A lot of midsize businesses have the same problem: it’s hard to see past what you’re used to. And this is the case even for firms, like Atria Design, who specialise in fresh visions and off-the-wall solutions.

Atria Designs are a passionate, innovative, multi-award-winning business who design for some of Australia’s best builders and developers. But like many businesses that grow rapidly from small beginnings, Atria hit some speed bumps. Founder & CEO Samuel Kassis started Atria nearly 10 years ago, and over time Samuel had grown well aware of many of the issues they faced. The aftermath of the Covid pandemic was the perfect time to explore new directions, after Atria had a “bit of a staff shift.” With a mix of new and old hands aboard, Samuel was ready to take the time to find out what would really work for the business.

To do this, he turned to James Hickey, of JHC Consulting Group.

Designing a relationship

Samuel had two main goals for Atria Designs’ engagement with JHC Consulting: he wanted better business data, and more actionable reporting. In the building and design service space, this is more easily said than done. Materials become unavailable or more expensive, builders have to juggle their own commitments and clients, and then there’s always the weather. A certain amount of flexibility has to be built into a building design firm’s business practices, and this can make time-tracking and reporting difficult to nail. But it has to be done, or a lot of money can slip through the cracks. JHC’s approach was making sure that the right people were using the right processes – and that Atria had the right software to power them. That’s why he suggested they use WorkflowMax by BlueRock.

“The new WorkflowMax by BlueRock shows significant promise,” James says. “The improvements in the tech stack and integration capabilities have been particularly impressive. The ability to link with platforms like Power BI enhances the reporting and analytics functionalities, which is a big step forward for users. What’s more, BlueRock has improved WorkflowMax by enhancing its integration capabilities, providing more robust reporting options, and streamlining the user interface. These improvements make it easier for businesses to manage their workflows and access critical data in real time, which aids in better decision-making and efficiency.”

People, strategy, systems, software – in that order.  

Migrating software isn’t always as easy as it should be. Problems often arise less from the actual migration process than from ingesting out-of-date or just plain wrong data. For the migration to work well, these errors need correcting – but at the same time, useful historical data needs to be preserved. For Samuel and Atria Designs, this was very much the case – but the situation was complicated by the fact that the Xero edition of WorkflowMax had been set up wrong. “I’ve had consultants in the past that came alongside WorkflowMax, who didn’t understand our business and what we were trying to achieve – or even how we actually bill and invoice,” Samuel explains.

Luckily, JHC understands that every business is different, and they took the time to properly research and reinvent Atria’s business processes before encoding them in software.  Their empathetic, people-and-systems-first approach not only worked – it paid instant dividends. JHC’s strength is in data management and presentation, and after understanding the people, systems and processes, data can be ingested, cleaned, and put to work.

“One of the benefits of having James on board through the migration from the old WorkflowMax by Xero to the new WorkflowMax by BlueRock is that he really understands data,” Samuel says. “James discovered we weren’t really using the old WorkflowMax to its full capability, but he was able to say ‘this is the best program for you guys, because we can see all the benefits of where it’s going to go.’ So we kept with it, and had him help us through the transition process, which was really beneficial."

Samuel and James agree: this careful approach meant that the pain of migration was minimised, and benefits were realised sooner than they’d otherwise have been.

“Overall, the integration project with Atria went quite smoothly,” James says.  “We successfully migrated data from WorkflowMax (WFM) by Xero, to new WorkflowMax with integrated Power BI for advanced reporting, and streamlined several operational processes.”

“If we didn't have James, I could tell you now, we would be bashing our head against the wall,” Samuel says.

“It all makes sense. It all works smoothly.”

The results have been huge for the team at Atria Design. They now have clean, clear data with which to make business decisions. They’re getting precise measurements of time, jobs, and finances.

“They can now access comprehensive data insights through Power BI, which was not possible before,” James says. With new WorkflowMax, they have a unified workflow for managing quotes and invoices, linked with their sales processes, and they can generate real-time reports for better decision-making.  The team, he says, will see significant time savings across job management and project delivery timelines, thanks to the streamlined workflows and automated processes.

There will be quantifiable savings where it’s most visible, James adds – the bottom line of the balance sheet. “The team is now really well-equipped to use the new systems effectively, and the ROI for Atria is substantial.”

“Financially, they can expect increased revenue from improved strategic decision making, while cost savings will come from optimised operations, as well as reduced need for additional software solutions,” James says. “They’ve quantifiably reduced the time spent on job management tasks, improved project delivery timelines, and they’re increasing sales and revenue from having better strategic alignment across the business."

Meanwhile, Samuel says that with WorkflowMax by BlueRock fully implemented in the business, it’s finally approaching its full potential.

“The thing I do love about WorkflowMax is the sync with Xero,” James says. “For the job financial management side of things, sending your invoices through to Xero, it all makes sense. It all works smoothly.”

If they didn’t have WorkflowMax, it’d be a different story, he notes. There’d be a huge amount of manual workarounds for job and performance tracking. “It’s great for our team to track their time, and input time data straightaway. For job tracking, it’s really great."

For both Samuel and JHC, a big positive of the migration from old WorkflowMax to WorkflowMax by BlueRock is that the user interface has, at long last, been polished to a bright shine.

“Migrating across to the BlueRock WFM has been a bit of a shift because things look a little bit different, but it’s a lot more user-friendly. It’s a lot prettier, let’s be honest. It looks really nice and efficient, and you can tell they’ve put a lot of effort into making it cleaner and better.”

Transform your business operations with WorkflowMax – and the right consultant

With the move to the new WorkflowMax complete, and the first phase of workflow and process transformation concluded, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was time for Atria Designs and JHC Consulting to down tools – but it’s not. In fact, it’s just the start.  

Atria’s staff are thrilled with the change in operations: not only are they more efficient, but they’re happier in their jobs. The investment has paid off in spades.  “After what I’ve been able to do now, I wish I’d engaged someone like James sooner. Being able to really understand your business, your output, and being able to track data well, I wish I’d had those tools earlier,” Samuel says. “I can tell you now, there would have been a lot less heartache with both staff members and clients.”

For his part, James and the team at JHC say they’re very happy with how the project went with Atria, and they’ll continue to recommend the new WorkflowMax to clients. WorkflowMax, James says, can help businesses like Atria by providing a comprehensive solution for job management, time tracking, and reporting. It streamlines operations, enhances data visibility, and integrates seamlessly with other tools like Xero and Power BI, leading to improved efficiency and better strategic decisions.

“And from meeting the WorkflowMax by BlueRock leaders, I can see a major commitment to continuous improvement, which is essential for staying competitive,” James adds. “WorkflowMax is a cost-effective, all-in-one job management software that can transform your business operations.”

You and your clients could win by using Atria’s software stack too

• ‍WorkflowMax – WorkflowMax by BlueRock job management. Boost your productivity, profitability and performance. Do it all from anywhere – quotes, jobs, scheduling, time tracking, invoicing, reporting, and more.‍
• Xero – Xero is accounting software for thriving businesses. Xero’s online tools have all the financial insights to make better decisions and simplify business admin.‍
• Microsoft Power BI – Visualise any data and integrate the visuals into the apps you use every day with Power BI, a unified platform for self-service and business intelligence.‍
• Wordpress – One of the most popular, powerful, and customisable CMS systems in the world‍
• Response Database Integrations –  Specialises in innovative data solutions to drive business performance, growth, and efficiency.‍
• Microsoft 365 – Atria Designs uses a market-leading Microsoft suite, including Microsoft Teams (for sharing PowerBI), Outlook Templates and SharePoint

Results

1. Better processes across the business, happier and more productive staff, and more proactive leadership
2. Correctly-implemented modern software stack that helps keep the business on track rather than hindering it
3. Accurate timekeeping and workflow management with WorkflowMax, and powerful, accurate reporting with Microsoft Power BI

Want to become a WorkflowMax partner?

From full implementation partners, to certified business advisors and ecosystem partners – we encourage you to join our community.

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This WorkflowMax case study was created in partnership with Coachbar

Coachbar is proud to work with WorkflowMax as a foundational customer of ChannelBoost, our flagship software that helps software providers grow their partner channels. ChannelBoost offers everything you need to increase your ROI from indirect sales channels: increased engagement, efficient channel management, and a unique, integrated partner directory.

Coachbar has three products that support the full software selection and implementation lifecycle. There’s software selection education for small businesses through StackPlan; our AppVentory software enables tech advisors to discover and optimise apps within their client base; and ChannelBoost is for businesses that make and sell software. Together, the Coachbar suite revolutionises the way tech advisors work with software providers, to achieve better outcomes for small businesses.

If you’re a software provider, who wants help to start or improve your partner channel with accountants, bookkeepers, or software consultants, get in touch with the team at Coachbar today. Visit coachbar.io to find out more.