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Construction software

Construction software: one project file, from estimate to final costing

Lean is construction software for contractors and building firms that want to run their sites on figures. Estimating, quotes, site budget, purchasing, subcontractors, planning, progress claims and job costing sit in one project file. With IRP, you see at every site stage which information is still missing.

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Where does a construction firm lose its margin today?

Rarely through one big mistake. Usually through ten small things that become visible too late.

  1. The estimate lives in ExcelThe quote goes out, but the figures behind it live in a separate file. During the works, nobody compares with what was budgeted any more.
  2. Extra work disappears on a loose noteThe client asked for something extra on site. It was done, but never charged.
  3. You only know the real cost after the jobTimber went up, a crew needed more hours. You see it at year end, not while you can still act.
  4. The progress claim is manual work every monthWhat was already claimed last time? Someone works it out again, in a spreadsheet.

One project file, from first price to final invoice

In Lean, every site is a project. Each step builds on what is already there. Nobody retypes anything.

  1. 1
    Estimate and quoteA sales price and a cost price on every line, so you know your margin per item. The accepted quote becomes the order in the same file.
  2. 2
    Site budgetThe budget per item and per section: quantity, unit and unit cost.
  3. 3
    Purchasing and subcontractorsOrders to suppliers and assignments to subcontractors, directly on the project.
  4. 4
    Planning and executionWork orders per crew and per person. Hours, materials and photos come in from site, via the phone.
  5. 5
    Progress claims and invoiceYou invoice in instalments. Each claim knows what the previous ones already charged.
  6. 6
    Job costingBudget next to actual, with the reason the margin changed.

What a construction firm manages with Lean

Each area has its own page with the details.

Estimating and quotesCost price and margin per line, quote versions, signing and conversion to an order. Read more
Site managementSite budget, budget versus actual, extra work, progress claims, site reports and documents. Read more
PlanningCrews and people in calendar, weekly board and Gantt, with hours and materials recorded on site. Read more
Purchasing and subcontractorsSupplier prices, orders per site, subcontractors with their own portal and purchase invoices with approval. Read more
InvoicingProgress claims, invoices and e-invoicing via Peppol, passed on to your accounts. Read more
Job costingWhat did the site earn, and why differently from the budget? Read more

What did this site earn?

That is the question a managing director asks every month. In Lean, the answer sits on the project itself: what you budgeted in the quote, and what it actually became. Revenue, cost and margin, per cost type.

More importantly: why the margin changed. Was it the purchase price, extra materials, extra hours? And what did the extra work bring in? Each cause is shown separately, so you know where to price differently next time.

Because the purchase price is kept on every purchase line, you see a price rise at the moment you order, not only at the final account.

Read more about site management ›

Know before the crew leaves whether the site is ready

A site rarely stalls because of craftsmanship. It stalls because something is missing: an approved drawing, a confirmed delivery, a crane nobody booked, a certificate needed at handover.

IRP links each process step to the information it needs. For each step, you see what is in, what is still missing and who has to supply it. We set up those steps and that information with you, for your kind of sites.

How IRP works ›

Your client and your subcontractors can follow along

The client follows the project in a portal of their own. They see the stages of the build, the documents meant for them, and they can report an issue. That report becomes a task on the project, with the conversation attached.

The subcontractor sees their projects in their portal, their work orders in a calendar and a schedule, the documents for the assignment and their contracts to sign. What they do not need to see, they do not see.

More about portals ›

Our own software, set up around the way you work

Lean is our own software, developed in Deerlijk, Belgium. The people who guide your start-up know the code. That makes a difference when your way of estimating or invoicing does not fit a standard package.

Your sections, process steps, documents and the information each site stage needs are set up at the start. Whatever is specific to your company, we discuss up front and build where needed.

How an implementation works ›How pricing is built up ›

Do you build to sell?

Are you a property developer, with plots, units and buyers who each make their own choices? Then your question is different from a contractor's. There is a separate page for that.

Software for property development ›

Integrations

Your accounts stay in your accounting package. Lean passes the invoices on, among others to Exact, Bob (Sage), WinBooks, Octopus, Venice and Yuki. Outgoing invoices are sent via Peppol, with a status per invoice.

You import supplier prices from a spreadsheet. For other integrations, we look at what is needed together.

All integrations ›

Frequently asked questions about construction software

Which construction firms is Lean for?

For contractors and building firms that run their sites as projects: from estimating and quoting to purchasing, subcontractors, planning, progress claims and job costing. Companies that make elements themselves and install them on site, such as timber frame builders, will also recognise their way of working.

Can I invoice in instalments with progress claims?

Yes. A progress claim charges part of the ordered amount per order line. Each new claim knows what the earlier ones charged, the client approves, and then you raise the invoice.

Can I see the margin per site while the works are running?

Yes. On the project, the budget from the quote sits next to the actual purchases and hours, with the difference per cost type. Which reports you see depends on your role and on the set-up.

Can my subcontractor see their own schedule?

Yes. Subcontractors get their own portal with their projects, work orders, documents and contracts.

How is this different from software for property development?

A contractor builds to order and manages site cost and margin. A developer sells units to buyers and follows their choices. Lean supports both, with a page for each.

Do I have to replace my accounting package?

No. You create invoices in Lean; your accounts stay in your package. Lean integrates with the common Belgian accounting packages.

Also of interest

Installation companies ›Windows and doors ›Conservatory builders ›Property development ›
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Bring one bottleneck. See how Lean handles it.

We start from a situation in your work. You see what works in the software today, and we discuss how it fits your process.

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