A construction company has outgrown spreadsheets when its numbers stop agreeing with each other: material on site cannot be squared with purchases, the same delivery is typed three times, and closing a month takes weeks. It usually happens around the third site or the tenth person. The fix is not a bigger spreadsheet but one system where each event (an order, a delivery, a bill, an issue to site) is recorded once and feeds everything else.
The seven signs
- Nobody can say what is on each site today. Stock lives in one file per site, updated when someone has time.
- The same delivery is typed three times. Once by the site, once by purchasing, once by accounts, and the three copies differ.
- Bills are paid before anyone checks the delivery. The supplier's statement has become the record.
- Closing a month takes weeks. And the result is still a surprise.
- One person understands the main file. When they are on leave, nothing closes.
- Versions multiply. Costs_final_v7_REAL.xlsx sits next to Costs_final_v8.xlsx, and nobody knows which one the bank saw.
- You learn a site went over plan after it finished. By then the money is spent.
If three or more of these sound familiar, the spreadsheets are costing you more than software would.
What to look for in software
- Material followed per site, not just per company.
- Purchasing that ends in a bill matched to what the site received.
- Accounts in your country's chart, with construction accounts already in place.
- Roles: the storekeeper sees the store's work, the CEO sees the money.
- A price you can read before talking to anyone, and a free trial on your own figures.
Moving without stopping work
Pick a month end to switch. Bring across your opening balances: what you own and owe, and what is on each site, counted on the day. Train each person on their own part only; a storekeeper needs receipts and issues, not the balance sheet. Most of the time goes into gathering the opening figures, not into the software.
How Sitely does it
Sitely is management software for construction companies: sites with their own stores, purchasing from the site's request to the matched bill, your country's chart of accounts with construction accounts in place, more than one currency when you need it, and leads and campaigns to win the next project. Going live uses an opening balance account and journal made for the purpose, so your starting figures go in cleanly.
It costs USD 150 a month for up to 8 people, and USD 15 for each person beyond that; longer plans cost less per month. The first 15 days are free, and no card is needed.
See the details on Pricing, or start your free trial.
Questions people ask
Is a spreadsheet ever enough?
For one site and a handful of people, yes, as long as one disciplined person keeps it. The trouble starts when several people keep their own copies.
How long does a move take?
For a small company, a few weeks: set-up, opening balances and training each role. The opening balances take the longest.
Can we bring our existing lists?
Yes. Materials, suppliers and clients can be imported from Excel, so nothing is typed twice.