Success Story
How Turner Fleischer built a real-time data ecosystem that supports its strategy
Turner Fleischer is a clear example of what it looks like to run a high-performing studio using...
Case Study
How Turner Fleischer built a real-time data ecosystem that supports its strategy
Turner Fleischer is a clear example of what it looks like to run a high-performing studio using Unanet’s core ERP functionality—combined with internal expertise to build a fully integrated Single Source of Truth (SSOT) that supports every part of the business.
Turner Fleischer Architects
Turner Fleischer Architects is a 50-year-old architecture and design studio known for its thoughtful approach to growth, project delivery, and operational structure. For over 35 years, the studio has used ERP systems to support how it works. Today, Unanet provides the foundation for everything from project management to financial reporting and studio-wide data alignment.
Project structure that mirrors real work
At Turner Fleischer, every project begins with structure. The studio uses Unanet’s four-level Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to mirror exactly how projects are scoped, priced, and delivered. This alignment allows teams to break down work by phase, discipline, or deliverable; track effort and budget at every level; and ensure clarity between what’s been scoped and how it’s being delivered. Because Unanet’s WBS capabilities reflect the way Turner Fleischer already works, the system supports smarter tracking, more accurate reviews, and cleaner handoffs from pursuit to execution—without requiring customization or translation.
Unanet’s WBS capabilities
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Smarter tracking
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More accurate reviews
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Cleaner handoffs from pursuit to execution
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No required customization or translation
Collaboration that drives accurate billing
Once projects are underway, Turner Fleischer maintains financial clarity through a long-established partnership between Project Managers (PMs) and Project Accountants (PAs). This collaborative model—rare in the AEC industry—is made seamless through Unanet’s built-in PM Bill Review and PA Bill Review tools.
Each week, PMs review submitted time entries in PM Bill Review, flagging changes to ensure time is entered accurately and aligned with the WBS. PAs then use PA Bill Review to execute those changes—realigning entries to the correct project levels. At month-end, PMs complete a full review of the project—evaluating scope, time, and budget alignment—and mark up billing directly in the system. PAs implement the final changes and produce the invoice for release to the client.
This review cadence ensures billing is accurate, auditable, and timely—and with both roles working in the same system, the process is efficient and transparent.
We didn’t have to change the way we work to make Unanet fit.
A central financial engine for full-cycle visibility
Turner Fleischer also uses Unanet for full-cycle accounting, managing everything from time tracking and billing to invoicing, reporting, and forecasting—all within one platform. The finance team doesn't rely on disconnected systems or separate accounting software. Instead, Unanet serves as the central financial engine for the studio. This approach creates a single system of record for all financial data, provides real-time visibility across projects and departments, and strengthens the connection between finance, delivery, and leadership.
Unanet's full-cycle accounting
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Time tracking
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Billing
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Invoicing
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Reporting
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Forecasting
Data connected, decisions aligned
Once projects are underway, Turner Fleischer maintains financial clarity through a long-established partnership between Project Managers (PMs) and Project Accountants (PAs). This collaborative model—rare in the AEC industry—is made seamless through Unanet’s built-in PM Bill Review and PA Bill Review tools. Each week, PMs review submitted time entries in PM Bill Review, flagging changes to ensure time is entered accurately and aligned with the WBS. PAs then use PA Bill Review to execute those changes—realigning entries to the correct project levels. At month-end, PMs complete a full review of the project—evaluating scope, time, and budget alignment—and mark up billing directly in the system. PAs implement the final changes and produce the invoice for release to the client. This review cadence ensures billing is accurate, auditable, and timely—and with both roles working in the same system, the process is efficient and transparent.
Collaborative review cadence
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Project Managers
review submitted time entries weekly, flagging changes -
Project Accountants
execute changes realigning entries to the correct project levels -
Project Managers
conduct a full review, evaluating scope, time, and budget alignment at month-end -
Project Accountants
implement the final changes and produce the invoice for release to the client.
Built for growth, not workarounds
By leveraging Unanet’s ERP functionality as intended—and building their data infrastructure around it—Turner Fleischer has achieved seamless collaboration between Project Managers and Project Accountants, accurate and efficient billing tied directly to real project structure, end-to-end financial visibility using a single ERP system, and a connected data ecosystem built on trust and alignment. Most importantly, the studio has created the ability to scale operations without sacrificing control.
“We didn’t have to change the way we work to make Unanet fit,” says Ellen Bensky, CEO and CFO. “Unanet gave us the foundation. We built the rest—connecting our systems, strengthening our processes, and giving our teams the information they need to work smarter.”
Many in the industry view ERP as just a tracking tool. Turner Fleischer sees it as infrastructure. The studio has proven that by using Unanet from project management through billing and forecasting, it can operate with total alignment, complete visibility, and the confidence to scale. This is what it looks like when a studio commits to operational clarity and full adoption of a tool built for the job.
Unanet gave us the foundation. We built the rest—connecting our systems, strengthening our processes, and giving our teams the information they need to work smarter.
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