Electronic Data Conversion Eases Contractor's Transition to New Construction Accounting Software
Petticoat Contracting, Inc.
Founded: in 1987 by Elaine Jones
Annual Revenues: $15 million
Purchased: Dexter + Chaney's Spectrum™ Construction Management Software
When: September 2002
Problem: How to convert thousands of data records from old system to new system in as little time as possible
Solution: Electronic Data Conversion
Overview: Petticoat Contracting went live on new software within two months of purchase. The company was fully converted within four months of installation. Using Spectrum's EDC, Petticoat Contracting converted:
- 597 Vendors
- 177 Employees
- All open A/P invoices
- Over 5,000 job cost transactions
Software conversions are never easy. However, electronically converting data from one system to another saves time during conversion by streamlining tasks that are labor-intensive and involve repetitive data entry. When Elaine Jones, owner of Petticoat Contracting, Inc. of Jacksonville, FL, needed new accounting software, electronic data conversion seemed like a logical choice to bring her existing data over to the new system.
"Our previous system was outdated," explains Jones. "The support wasn't good and almost every upgrade had bugs in it." In September 2002, Jones purchased Dexter + Chaney's Spectrum™ Construction Management Software to help run her $15 million underground utility and roadwork business.
Jones had been through a previous software conversion when going from a DOS system to a windows-based system. "It was not a pleasant experience," she recalls. Dexter + Chaney, along with Spectrum's electronic data conversion utility (EDC), would pave the way for a smoother conversion experience this time around.
A Smoother Conversion
Within two months of purchasing Spectrum, Petticoat Contracting was using the new software. The company was fully converted within four months of installation. Jones attributes the speedy conversion to hard work, good support from the software vendor, and EDC.
"Our jobs last anywhere from one to four years," explains Jones. "We chose EDC over manual data conversion because we wanted to bring over our job detail history and it was too massive to even consider re-keying all that data."
Using EDC, Petticoat Contracting extracted over 5,000 job cost transaction details from its old software and imported those records into Spectrum. In addition, it converted 597 vendors, 177 employee records, and all of its open A/P invoices.
"I think it would have taken us several weeks with four or more people to manually key all that data," says Jones. Instead, most of the data conversion was handled by Tina Rehmel, the company's controller, while she also handled her day-to-day workload.
"With EDC, we were able to verify that the data was correct and that we didn't lose any transactions in the process," Jones continues. "The support we received from Dexter + Chaney's EDC expert was invaluable. She was knowledgeable and willing to help out whenever we needed her."
Key Advice from one Contractor to Another
To contractors considering new software, Jones offers the following advice. "Fully research software packages and be sure you understand what each one does. Give yourself plenty of time to look at what's available and include your key people in the demonstrations; they have a lot to offer during these presentations," she says. "We chose Spectrum because of the completeness of the entire accounting system and all the additional modules available for future use and growth."
Once you have purchased software, Jones stresses the importance of working with your vendor to fully prepare for the conversion. "Get a detailed checklist from your vendor that outlines the items that must be done during your conversion," she explains. "You need this 'road map' of exactly what you need to have done when the trainer comes."
Jones also stresses the importance of training. "Training is very important," she states, "especially in the setup of the different modules. Expect to spend more on training than you think will be required—it's worth the investment."
A Successful Conversion
For Petticoat Contracting, the conversion to Spectrum was a success. "Although the experience was long and exhausting," says Jones, "when it came time to balance our old system with our new system, they matched. We feel good about our EDC conversion. Overall it went well—we have no complaints at all!"
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