs from your estimate. 3. Analyse your back-costing reports to track your job profitability.

Image: example NextMinute Back-Costing report

Result: seeing all the costs together makes it easier to judge whether the job is on budget. You can track profitability at any stage of the project, from beginning to end, which enables you to pay special attention to any areas which are going over budget.

Take the next step All of the best project management apps for builders have the above features and much more. However, they do vary, and it’s important to choose a system which will suit your business best. Many apps offer free trials, and there’s plenty of information online if you have time to do the research. Alternatively, you could seek advice from an independent tech advisor. This could save you time – as well as the potential cost of choosing the wrong system and having to start again. So, whether you’re looking to bring tech into your business, or want help to get better with a system you’re already using, NZCB National Partner Free Up could help you with the process. Give Anna at Free Up a call on: 021 0839 6910. Anna Brooks, Free Up. Free Up is an NZCB National Partner and tech advisor for builders – making the process quick and easy, from selecting the right software to setting up the system to training staff. Anna also operates our Technology and Software helpline for members. For more information visit www.freeup.co.nz


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IN THE MEDIA

8min
pages 68-69

NEWS BITES

5min
pages 66-67

NZCB Affinity Partners

1min
page 70

Installing cavity sliders in tiled areas

2min
pages 64-65

Colour keeper

1min
page 61

The importance of reporting near misses and incidents

5min
pages 50-51

The importance of end sealing timber cladding and decking

1min
pages 62-63

Finding happiness

3min
pages 48-49

Kiwi return to world rallying

4min
pages 46-47

Mitre 10 Trade launches SmartMate Cash for ITAB Apprentices

2min
page 59

Three ways to a pain free career

3min
pages 52-53

Message from the AST Trust

2min
page 57

eInvoicing could be your biggest win in 2022

3min
pages 44-45

Restraints of Trade

3min
pages 42-43

What is a Caveat and how can it help you get paid?

7min
pages 40-41

Always be on the money with tech

3min
pages 26-27

Seven features of a successful building company

11min
pages 32-35

COVID bounce back and the challenges in ’22

8min
pages 24-25

Big Building Code changes see builders up-skilling

2min
pages 30-31

Putting our partners in the spotlight

2min
page 23

Goodbye, good luck and welcome

3min
page 22

The best made plans for your business

2min
pages 16-17

Why you should use a Halo Guarantee

3min
page 10

Message from the NZCB Board

3min
page 4

Thank you, Dave

6min
page 9

Message from our Education and Technical Manager

3min
page 8

NZCB Regional AGMs and Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee Workshops

2min
page 11

Risk and insurance for builders

6min
pages 14-15

Hybrid contracts

3min
pages 12-13

Notice of NZCB Annual General Meeting

1min
page 5
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