Success Story
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Case Study
How EnVision Consultants saved money and made billing easier with Unanet
Motivation to Find a New ERP Solution: EnVision Consultants prides itself on delivering simplified consulting and its ability to provide responsive, results-driven services to its clients. The startup consulting firm is a multidisciplinary team with a focus on environmental, infrastructure, geotechnical, and ecology related services.
To continue providing the high level of support its clients had come to expect,
EnVision needed a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help them scale. The firm needed a solution that wasn’t complicated to use and was custom-made to help it bett er serve its clients as it grew fast.
EnVision Consultants
EnVision Consultants works collaboratively alongside project owners, contractors, design professionals and other stakeholders, providing design and construction support services that are tailored to the unique needs of each client and each project.
The Challenges
Before adopting Unanet, EnVision observed a pronounced need for an ERP that worked for its project managers. Three challenges stood out in particular:
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The firm needed flexibility
EnVision wanted an ERP the start-up could update and customize as needed. According to Director of Finance Adrian Lee, he had used other solutions at a previous firm but recognized the need for a comprehensive ERP solution capable of effectively supporting this firm’s rapid
growth trajectory. -
The lack of a comprehensive system led to inefficient workarounds
Without an ERP system in place before Unanet, the firm tapped into multiple other disparate systems to get work done.
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The firm was outpacing its lack of an ERP
The firm’s headcount had increased by eight times in a three-year period. It simply couldn’t sustain those
numbers with workarounds. As the company grew, it sought to empower its people with an easy-to-use ERP that filled numerous business needs.
The other solutions were too rigid and didn’t meet the needs of a start-up.
The Solution
A colleague from another company raved about Unanet to Lee, so he investigated it. After evaluating Unanet AE ERP, Lee and the rest of the team at EnVision saw its potential and made the choice to go with Unanet for these reason:
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CA configurable dashboard allowing for tailored data management
EnVision used Unanet's configurable, interactive dashboards to make information readily available. This provided real-time access to pivotal data, improving decision-making and negotiating the need for auxiliary third-party solutions.
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It had capabilities that could grow alongside the firm
Workarounds may work find when a firm starts out but Lee knew EnVision would require a consistent, reliable system as it gew. Unanet's capabilities and purpose-built architecture could support EnVision as it scaled upward.
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It provided a singular solution
One of the major advantages of Unanet was that it fulfilled so many needs for EnVision, the firm didn't need to implement multiple other software systems or programs alongside it. From an ERP standpoint, Unanet provided the much-needed flexibility and customization that streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency.
Choosing Unanet AE ERP then led EnVision into the implementation process, which went off without a hitch.
The Approach
Lee wanted to find an ERP system that would support the company as it scaled. The organization as a whole
found itself more than ready to start using Unanet, which it did using the following process:
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Evaluate the processes that needed an overhaul
EnVision looked at its business processes Unanet could assist with - such as processing vendor invoices - and began to transition these processes and data to its new solution.
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Tap into Unanet's support system
EnVision worked with Unanet's team during the sales and onboarding process. "There is training involved, but the learning curve isn't bad," said Lee. After a smooth implementation, EnVision observed substantial adoption among its project managers and directors, who embraced the software.
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Ask questions when they needed additional help
When the firm needed assistance, it was able to easily find it. "When we reach out to Unanet, the response time is great," said Lee. "We always get the help we need within a couple hours."
Being able to see data in real-time is huge. At my previous firm, our reports always lagged behind what was actually happening with our projects. Now, with Unanet, our project managers are running on up-to-the minute info. When something changes, you see that right away.
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Unanet's AP approvals feature saved EnVision approximately $6,000
By leveraging Unanet's accounts payable (AP) approvals feature, EnVision discarded the needed for an external application, resulting in an annual cost saving of roughly $6,000. "We were getting many vendor invoices in the system, so we were looking at another third-party to implement AP approvals. As we were looking, Unanet added its AP approvals feature. It was perfect timing for us. The vendor wanted to charge us $3 on invoice. So having that as a part of Unanet, at no cost to us, has been a difference-maker and a money saver." -
A better billing process shortened the time it takes to bill clients
EnVision gained more control over their cash flow and improved their billing process through AR Automation. By deploying Unanet's AR Automation, EnVision experienced quicker invoicing, making more cash available to the firm faster. "Cash flow is very importantt o us, so we try to bill quickly," said Lee. "Our timeline now is three to five days - sometimes we even get it out the same day." -
Real-time access to data empowered project managers
Unanet's easy-to-use, easy-to-read analytics and reporting platform is a project manager's dream come true. "It's all at my fingertips," said Lee, referring to project data. "Project managers can go in and see transactions. It's quite intuitive. Having them be able to access all the data easily has been fantastic."
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