BQE CORE Suite Reviews

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!

Alternatives Considered

Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Choosing BQE CORE Suite

Centralized online database for multiple locations and web-based time tracking.

Switched From

QuickBooks Desktop

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

Price was a key factor, but so was familiarity.

Pros

It's intuitive, easy to navigate, and easy to use.

Cons

In my organization, the program is set up with autosave as time is entered so it if a mistake is made you only have a few seconds to correct it yourself without needing an admin to go in and adjust it for you.

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.

Alternatives Considered

Deltek Costpoint, Deltek Acumen, Deltek PPM, QuickBooks Online, Deltek Vision and Deltek Payments

Reasons for Choosing BQE CORE Suite

The owner of the firm worked with the BQE team when they first started building the software, he was informing them of features that would be useful for the architecture firm, so he set the company up with BQE to support their mission.

Switched From

Harvest and QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

The owner of the firm worked with the BQE team when they first started building the software, he was informing them of features that would be useful for the architecture firm, so he set the company up with BQE to support their mission.

Pros

BQE Core is very flexible in how you can allow employees to track their time and decide if it is billable or not.

Cons

It has many features that we do not use but I can see how other companies would appreciate the additional functions.

Pros

the personal dashboards and the ease of expense tracking and project management

Cons

it is difficult to convert foreign currency

Pros

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

Cons

The steep learning curve for new users to utilize

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!

Pros

So far I have enjoyed the modifiable nature.

Cons

I am struggling to view or change forecast dollars and hours in the same window without having to refresh the page to switch from one to the other. It would be nice to have them together on the same page and update live.

Pros

I use it mostly for tracking my hours! I've had coworkers say they use it to help track their NCARB hours also since you can use categories to keep track.

Cons

I'm not sure how to fix this but my boss isn't getting my PTO requests; I'm sure it's a very solvable issue but we just haven't gotten around to fixing it yet!

Pros

Using BQE is very simple, additionally, time can be entered day by day and you are sent reminders when you have not entered time in the projects.

Cons

They could improve the way the user sees the screen, it could be a little more didactic.

Pros

I have to say it has succeeded with flying colors after being bombarded with all kinds of unusual circumstances with hundreds of our architecture projects! Well done!

I'm constantly amazed how well thought-out the original approach was in Core's basic design allowing it to handle all of our client's weird situations, and we're just one of the zillions of other companies using Core who do things so differently than we do.

I say this with a little authority, as well, because I wrote my first program at age 15 in 1968 and I have seen (and suffered) *everything* in all the eras of computing since. Core is badass.

Every system has issues, but it's important we all stop and appreciate the unimaginable amount of work that went into making Core really effective.

No one paid me to say this and I'm not getting any brownie points. I'm saying this because I know intimately what the developers have gone through to make today's Core possible. Whew!

Cons

While Core has one of the best time sheet entry forms around. It would be great to have a more graphical time entry interface such as the kind iOS and Android users are familiar with when using, say, a calendar app, in which they can use a mouse or finger to draw time blocks graphically, then double-click/tap them to set the info for that block.

Alternatives Considered

Deltek Vision and Unanet ERP AE

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

We selected Core for its modern design and awesome feature set which helps us run all areas of our business under one roof

Pros

A little over one year back as we started up our new business I was researching for the best accounting, time and expense tracking and billing software. I selected BQE Core because it had an intuitive interface, easy reporting and it was on cloud. For any startup business the cost is always a big factor, the fact that BQE Core was a fraction of other similar software packages was an added bonus! We use BQE for our integrated accounting, time/expenses, and invoices, and it has been integral in helping us to understand and grow our business in the first year. At every moment, I have the info available to understand my cash flow, liabilities and A/R all in one interface, which never would have been possible if I used other accounting software.

Cons

In a separate excel doc I track our projected income and expenses for each two-week period so I can plan cash expenditure. If BQE had a feature to track overhead and projections in relation to billable work, that would really integrate all functionality in one software. Other than that, I don't have any suggestions for improvement.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

Core is more intuitive and a complete package for professional services.

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

Pros

The customer service is outstanding and available 24-7. The software itself is easy to use as long as you put the time in to learn what it can do. Reports are great and very customizable and if you cannot find what you need there is an option to reach out for a custom report for a fee. Time entry is extremely easy to do whether you are in the office or on the go.

Cons

Invoices when in draft mode cannot only have some changes made to them, whereas other PM software I have used lets you update more whilst in this mode. Also we started using the accounting feature and the bank feed updates are still not working

Alternatives Considered

Deltek Ajera

Reasons for Choosing BQE CORE Suite

We made the switch so that we have more insight into our projects.

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

We were already using ArchiOffice and where happy with this project, so we decided to stay with BQE.

Pros

CORE has by far proven to be the most suitable fit for small architecture practices and firms as compared to many others out there cost hundreds of dollars more for each seat. The application serves our daily needs to keep our projects and staff on account, efficient and profitable.

Cons

Sometimes there's too much of a good thing, being that there's more than 1 way to get what you need and therefore it can get a bit complicated and confusing to navigate.

Alternatives Considered

Monograph

Reasons for Switching to BQE CORE Suite

We came over from ArchiOffice and CORE offers flexible pricing tiers and discounts for long term subscription, as well as a full compliment of modules included.

Pros

I like that BQE is user friendly and makes it possible for the entire company to enter their own time and expenses anywhere, anytime.
I like that when there are updates to the system, users are informed.
I really like that everything entered through the mobile app sinks right away into BQE.
The technical support customer services is great. Even when someone is not sure of the answer, they research and get back to you. The support group is dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. Lenny is the best.

Cons

I do not like that all reports are Word documents. With data, it is impossible to sort and filter when looking for information.
It would also be easy if questions/answers could be given directly in BQE prior to invoicing instead of having to print each pre-bill and send to managers for approval and then enter their answer back in BQE.
The system allows write up/down of billable hours but you cannot run an accurate report of the amounts that were written up/down (I think in BQE it includes non billable hours). I keep track of mine on an Excel spreadsheet and it would be nice if I did not need to have an additional spreadsheet.
It would make more sense if each field that is populated in all categories could be use for reporting purposes. For example, if running a list of client, it would be good if we could choose what fields we want to see on the report for each client (like contact person, email address, industry...). Sometimes, I have to run three reports to get the information that I compile in one Excel spreadsheet.
Maybe I do not have this information, but the only way to access report customization is via email. It would be nice to have a support line for easy questions regarding a new report.

Pros

The product is great for the management of a project from time and expense reports to document management. It also manages the office contacts and calendar of events for all the employees. It will give you in real time if you are making or losing money on a project. It tracks and creates invoicing for all project clients. If you use QuickBooks, it is integrated directly with that software for complete accounting management. It is a great tool for Architects in that it is formatted for what we do (tasks and phasing of projects). If you have internet connection, you can get access to this program while on the road,

Cons

When opening up project file, it takes 2 or 3 clicks to open up a file, such as Word, PDF and AutoCAD. Very, Very frustrating. Many of my employees do not use is function and simply use Window file manager to open and move files. We should not have to do this. It uses Java in the background for some of its operations, and I am not a fan of Java... it is always updating. Updating of the software is somewhat difficult for the person not a computer nerd.

Pros

1) It has a nice look and it's easy to use because it is organized in an intuitive manner.
2) It is also incredibly customizable. There are so many ways to filter reports and adjust who sees which reports and when, it kind of blows my mind. I have done so many things to customize this software to my firm's needs and I still feel like I've just scratched the surface. This also means it will continue to be useful as my firm grows, which is incredibly valuable.
3) It's a cloud-based software, which means I never have to worry about installing the latest updates. It's also an extra bonus layer of data security because the data is not housed on my local in-office server.
4) Tracking time is easy, and once hours have been billed to the client they are marked in the system (this may seem like a pretty basic feature, but it was surprisingly difficult to find in a case management software).
5) It talks to QuickBooks online, and it's easy to transfer data. It saves a lot of time to transfer invoice and other data from the project management software directly into my accounting system.
6) The customer service and follow-up support is great. I was walked through the initial implementation, which got me up and running almost immediately - very little work time invested in the implementation. After using the software for a few weeks, I scheduled a one-on-one training session with a BQE trainer to get all my firm-specific questions answered which was great.

Cons

My only (minor) complaint is that it does not yet also function as a CRM. I hope they add this feature because I'm looking forward to incorporating that data and function into the same system as my case management.

Pros

Overall, very good. There was a learning curve, as with all software, but it makes sense once you figure it out. There are lots of connectors/features so knowing what you need is a big part of this. Support has been very good. They methodically think through processes and help with issues, configuration settings, or bugs (which I recently filed and it will already be fixed by the weekend). The software appears to do what I need it do (Project/Time/Expense Management) and may also be our replacement for QuickBooks once we get the processes figured out. The cost seems to be fair and it’s Tiered Usage based on user needs was great and something competitors didn’t offer very well. We look forward to continue to use the product

Cons

Its big and complicated. I would spend time investing in documentation on what things really do for the back-end. For example: The QuickBooks integration is great, but finding out what actually happens is confusing. I had to set up small tests to figure out that “activities” really mean “services” in QuickBooks and you can have select what records have to sync… documentation (very technical) is very good for people like me!

Pros

I can have access through any computer. This the only good thing

Cons

You can count on Mondays of the software not working due to updates that they did, the registries do not add things correctly - ex. The ledger balance is $15,000 and you have an expense of $300 and your new balance is $1000; and the beginning balance of the account is now showing -$33,000 when it was actually 0. We have to keep a separate excel spreadsheet so we know how much money is in our account because random amounts will just pop up in the ledger. When you reconcile you can only see the unreconciled items through a backwards way instead of them appearing on the monthly reconciliation report. Once a contract limit is met, all time goes to non-billable and is never calculated in the total cost of the project. The only way to have all costs allocated to a project is for them to be billed or marked as billed. We are currently looking to switch as soon as possible.

Pros

We were struggling with using many software applications to run our business. With Core we everything is in one software from tracking time, expense reporting, billing and project tracking. Our project managers have real-time project progress on a wide variety of reports and the best part is they can customize dashboards to fit their needs. Rest of the management team has easy access to the information using the scheduled reports without even logging into Core. We really love the automation.

Cons

Early on we had a difficult time understanding the vendor bill workflow.

Pros

BQE CORE Suite has been a valuable asset for our architecture firm. The integration of front and back office operations through this software has made managing projects, tracking time and expenses, handling invoicing and electronic payments much more efficient. The CRM and HR features are incredibly robust and allows us to keep our clients and team members organized and informed. Thanks to BQE CORE our profitability and project efficiency has seen a significant boost.

Cons

The only downside to BQE CORE Suite is the initial setup and learning process. It took some time for our team to fully understand and utilize all of the features, but once we got the hang of it, we found the software to be very user-friendly and easy to navigate. The support team was helpful in guiding us through the process, and it was well worth the effort.

Pros

What we like the most about Core is the way everything is integrated in one application instead of using standalone apps that do not talk to each other. The ease of pulling up the needed date is definitely helpful. I have liked how some of my suggestions to Core ideas have been implemented. If more of these could be fixed and added to the software, the use of the software would be more efficient and effective.

Cons

Although, BQE is working on a payroll module and i have to use a a separate payroll software to process payroll. On projects when you assign a group it doesn't let you assign to all phases and this feature addition would be great.

Pros

This software has lot of features and the best part is you can pick and choose the features that best fit your business. Although, Core is feature rich it is amazing how intuitive this software is. Support is great but most of the times we are able to figure out or answer our own questions if we get stuck that how simple and user friendly Core is. After switching to Core our management team is able to analyze the real time data to figure out the areas of improvement.

Cons

No real changes to suggest as of yet. There is already a lot to absorb. Anytime we need help or improvement in the software we send the feedback to BQE

Pros

It's easy to get sold on it's capabilities and functionality. Real time dashboards and remote access to timesheets via any electronic device are very nice touches.

Cons

Despite being told it would be an easy transition, it has not been the case. Software is not nearly as intuitive as current software (QB), for my needs had to buy a report writing software (SAP) which also requires training. First time through with data conversion on four of our company files, two came back incomplete and wrong, one came back with our project structure flipped upside down, and we never got back the fourth file which may be because it was for a Canadian entity and despite being told they know how to handle the tax issues faced in Canada, we did not have that confidence in them, and we have yet to see the first run through of the data conversion three months after uploading the file. Customer support is also not as responsive as I'd like and I would say working with them is just another negative issue