Customer ExperienceBusiness Insights

June 24, 2024

Deltek

FJ Electric, an electrical contracting business based in Yakima, Washington, is led by the husband and wife team, Jeff and Jodi Bast. With over 33 years of industry experience, Jeff decided to start FJ Electric seven years ago, just four days into his initial retirement. Bringing loyal employees with him and offering them part ownership, Jeff strengthened the company's structure and aligned with his future retirement goals.

As the company grew rapidly, it became clear they needed more robust construction accounting software than QuickBooks® could provide, like detailed, accurate job costing and proper inventory management. After consulting with other contractors in similar businesses, FJ Electric chose Deltek ComputerEase. This decision streamlined their operations, alleviated operational challenges and enhanced overall efficiency. Deltek ComputerEase has enabled better job pricing, improved profitability and provided greater visibility and security for their partners, setting the stage for sustained future growth.

Improved Inventory Management

Before transitioning to Deltek ComputerEase, FJ Electric lacked a true inventory system, making it difficult to track inventory levels and costs for each project accurately. Implementing the inventory management module in ComputerEase did require effort, but the benefits quickly became evident. Jeff noted, "I realized we had lost $150,000 in profitability that we hadn't accounted for." With this new system, FJ Electric is now better positioned to handle their diverse projects, which include projects ranging from commercial, industrial, food processing plants and convenience stores.

Time Savings with Job Costing Excellence

One of the primary challenges FJ Electric faced was the inefficiency in tracking job costs and job progress. With Deltek ComputerEase, they can now easily produce Work in Progress (WIP) reports and instantly see their costs, significantly improving visibility and control. "With Deltek ComputerEase, we feel more confident in what we're showing both our bank and our accountant and we can actually look through detailed, accurate reports," states Jodi. Also, "The ability to correct coding errors in a single platform, rather than juggling multiple platforms, has been a huge time-saver."

Before Deltek ComputerEase, Jeff spent a day and a half each month manually extracting data from QuickBooks and creating workbooks for WIP reporting, essential for bonding and banking. "It blew me away when I was told I could generate those reports in under 30 seconds with ComputerEase," Jeff recalls. This game-changing revelation freed up considerable time, which Jeff could redirect towards growing the business and managing his cattle ranch.

Streamlined Payroll and Billing

Payroll management was another area that saw dramatic improvement. Transitioning from spending one full day per week on payroll to spending just an hour per week has freed up valuable time for Jodi. With near- future plans to implement FieldEase™, the field-to-office collaboration system, the potential for further automation is promising.

The introduction of construction-specific software has also revolutionized their billing process. The bill and pay feature accelerated cash flow, allowing clients to settle payments within 24 hours-a stark contrast to the lengthy delays they previously experienced. This improvement not only enhanced liquidity but also opened up new project opportunities.

Customer Support and Long-Term Vision

The switch from QuickBooks to ComputerEase, driven by long-term goals, including succession planning and business scalability, has empowered FJ Electric to focus on what they do best: delivering top-notch electrical services while planning for a bright, growth-oriented future. Solid customer support, something that was a priority in their decision-making, has been instrumental in keeping them on track. Jodi appreciates the responsive and informative support provided by the ComputerEase team, which ensures that any issues are promptly addressed. "You have a team behind you to make sure you can do everything. I can fill out a support ticket and hear back the same day," she says.

Jeff and Jodi have found ComputerEase to be not just a tool but for Deltek to be a reliable partner in their business journey. Today, FJ Electric stands as a testament to the power of implementing the right tools and the importance of choosing the right partners to improve efficiency. With Deltek ComputerEase, they are not just equipped to handle their current workload but are also poised for growth, ready to bid more work and expand their reach in the industry.

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