Wacek & Associates | BigTime Customer Success Story

“BigTime has helped us increase efficiency from start to finish. From onboarding a client to actually doing the work for them, drafting the invoice, and sending it to them, because of the cohesiveness of the program we’re able to increase our efficiency in how we serve the client and how we bill them.”
Jay Shewan Wacek & Associates

Jay: Hi, my name is Jay Shewan with Wacek & Associates and I’m the firm manager and we serve people globally with U.S. and expat-based taxes. We have a small group of people that are located remotely around the world, whether that’s in Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia or Indonesia that work on our Global team and we use BigTime.

BigTime: What challenges led you to look for a software like BigTime?

Jay: A lot of our challenges with project management sourced from the modular base of Zoho, which was our previous project management software. We kept having to buy certain modules that were supposed to integrate with one another and each one of them had certain subscription and user costs that ultimately drove the price up and we found that those modules didn’t communicate very well with each other and we ended up having a lot of productivity and informational issues. 

BigTime: What are the key benefits of using BigTime for your firm?

Jay: BigTime addressed a lot of the issues that we had with our previous project management software. With our previous project management software, we spent two to three months just trying to pull up an unbilled Time & Expense report to correctly represent where we stood as a firm and when we log into BigTime now, we just see the number right there on our dashboard. There’s also an integration between QuickBooks and BigTime that’s incredibly helpful: automatically posting invoices that we send directly to our customer accounts receivable and then a shared client/customer list between QuickBooks and BigTime has really increased the efficiency and just the cohesiveness of the two programs. BigTime also does a great job of integrating project management and firm management where we can see a lot of the numbers that us as a firm management team would want to see but then also allowing our project managers to manage different tasks and projects that we have running for each one of our clients.

BigTime: Which feature have you found most valuable?

Jay: As we transition from our previous project management software to BigTime, support was a really big plus for us. We had a live chat feature within BigTime that at any point we were stuck on an integration piece, we could simply click a button and talk to a support representative right there. They’re always kind, informed, and gave us the path forward, and if we couldn’t figure it out with the chat, then it was easy to jump onto a video call to solve the problem. Not only did we experience incredible support, whether it was through chat or through just phone calls with the support team, when we reached an impasse, our feedback was heard and we’ve offered a number of different suggestions that have either been listened to or are in product development and that’s been really helpful as a firm to know that not only are our pain points heard but they’re are also working toward solutions on our behalf.

BigTime: Where have you seen the biggest change in productivity?

Jay: BigTime has helped us increase efficiency from start to finish. From onboarding a client to actually doing the work for them, drafting the invoice, and sending it to them. Because of the cohesiveness of the program, we’re able to increase our efficiency in how we serve the client and how we bill them.

BigTime: What are your recommendations to others considering BigTime?

Jay: My recommendation for those that are considering BigTime would be to really weigh the option of how well are you going to be supported in your transition to a project management software. I’d say that BigTime has really great and unprecedented customer service, as well as a really great program that can increase your efficiency and representation of where you’re at as a firm and the numbers that you may be looking for.

See how BigTime stacks up to our competitors according to users in the G2 PSA Software Grid Comparison Report. 

Rio Applied Science and Engineering | G2 Review of BigTime

rio-applied-science-and-engineering

“I researched maybe a dozen similar applications, some of which were much more complicated and sophisticated, but were incredibly challenging to use and we felt would require having actual staff on hand to be able to manage the software. And others were overly simplified. They didn’t actually perform all the applications that we needed. BigTime was a really nice balance. It hit that sweet spot for us in providing 95% of what we needed, and doing it in a way that was easy.“

Rob R. | Rio Applied Science and Engineering

Watch Rob’s full review on G2, and compare how BigTime stacks up to our competitors in the G2 PSA Grid Comparison Report. 

How The iFish Group started getting paid two weeks earlier with BigTime

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About The iFish Group

The iFish Group (IFG) is a technology-solution service company committed to helping make state and local government digital services more efficient for their departments and more elective for their citizens. The State of California is IFG’s top client, and IFG provides Information Technology strategy and consulting services to drive and expedite successful business outcomes.

The Overview:

Industry: IT Services & Business Management
Located in Sacramento, CA
50+ Users

The Challenge

“Anytime we wanted to update our self-built time tracking system, I’d spend $5-10k worth of billable time on our own internal process. Finally, we agreed it was time to search for a professional time tracking system that could be customized to our needs,” Scott Schriber
Director of Operations.

As Information Technology professionals, IFG wrote and used their own custom-built time tracking system for nearly 5 years. Throughout that time, Scott Schriber, Director of Operations, says that IFG logged approximately $100,000 of billable time to develop their homegrown solution.

Knowing that this system was not sustainable for the company’s growth and additional tracking needs, IFG began its search with three specific needs in mind:

Flexibility of Project Structure
Specific project structures initially drove IFG to build their own system, so in the new solution, they wanted the ability to completely customize projects to their billing needs.

Integrates to Accounting
Making the switch to QuickBooks Online at the same time as they were looking for a new time and billing solution, the firm required that the two systems needed to work together for effortless financial tracking.

Project-level Reporting
Although company-wide financials were tracked in their accounting software, IFG had no way to view project-level reporting. Knowing this would be a huge benefit to managing their firm’s health, they wanted a solution with more granular reporting for project and staff utilization insights.

The Solution

After evaluating several solutions, IFG knew that software that was designed for project management would not suit their needs. Custom project structures were a priority during their search for the purpose of accurate time tracking and billing, not day-to-day task management.

​​Finally, IFG landed with BigTime, the platform that offers all of the important features that they need.

  • All project fields were completely structured to mirror the language that IFG already had in place, so that each line item on their invoices matched their work contracts.
  • BigTime Support team managed the integration to IFG’s QuickBooks Online set up and ensured that everything seamlessly synced.
  • Custom reports were built to uncover a new level of data for the firm. For the first time, they were able to see utilization rates and track project budgets and profitability in real-time.

The Results

“During our two years with BigTime, there have been many improvements and the platform is getting better all the time. I appreciate that their support team is always readily available for customers and that they’re very open to suggestions for new features. It gives me confidence that this will be a lasting partnership,” Schriber said.

Before BigTime, The iFish Group’s monthly time and materials invoices for the previous month would go out as late as the 17th. Now, with the improved automation and efficiency, every invoice is out on the first of the month.

In addition to their initial feature wish-list, IFG has dramatically improved the way their invoices are built, stored, and previewed. Internal cross-checks before an invoice is sent are now easier for the management team, with every item laid out clearly.

“The reconciliation between project finances in QuickBooks Online is much better. Invoicing out of BigTime and then directly posting it to QuickBooks allows for zero human error to be introduced,” Schriber commented.

Time entry reviews have been another seamless perk. Their previous system would only allow for timecards to be submitted at the end of the week. In BigTime, if the end of the month is on a Wednesday, a staff member can submit their timesheet on Wednesday to speed up the payment process.

In terms of making switching over as a whole? Schriber said it plain and simple, “The whole process was very easy, there were no problems making the transition.”

Looking to power up your professional services organization and see how you can start getting paid faster? Request a personalized demo here or feel free to take a virtual tour for more insight into BigTime.

415 Group | BigTime Case Study

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One of the things BigTime has helped us do is manage our growth. We’ve tripled our revenues and more than doubled our employees over the years, yet the software has allowed us to keep our administrative staff three to four people – virtually the same. It was a real game changer.
Rich Craig Managing Partner

How TAI Engineering saved valuable time from being spent on tracking time

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“The idea of a time and billing package that catered to the engineering industry really appealed to TAI. BigTime knew what information engineers typically enter, and  which reports and templates would be most useful to us. We can now generate reports with real-time, up-to-the-minute data.”
Mary Evans Director of Human Resources

About TAI Engineering

TAI Engineering is a leading consulting engineering firm that provides mechanical and industrial engineering services to Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries, both domestically and globally. Founded in 1989, TAI specializes in solutions for the industrial and pharmaceutical markets.

The Overview:

Industry: Engineering
Located in Baltimore, MD
150+ Users

The Challenge

Time Tracking Cutting into Billable Time
TAl’s tradition of manually entering time and billing data into spreadsheets was costing serious time and money.

Staying on Budget
Delays in billing information made it impossible to know where teams stood on hours worked vs. billed to track budget status.

Accurate Forecasting
TAl’s project managers managed 20 or so projects at once, keeping track of all of those budgets via spreadsheets had become a herculean task.

QuickBooks Integration
When deciding to make the switch to a PSA solution, it was important that the tool integrated with their existing systems to eliminate double-data entry.

The Solution

BigTime’s real-time reports provided TAI with accurate insights into forecasting budget, labor, and resources.

“It’s freed up a lot of our project managers’ time because they no longer have to input staff information manually into spreadsheets — giving them more time for other managing duties or billable engineering work,” said Mary Evans, Director of Human Resources. 

The Results

BigTime increased the productivity and profitability of TAI’s projects by utilizing a clear and easy-to-use project management system.

“We’ve got everyone at TAI using BigTime now. All of our structural, chemical, and mechanical engineers, plus our billing, sales, marketing, and administrative departments… It’s perfect for a group of people who are not necessarily ‘computer people.’ It’s just that easy to use,” said Evans.

Looking to power up your professional services organization and see how you can start saving valuable time from unnecessary tasks? Request a personalized demo by clicking the button below or feel free to take a virtual tour for more insight into BigTime.

C2 Company | BigTime Case Study

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“Ever since adopting the software, we’ve never looked back. BigTime not only met our requirements but opened our eyes to 20 other features that we could use to enhance productivity. We’ve taken advantage o the app’s workflow and functionality to take our business to the next level.”
Harry Haramis President

How True Partners Consulting increased productivity and captured billable hours with a single click

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About True Partners

True Partners Consulting is a world-class, independent tax and business advisory firm with offices across the U.S. and around the globe. Founded in 2005, TPC specializes in helping large public and private enterprises navigate complex tax and financial regulations.

The Overview:

Industry: Accounting
Located in Chicago, IL
200+ Users

The Challenge

“With up to 500 engagements open at any time, we needed a faster and more intuitive way to handle our time and billing… The ease and speed of BigTime’s workflow allowed us to increase productivity, better capture billable hours, and sync to QuickBooks with a single click,” said Brian Gilmartin, Director of Finance.

Rapid Growth
As the firm was quickly growing, they needed time and billing software that could easily and reliably scale with them.

No Time to Adjust
True Partners was running low on valuable time and couldn’t afford to set up a new system and QuickBooks integration that would risk a glitch in data.

Stale Data
Although they were collecting good data around their engagements, they lacked the resources to turn them into actionable insights.

Industry-Specific Customizations
Accountants have a specific way they work and True Partners didn’t want an out-of-the-box solution that they’d have to spend time customizing to meet their needs.

The Solution

Being a QuickBooks Gold-Certified Developer and that its proven technology is used by lntuit, BigTime provided Gilmartin the peace of mind that it was the right system.

“The thought that went into designing BigTime’s industry-specific reports is obvious. The report writer function understands just what questions you need to answer, and it provides those answers with the click of a button,” said Gilmartin.

BigTime’s platform is built to scale with small businesses, going beyond just time and billing features to guide firms in reaching their full potential.

The Results

By checking each box True Partners was looking for and then some, TPC is growing their productivity company-wide and their business… with one system.

“Our entire firm logs time incrementally, so we were thrilled with the ease and speed of BigTime’s workflow. We were looking for a time and billing solution that not only could grow with our business but help our business grow. In BigTime, we got both,” said Gilmartin.

Looking to power up your professional services organization and see how you can start boosting productivity? Request a personalized demo here or feel free to take a virtual tour for more insight into BigTime.

BigTime Time and Billing Software Case Study | True Partner’s Consulting

Brian Gilmartin of True Partners Consulting discusses his business tax and advisory firm’s experience using BigTime IQ’s features for all aspects of practice management. Try BigTime for free, request your free trial here.