During the summer of 2003, Jerry Bonner started in on the biggest house he’d ever built. The $30 million, 47,000-square-foot project outside Atlanta incorporated building elements from all over the world: windows from France, slate roof tiles from China, and interior doors from Belgium, to name a few. Keeping track of all the items arriving at the jobsite grew more and more difficult, until his company made the bold move of transferring its accounting system from the office to the field. “It became a huge burden to check stuff in as it came in,” says Bonner. So he and his project manager, Bill Blane, moved his accounting staff and software to the jobsite trailer, where all material and subcontractor invoices are now processed.
The new system uses the same software, Quickbooks Pro for Contractors, as the company’s traditional accounting did. But by moving the process to the site, Bonner streamlined his entire operation. Items are checked in the minute they arrive, and subcontractors’ invoices are updated daily. “All that’s left to do in the office is to write the checks,” he says. With the tap of a laptop key, he and Blane can tell exactly which products and materials have come in without the lag time associated with office-based accounting. “I don’t know how we would have done this project with the old method,” says Bonner. “Before we knew where we were every 10 days to two weeks. Here we know every day.” The new system allows the company to serve its clients more efficiently, providing them with current snapshots of the job’s physical and financial progress. “When someone gives you that much money, you need to be able to give them an answer right away,” says Blane. And it helps the subs keep better track of their payments, too. The company plans to adapt parts of the system to use on other jobs, realizing the value of speedy, accurate accounting. “Communication is enhanced,” says Blane. “That’s the bottom line.”
Bonner Custom Homes, Marietta, Ga.
Type of business: custom builder
Years in business: 36
Employees: 20
2004 volume: $24 million
2004 starts: 5
