How Neo’s Construction Software Delivered a 50% Reduction in Admin Time for BSECC
How Neo’s Construction
Software Delivered a 50% Reduction in Admin Time
for BSECC
Industry: Civil
Published: 10 October, 2024
BSECC, Vic & SA-based civil company chose Neo for EBA interpretation and to streamline manual admin processes
Most people walking into a building are unaware of the complexity behind the construction process, particularly the elements that remain unseen—like earthworks and electrical infrastructure. For a company like BSECC, the visible results of their civil construction projects are just the tip of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, an enormous amount of paperwork and administrative work takes place to keep projects running smoothly.
BSECC operates across Victoria and South Australia, specialising in large and complex commercial construction and infrastructure projects. Their expertise spans from ITS trenching and installation to civil lighting, irrigation meter installation, hydro excavation, concrete recycling, plant hire, and labour hire.
As BSECC grew, so did the complexity of their projects, which brought significant challenges in managing their operations, payroll, scheduling, and compliance with multiple Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs). Jack Sheldon, General Manager at BSECC, above, sought out Neo Intelligence’s construction software to streamline these processes and drastically reduce administrative burden.
Hear Jack's experience with Neo
“My favourite feature by far is the scheduling. It allows us to manage multiple job sites with ease, making sure all our workers know where to be and when. The payroll processing, especially with the EBA integration, has also been a huge win for us. The daily site diaries have been a game-changer."
Challenges before Neo
BSECC faced three challenges as they expanded operations:
- Managing compliance with multiple EBAs
- Efficient scheduling and reporting
- Effective communication between the office, worksites & clients
Payroll was particularly difficult. “The complexity of manually calculating pay now that we had signed two EBAs was overwhelming,” Sheldon explains. “The workload for the finance team was going to dramatically increase, and we were concerned about getting it wrong.”
Scheduling and communication were equally challenging. “We were using WhatsApp group chats to track people and projects, and it became a weakness, especially as we won more complex jobs,” Sheldon says. Missed messages and confusion about work assignments created inefficiencies.
Benefits and outcomes
Simplified Payroll with EBA Integration
Before adopting Neo, the payroll process was labour-intensive, with Sheldon’s team manually cross-referencing timesheets, EBAs, and project documentation.
“We signed up with Neo as we signed the EBA, so we didn’t have to take on the complexity of translating it into payroll manually. It wasn’t something we wanted to take on,” says Sheldon.
With Neo’s EBA integration, payroll automation has drastically reduced the time and effort needed. “Neo’s integration with Xero has made turning details into dollars much simpler and faster,” Sheldon adds. The system handles all EBA-specific calculations, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
Streamlined Scheduling and Communication
Scheduling across multiple projects was another major pain point for BSECC. They previously relied on WhatsApp and text messages, which often led to missed communications and confusion.
“Scheduling was one of our biggest pain points. We were using WhatsApp and text messages, and when someone missed a message, it became a pain,” Sheldon explains.
Neo’s scheduling feature centralised this process. “Now, with Neo, we can manage multiple job sites seamlessly, and everyone knows exactly where they need to be and when. It has eliminated the confusion,” says Sheldon. The GPS pin drops on Neo’s Fieldworker app also ensures real-time oversight of all team members’ locations.
Organised Site Documentation
Before Neo, BSECC relied on WhatsApp for site diaries and documentation, making it hard to track progress or retrieve important information.
“Before Neo, there was no formal digitised system that combined the information essential for payroll, scheduling, records of progress, and works completed,” Sheldon explains.
With Neo’s Site Diary feature, BSECC can now capture detailed daily progress logs, attach photos, and categorise entries for easier access.
“The Neo Site Diary feature is extremely helpful if we ever need to go back during the claim process. It’s very easy to navigate, and we can just export a professional report with our logo on it and email it straight through to the engineer or whoever it’s required to go to,” Sheldon says.
Neo also significantly improved the monthly claims process for BSECC:
"We do our progress claims monthly. Prior to onboarding Neo, it would take a couple of days to do. Now, using Neo, you can easily knock it off in half a day just having everything in one central spot,” Sheldon explains.
A Solution with Expert Customer Support
One of the standout features for BSECC was the level of customer support and onboarding provided by Neo.
“The Neo platform is very easy to navigate and simple to use, both for the office and field teams. So having something that was extremely user-friendly was important for us,” Sheldon explains. “After we reached out, the Neo team got in touch with us straight away. They gave us a demonstration, and it was clear it would solve the pain points we had with payroll, scheduling, communications, and site documentation.”
“Based on my personal experience, construction management software becomes a problem when you’re not adequately trained or it’s too complex. That is definitely not the case with Neo. The platform is simple to use, and their hands-on onboarding makes sure everything is set up properly. Our Account Manager, Chris, has been fantastic throughout the onboarding process and beyond.”
Sheldon goes on to explain that Neo doesn’t just hand over a login and leave users to figure it out. “If we forget something or need help getting set up on our phones, Chris is always available. He resolves any issue within minutes, and it’s a pleasure working with him. Neo’s support has made a real difference for our team.”
The end result with Neo
Sheldon reports that Neo’s construction software has delivered a 50% reduction in administrative time for BSECC, streamlining payroll, scheduling, and site documentation processes, while significantly improving the monthly claims process.
“Using Neo has definitely helped to structure everything in our operations from an admin side of things. Just having one central point for everyone has helped us really dot our i’s and cross our t’s and turned us into being quite a bit more professional with how we run,” says Sheldon.
For subcontractors managing multiple sites and EBAs, Sheldon offers this advice:
"If you want to streamline operations and reduce admin work, Neo is a no-brainer."
