Symbiotic Solutions Limited moves to cloud-based construction accounting software to support growth
Symbiotic Solutions Limited, based in Essex, offers waste management, contracting, and consultancy services across the construction, development, remediation, and public sectors.
The Challenge
Symbiotic Solutions had been using Sage 50 for their financial operations before implementing Construct for Sage 50 in 2019. The fully comprehensive construction accounting software integrated seamlessly with Sage 50, providing a much-needed solution for job management and cost tracking. However, as the business continued to grow, and invoice volumes tripled, they realised the need to further optimise their processes. They sought a solution that could support their growth and adapt to their evolving needs.
Jessica Skeet, Accounts Manager, noted that their existing system was no longer robust enough to meet the growing demands. The company needed a more scalable platform to drive efficiency, particularly in areas like estimating, quoting, and invoicing. Jessica highlighted, “We wanted to move with the times and get on the cloud, our staff are working remotely and needed easy access to job tracking and financial data from anywhere.”
The Solution
Recognising the need for greater flexibility, the team saw an opportunity to enhance remote access and better support their growing, mobile workforce. To modernise operations and keep pace with evolving business needs, Symbiotic Solutions chose to transition to Construct Cloud—evolving their existing solution to meet new demands while gaining the accessibility and convenience of a cloud-based solution.
Improved job costing and invoicing
With Construct Cloud, Symbiotic Solutions is better equipped to manage growth, thanks to improved oversight of job costs and invoicing. The system also enables faster data entry across the board, including automated batch processing for purchase invoices and timesheets. Additionally, Construct Cloud allows the company to centralise more of its key accounting and commercial management processes. This includes customising sales invoices with free-text, itemised billing, sending jobs directly to engineers and field workers, and expanding the approvals process to include group-based authorisations.
In addition to improved job costing, Jessica noted that Construct Cloud’s user-friendly interface made it easy for the team to adopt the platform, even without extensive technical knowledge.
“Construct Cloud is very user-friendly and everything’s clearly laid out,” Jessica said. “There are helpful tips and product tours throughout the system, so if you're unsure about something, you can have it open on one screen and work through it as you go. It’s straightforward.”
Enhanced collaboration through a Cloud-based system
The move to the cloud made it easier for remote workers to access the system and collaborate seamlessly with the rest of the team. Employees can now quickly access the software from any device, browser, or location, ensuring real-time access to critical information. This capability was beneficial for those working from home or on-site, as they no longer had to rely on office-based servers and simplified day-to-day tasks.
Advanced reporting capabilities
Jessica explained that Construct Cloud’s contract reporting functionality was a standout benefit for the team. The company particularly valued the simplified, intuitive approach to generating and accessing detailed reports. Construct Cloud offers a more streamlined and efficient reporting process, saving the team time. The configurable list views allow each user to easily set their own columns and filters for every list of data. With clearer insights into job performance, costs, and profitability, the team could make more informed decisions and respond to project demands with greater confidence.
Business Impact
Jessica noted, “The migration process to Construct Cloud was really easy, thanks to the support from the onboarding team. We're running both systems in parallel while we finish up older jobs. We've got around 20 jobs on Construct Cloud so far, and it seems to be working well—the reporting is great too." This approach helps to ensure that there are no disruptions while transitioning older jobs to the new system. By using job numbers to distinguish between the two systems, the switch remains clear and manageable.
Jessica also mentioned, “Having access to loads of online help on the portal, the support was an invaluable resource during the migration. Even after the official onboarding period ended, the team was able to reach out whenever necessary, ensuring the transition remained smooth and problem-free.”
When asked about the transition from Construct for Sage 50 to Construct Cloud, the company advised other businesses not to worry about the change.
Plans for the Future: Mobile Apps & Seamless Integration with Estimating Software
Looking ahead, Jessica highlighted that Symbiotic Solutions is excited to leverage additional features such as the Mobile App for on-site delivery notes and purchase order management. They plan to implement these in the near future to further streamline operations and improve productivity.
Construct Cloud’s integration with Eque2’s estimating software—allowing quotes and estimates to be pulled directly into the system—is expected to be a game-changer, especially for tender submissions. This functionality is particularly important as the leadership team focuses on expanding the groundwork side of the business, where managing tenders and producing accurate estimates is critical. The streamlined process will enable the company to respond more efficiently to opportunities and deliver precise, professional quotes to clients.
The team is also eager to take advantage of the newly launched invoice recognition module, which uses AI-powered document intelligence to extract key invoice details—saving time and reducing manual entry.
For more information on Symbiotic Solutions Ltd, please visit: https://www.symbioticsolutions.co.uk/
Looking to transition to Construct Cloud, or learn more about our construction accounting software?
To discover our range of job costing and construction accounting solutions, you can watch a short demo or book a free-discovery session with our team by following these links:
Watch a personalised demo: www.eque2-construction.co.uk/construction-software/medium-contractor
Book a discovery call: www.eque2-construction.co.uk/contact/
Learn more about Construct Cloud: www.eque2-construction.co.uk/migrate-to-construct-cloud/
