BQE CORE Suite Reviews

CORE is a real time saver !

Comments: Implementation took longer than expected but has proved worth the extra time to get it right.

Pros:

Using CORE to invoice our clients has freed up so much of my time I'm afraid I could have streamlined myself out of a job. Billing previews that used to take days are now done in hours. The time to create invoices and submit them for approval takes about 25% of the time before CORE. Easy to learn and a breeze to use.

Cons:

ORE is a very complex software system to set up, but once we worked out all of the nuances and specifications, this software rocks!

This product delivers...if you want it, it can be done.

Comments: the exec. appreciates the overall business analysis that can be obtained, time keeping is given back to the body of the staff and not the admin. staff, and can be seen and impacted live. project management is a complete task, not just partial tasks here and some in another area. Generally positive...difficult at first because change is hard, but once the benefits are realized, embraced ultimately.

Pros:

once full integration is close, one can really see how the product can fully encompass all aspects. full analysis can be achieved if all data is inputted, but only then. if pieces are missing, so is the entire impact. time keeping can be accurate for all the employees...same story, expenses can be fully analyzed, project costing can be fully analyzed...but one must enter all of the data. it replaces most existing processes so it's difficult for some to "move on" so as not to duplicate. there are some glitches, but there usually is.

Cons:

there might be too many features...not all businesses have them and while some recognize it, some will try to fill in all the blanks and this can be time wasteful. while there is a lot of "help", "dumbing it down" is never a bad thing. why not make it easy to understand? not everyone is an engineer...admins use it as well so keep it easy to understand for all. this gets more important the bigger the company gets...will support more administrative positions, so use the "kiss" principle-keep it simple st***d. admins will get these tasks delegated to them ultimately so make it easier to understand no matter the degree/education

Good and bad about BQE

Comments: Efficient, feature-rich, but a bit complex

Pros:

All-in-one functionality, easy to use and understand

Cons:

The steep learning curve for new users to utilize

Software has issues, but their customer support is pretty good

Comments: In theory, I like all of the features that core has to offer, however, when the features don't work the way they're supposed to it becomes a bit of a nightmare to use. It has a lot of bugs, crashes often and in general is just not very user friendly.

Pros:

I like the expense management feature for employee reimbursement and client billing purposes. I also liked the accounting feature that allows you to bill expenses straight from the Cloudfeeds. I also really liked their customer support. They have a solid team on standby for customer support. I would often get the same person when I called. They are super friendly and know how to navigate the software.

Cons:

It's time consuming to use - it's so slow and there are a lot of features that bug out and simply don't work the way they're supposed to, so I spend a lot of time navigating all of that, which is a bummer.

Great software

Pros:

time tracking is super helpful for everyone

Cons:

initial setup is a heavy lift if you're the only one doing it

BQE Core key to Business Operations

Comments: CORE allows us to operate efficiently as a business. Overall, the CORE product I would recommend to any business who relies on billable hours as their core business. The ability to invoice directly from the platform and customize project fields are nice features.

Pros:

BQE Core is critical to the overall operation of our business. CORE allows us to charge time and expenses to different projects, in which we utilize CORE's invoicing suite to invoice customers in a timely manner. CORE's suite helps us manage cashflow and WIP better than we ever have before.

Cons:

CORE has moments where the platform loads very slowly. Invoices can be customized, but that comes at a cost. We would like for CORE to have the ability to allow it's customers to customize their own invoice templates. When a project has many phases, invoicing by master project is not possible.

BQE Core Ease

Comments: Overall, BQE Core has greatly enhanced our operational efficiency, and we highly recommend it to other firms looking for a comprehensive project management and accounting solution.

Pros:

BQE Core is miles ahead in terms of user-friendliness, intuition, and customization capabilities. The platform is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for our team to adapt quickly.

Cons:

I would have liked to see a bit more integration with MS365

Great Tool for Time Tracking!

Comments: Overall has been a very positive experience using BQE CORE Suite. It allows for clear communication between myself and my team leadership, so there is no question about where my time is going and how long a task took to complete.

Pros:

It breaks down each of my projects clearly and I can directly see where all of my time is going! It offers a lot of control.

Cons:

It did not feel very user-friendly initially, but I caught on after some questions asked to my coworkers!

Great Program

Pros:

I like how straightforward the software is. It's very easy to navigate.

Cons:

I wish it was better at keeping things the way I left them. For example, I'll compress all drop downs on the timecard so that it is easier to read but when I log back in the next time, they are all expanded again.

Core is the Core in our workplace

Comments: It has been easy to use and the chat and FAQ is always available

Pros:

It is an easy to use interface that is web based so no need to download on any device

Cons:

getting used to the change between the original BillQuick and the newer core interface

BQE provides strong support for customizations

Comments: Overall experience has been nothing short of great. The strong support BQE offers for customization has resulted in effective time billing management but also leaves us with satisfied clients seeing their contracts clearly on a custom invoice based on their requirements.

Pros:

Our company transitioned many years ago to BQE from a different software which was not as detail oriented as we needed for project budgets as well as client satisfaction on invoicing. Offering services to many different types of agencies - from federal to local government agencies to the private sector, each client requires a different level of detail on invoicing. In the past, we have found it very difficult to track time and transition those hours into a contract based invoice.

Cons:

Would like to see more streamlined and simplified process of client credits. Right now the only way is to have it has a retainer.

BQE Core Review

Comments: Since the minute we began to research and consider switching our project management software to BQE Core, we have felt that the team at BQE has been nothing but helpful through the process. The sales team were there to answer questions, suggest videos/webinars to get familiar with Core and to let us know about sales promotions we may be interested in. When we finally made the choice to move to Core, they were excellent at getting us set up with the software and following up on any questions we had. Since implementing Core, we have found that we have much better control over how our projects are managed, we are seeing much better performance data and are very happy with the product.

Pros:

We like that there is a lot of control over how we set up our projects and the integration options available through Core. We recently made the switch to this software and find that we are able to track project time, expenses and profitability much easier than with our previous software.

Cons:

Because there are so many options and settings it can take a bit of time to get used to finding what you are looking for. Things are taking us a bit longer to manage in this software - however, with more time using it and the training/support options available, we recognize this will only be a temporary issue to using Core.

Invoices have been easier to process compared to previous software

Comments: Overall experience is great. As mentioned we experiencing error free time tracking, billing and the presentation of invoices is far better.

Pros:

We use the time, billing and accounting functions frequently and it has made my job a lot easier and smoother compared to tracking down expenses and time for the team members. Processing reports are simple as well. Less error of tracking time/expenses as compared to our previous software. Invoices are more accurate. Invoices look professional and clean.

Cons:

Cannot think of anything at this time. We are really enjoying the software

So far we have had positive experiences in Core

Comments: Core has greatly solved our resource allocation, project management and Time & Expense tracking.

Pros:

We are getting more and more use out of Core. So far we are just diving in, but it has helped our time tracking and expenses and keep our documents in one place. Allocation and forecasting, project management and time and expense setup are all helpful. We are using our custom report for allocations and it is working well for us.

Cons:

Any changes, we pass through ideas and so hopefully they are updated as new features - we would like to know the status of our requests just so we can discuss in our meetings.

BQE - We rely it!

Comments: No issues to write about, just as mentioned it is a bit to maneuver, but overall experience is positive.

Pros:

Honestly, the support from the support team if there is a problem, has been key to rating the software.

Cons:

Sometimes the software is a bit tricky to maneuver, but as mentioned the support team is great.

it’s truly changed how we operate as a business

Comments: We have only been using the software since September 1st. Previously we were using Excel for project management, timesheets, and AR invoicing. In addition, we were using Word and Excel to generate manual invoices (then converting to PDF). Not only has the billing process been improved, but we have been able to implement Internal Financial Controls. We purchased the HR and Accounting modules a couple of months ago and are in the process of implementing our own HR templates. We are looking forward to automating the HR process. It’s truly changed how we operate as a business and made us ten times more efficient in so many different ways.

Pros:

The call-in support is always available. The billing module & templates. It is easy to generate invoices. The batch update feature. Uploading documents in various modules. View of information projects are restricted to authorized personnel. Ability to sort and filter various screens. How CORE will remember where you left off if you leave a screen or log-out (same filters, etc.).

Cons:

Core can use these improvements: 3. What improvements would you like to see in Core • An Accounts Payable Widget that shows open invoices that are due within a customized time frame. • A tracking method for professional continuing education requirements. • Enabling dependency between phases (not just within phase). • Download GANNT chart into Excel that looks like the chart (not just a list). • Being able to modify draft invoices without having to delete and start over. • Vendors – tracking COI’s w/60-day advance reminders. • AP checks to include invoice number (not the bill number). • In the project structure, a separate tool to move a phase up or down (rather than the grab and drop). • The AR invoices to automatically sort to open status only (not all invoices). • The ability to hide or delete built-in accounts in the Chart of Accounts. • Custom HR forms that can be sent to employees and electronically signed. • In billing, projects that are in complete or cancelled status, it will not show up in the drop-down menu when creating batch invoice.

BQE Core Review

Comments: I am staying with BQE because it is the best all-in-one program I could find. It isn't perfect and, in many ways, it is miserable to use because it takes a long time and is slow, not optimized for fast use and there are a lot of features that are missing required for efficient use.

Pros:

I like that this software is fully functional and can potentially do anything a consultant or engineer would need to do without having to use other products.

Cons:

BQE can do almost everything and therefore it is complex and requires a lot of assistance from tech support. I have found that on most calls I have made the lower tier tech support has to contact the upper tier tech support and gets back with me later - sometimes. I am still waiting on them to fix some things (for weeks or months now). The 'powerful' proposal builder is a joke. Tech support just told me to type it in another program and import it, but that doesn't even work well. I have found a bunch of bugs and half thought out ideas. For example, to enter receipts or documentation for transactions other than credit card transactions requires a bunch of extra steps and cannot be done from the phone. Projects are complex (which is a good thing because they can do a lot) but it takes a lot of effort to setup a project and it can't be created from a template on the phone. I have bumped up against a bunch of walls inside BQE and when I ask how to do this or that I'm just told that isn't a feature BQE has.

Comments: As architects, we get set in our own way of doing things and never want to change. In ArchiOffice 2013 we found a product that pretty much adapts to how we do things. Sure we changed our methods a little, but for the most part it does what we want it to. We began looking for an office management software in 2007. We realized that the old method of using a spreadsheet was making us miss lots of opportunity for reimbursements that we could have been charging clients until too late. Just recapturing these lost revenues has paid for ArchiOffice. After 6 years, the program is so comprehensive, there are modules for everything you need in an architects office. The main points are easy; project lists, contact lists, time records, billings, and a shared calendar. But dig deeper and you get time tracking per job, project phases or tasks; time records, that at entry, keep everyone informed as to project progress; intelligent records, filling in more than you really want to know about project time expenditure; RFI logging, shop drawing logging; billings, showing cash flow and work in progress; phone call records and a shared calendar; not to mention dozens of reports, and more. For example - when a project Architect is out, and an electrical shop drawing comes in, the office manager can look up the engineer in project info/contacts, and forward the submittal on the same day. Then, they can place a task on the architects to-do list, 7 days out, noting that it should be returned; and then also they can set another task for 10 days out, reminding them again that it should have been returned. We use it for document management; scanning and storing the shop drawing when it is returned. Remote access from anywhere with an Internet connection makes it easy to reach information in the field. The superintendant, without his copy of a spec or shop drawing, can remotely access it thru Archioffice. 6 years of use, and we love it. All that glowing review, and yes, it does have a few flaws. The biggest is that Syncing with Outlook is nearly a waste of time. It can be done, but it requires that you run old Java, then run parallel Outlook files. We just don't even bother. When we do have a problem, the tech support is awesome. In 2010, after a major upgrade, I think I wore out tech support for 3 months. But currently, I think I have emailed two questions in the last 3 months. Always fast and complete responses. AO2013 is mature enough of a product that problems are few and far between. I will admit, as Architect/IT guy/Managing Partner, I use every aspect of this program - not just a few areas like most of my employees. I still look at competing programs, and haven't found one that adapts to my ways as well, or is as comprehensive.

ArchiOffice has definitely been useful for our firm

Pros:

ArchiOffice has definitely been useful for our firm over the past six years! We don't use all of the features that are available but the time tracking, budgeting and invoicing have been incredibly helpful for us. I used to spend a lot of time with spreadsheet updating to get accurate information on where we were in each client's budget and with ArchiOffice this is done for me and it is information I use daily. I especially like how we can see the hours to date as they are entered and how many hours we have exceeded our estimate. This information becomes valuable when we create new proposals. We have a much better handle on exactly what it is taking for us to complete each project so we can forecast with more accuracy. Also helpful has been the Performance report which gives us a real look at how each project performs financially. I would not go back to doing this all in spreadsheets! ArchiOffice has made my job much easier over the years. Another thing I appreciate is the project list which saves me from tracking that in another program.

Cons:

The only thing that would help us out would be to run ArchiOffice on a Mac platform.

Comments: We are an environmental consulting firm operating in Canada. We were using Caseware Time before purchasing BillQuick about 3 years ago. Our previous system was inadequate because it didn't have a strong reporting capability. Caseware also did not roll over projects from previous years - a problem for us because we sometimes have long running projects. We are currently using BillQuick 2011, and we automatically receive current updates with our priority support package. The implementation was not a smooth transition to say the least. Caseware and BillQuick were not at all compatible, and we feel we are still trying to rid ourselves of some of the demons. As a result, we are still trying to work out the kinks after all this time. For the most part, we have had very good help from the folks at BillQuick, especially Irfan and Mario. We are still on a learning curve, and hope to have the kinks resolved before the year's end. BillQuick's pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I think that we eventually will have the system running to our satisfaction. We have not yet done a lot of employee/manager training, since we feel we need to get the system running more smoothly before we unleash them on it! For the most part, the ease of invoicing for straightforward invoices is great. We previously compiled and sent out invoices manually. That being said, we do seem to run into most of our problems with BillQuick in the invoicing and reporting area. We do a fair amount of pre-billing in our business, and BillQuick does not really allow us to properly utilize the reporting required for this type of invoicing, in terms of WIP and over/under contract amounts. For example, when we pre-bill, we would like to see a negative amount reflected in the WIP and then, as time is added, have that WIP eventually even out and possibly go into the positive. We have tried in the past to work with negative WIP, and it has not gone well with the reporting functionality, especially in terms of WIP reconciliation. The other issue we seem to have arises when we use the "Mark as Billed" feature. What good is this feature if you cannot associate a bill with an invoice number? As a result of this shortcoming, our "mark as billed" invoices do not get picked up in the reporting process. When we do a manual invoice versus an hourly invoice, does the software track the non-billable time that may be in the project as well as the billable? All in all, we feel BillQuick is a good program and has the potential to be great. We realize that we need more personalized training, and that some of our difficulties are due to our unique business needs. Thanks for all the help and support.

I feel liberated with Core

Comments: As alluded earlier my experience with Core exceeds expectation. Most hiccups are sorted instantly with the knowledgeable support team. And with constant feedback, customization and updates, Core has met our firms needs and has delivered on every aspect of CRM and Project Management.

Pros:

In my capacity as an Accounts Manager, I feel liberated to access critical client data in real time. Ability to update the Core database remotely from multiple devices has increased efficiency and productivity for the Finance & Accounting Dept. Seamless integration across one interface has been a game changer for project management. Collaboration, time and expense entries and accessing overall health of projects is readily available. Key performance indicators and customizable dashboards offers the foodies who eat with their eyes an appetizing experience using Core.

Cons:

Change is the only constant. Offering end user of Core inclusivity and engaging in product improvement will enhance significant updates. Select a Core group of users, incentivize and march to the finish line fielding their hands on user experience , constraints and limitations. Polishing and adding new features are the key to user satisfaction.

BQE CORE for small businesses

Comments: The technical team are superb and the (paid for) training essential to get you up to speed fast. The integration of time/expenses, project setup and control, invoicing and bill payments really good.

Pros:

Time and expenses recording. Invoice creation. Financial planning and reporting.

Cons:

The ability to customise reports is an additional costed service. It is really set up for USA and I had some tricky times making sure I reset up the currency. Also, you need to use 'Purchase Tax' for 'VAT' to make things work as you would expect.

Easy to use interface, with some room for improvement.

Comments: We've had our hiccups from the start when we decided to migrate from Billquick. The communication has been severely lacking from the start. Several data issues which have still be unresolved, and functionality that varied from BillQuick that we've had to adapt to, even though we were assured that everything that was in BillQuick would be part of CORE. The most significant issue we have though is response time and communication when there is a reported issue or problem. Customer service is readily available to address a new issue, but the resolution is poor.

Pros:

Cloud-based, project performance data, reporting options.

Cons:

We migrated from BQE's Billquick software. There were elements of the migration that went well, and some that did not. It's been over 6 months since migration and I'm still waiting on data issues to be repaired and issues to be resolved.

Tax & Legal Service Invoicing

Pros:

The user layout is fairly easy to manage and self-explanatory.

Cons:

Online credit card payments via Stripe have not worked well since we began using the product in August 2021. The error codes are never consistent and customer service never seems to be able to provide an explanation for the issues (even after ruling out user error). We also tried to set up ACH payments via Plaid and were never able to successfully link the systems. Many clients have had to call our office or mail a check to provide payment on their Core invoices which should have been online-pay capable.

Everything that is charged to a project can be seen in real-time

Comments: We have been using BQE since March 2015. Prior to then, we kept all project information in QuickBooks. The staff were not able to see where they were on projects since they did not have access to QuickBooks. Currently everything that is charged to a project can be seen in real-time.

Pros:

The ability for each employee to input their time/expenses is one of the features that I like the most. I also appreciate that staff members can check time and expenses for their projects to see where they are on projects with a budget. Invoicing is now streamlined because the information for the project manager's review is on one page. Budget information is on the draft invoice which makes it easy to see when a project is over/under budget, and who has coded time to the project.

Cons:

I wish there was a better way of archiving old vendor bills.