Construction & Engineering

Unlock Process Innovations & Cost Reductions
with the ETCETERA® Platform

NAVIGATE FUTURE BUSINESS OPERATIONS WITH ADVANCED DIGITAL SOLUTIONS.

The ETCETERA® Platform facilitates rapid internal development of solutions designed to streamline processes, increase efficiencies and ensure regulatory compliance across the enterprise.

Facilitate: Make (Something) Easier, Help Bring (Something) About

ETCETERA® is the platform for configuring solutions tailored to your project management, operational workflow and administrative workflow requirements that replace enterprise system customizations, legacy applications, technology silos, software subscriptions, orphaned systems and paper-based processes. Construction and Engineering businesses accomplish more with ETCETERA®, the flexible no-code/low-code platform that adapts to your unique requirements, compliments your enterprise applications and serves as the platform for simplifying, integrating and optimizing your business processes and data requirements

ETCETERA® Enterprise Process Management (EPM)

Etcetera Vendor Invoice Processing

ETCETERA® EPM is the browser-based platform used to design, develop and implement online work processes for nearly any business process that include automated processes, comprehensive online user interfaces, data capture and validation, content capture, work routing and validation, rules-based workflows and offline to online work process synchronizations. With EPM, organizations manage the quantity, quality and velocity of applications deployed while minimizing the need for other software products and avoiding the costs of multiple systems.

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ETCETERA® Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

Etcetera Expense Management

ETCETERA® ECM is your browser-based document and file management system for nearly any department and any purpose. It provides for storing and accessing over 100 file types through a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) viewer supporting HTML5 and access on mobile devices. Documents include everything from receipts to E-size drawings, DWG files and reports from host systems. Zoom capabilities make viewing easy, even on small devices in the field. ECM is used to enable other applications and business processes with content and supporting documents.

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Examples of Optimized Processes

The ETCETERA® Platform can enhance operational efficiency and project management. By integrating the ETCETERA® ECM and EPM modules, construction organizations can streamline processes in nearly any area of their enterprise. The platform’s flexibility allows it to adapt to various departmental needs, ensuring that data is consistently managed and accessible. This comprehensive approach improves collaboration among teams, reduces administrative burdens, offers just one platform to learn for dozens or hundreds of applications and enhances overall project delivery, ultimately leading to better outcomes and operational excellence. See further information on some of these area uses by clicking the toggles below.

There are many parts to Project Management. One requirement is the organization of all subordinate activities in the project. ETCETERA® ECM organize each element of the project into tabs of related documents, from acquisition if applicable, to engineering/design, permits, solicitations for bids (RFP), purchase orders, delivery receipts, vendor invoices, labor, engineering drawings, as builts, sales related activities, billings to customers, and more. ECM is one place for all information pertaining to each project, with the unbelievable ability to search for items across projects (like all work contracted to a vendor, all Project Management time of a PM overseeing multiple projects, purchases of a particular product and more). ETCETERA® EPM allows for the management of project processes and the tracking of all in-process activities. This can include engineering changes with review and approvals by all required parties. EPM can provide for automatic spawning of Application User Interfaces (AUIs) to track all in-process permits and can place permitting activity into different work queues. All labor is tracked against the project with details to support cross billings to customers, if applicable. What process do you need tracked? What data is required? Use EPM as the single platform for tracking all project activities.

Authorizing purchases and providing an opportunity to determine the best quality and price is important to any business. The ETCETERA® EPM platform is used for Purchase Requisitions/Requests and approved requests can automatically create an ANSI X12 purchase standard data file for vendors, or alternatively a purchase order that is either digital and delivered by email or delivered by another method or printed. If for construction processes, the Purchase Order Request and Resulting Purchase Order can include individual detail lines with applicable Project/Phase/Task (or your version of project accounting) accounting codes. Purchase Orders can also be published on a Vendor Portal using ETCETERA®. A Purchase Order request can include sections for evaluating multiple vendors before the preferred vendor is selected and the purchase order rendered.

Manage all the data, documents, files and processes applicable to the Employee Lifecycle and to other HRM requirements. From onboarding and offboarding, to training, employee development plans, performance reviews, time & attendance, applicant tracking, incident/accident reports, disciplinary management, worker’s compensation and more are managed in a digitized form. Other common uses include HR surveys, salary change requests, awards & recognitions and tuition reimbursement.

Automating vendor invoice coding and approval is SOP but expand your concept of A/P to include a vendor portal with vendors submitting and “coding” their invoices, relieving A/P of that function, time & attendance, journal voucher review and approval workflow prior to postings, cross billings to customers managed with automated accumulation and generation of digitized supporting documents, capital budget planning and capital purchase reviews and approvals prior to review by capital committee and more. Use ETCETERA® to increase the velocity of throughput of vendor invoices and cross billings to customers resulting in better cash flow, thereby reducing use of funds or requirements for business financing. Manage W-9s and W-8s, fixed asset tracking and management, treasury functions, employee expenses, requests for travel, and more, etc.

Become an integrated part of employee onboarding and offboarding while also using the ETCETERA® platform for IT Training programs, IT Capital Requests, Work Order Management, Help Desk, Project Tracking and more.

Initiate a project with an understanding of permits required with an assignment of permitting requirements into individual or group work queues, with tracking of status of permits and linking of permit documents to projects as received. Let the system track the status of permits providing a comprehensive view of all pending work at all times.

Why do you think we named our platform “ETCETERA”?!?! Your organization can develop document management and process management solutions with velocity. No more waiting for vendors nor for capital expenditure or operating expense approvals. Just new solutions when you need them to help drive business performance. Contact one of our representatives today and start experiencing the ETCETERA® difference!

Software – Licensing (own) vs Subscriptions (rent)

Opting for a software license over a subscription offers several compelling advantages, particularly in terms of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). While software subscriptions may appear attractive due to their lower initial costs, subscriptions represent a perpetual expense.  As long as the product is in use, the payments continue indefinitely.  Further, they often come with escalating expenses over time. For instance, it’s common for subscription prices to increase by approximately 10% annually, potentially doubling the cost in just eight years.  This escalation can outpace business margins and diminish the value derived from the software.

In contrast, purchasing a software license involves an upfront investment, which can be made more manageable through financing options. For example, ScerIS’ banking partner offers financing for ETCETERA® software at rates between 0.00% and 3.99%, resulting in monthly payments often significantly lower than subscription fees. This financing can also encompass implementation services, eliminating initial costs in favor of a consistent monthly payment over three to five years.

Once the license fee is fully paid, ongoing costs are significantly reduced, typically limited to software maintenance fees that are about 60% to 70% lower than ongoing subscription prices. This reduction becomes even more pronounced when considering the cumulative effect of subscription price increases over time.

Moreover, software licensing allows for tailored solutions that leverage a company’s unique innovations and the talents of its employees. In contrast, generic subscription models may standardize processes, potentially eroding competitive advantages.

In summary, if TCO is a critical consideration, owning software through a licensing model offers substantial long-term financial benefits and supports the development of customized solutions that can enhance your business’s competitive edge.

Licensing – Concurrent User vs Named User

ScerIS offers flexible licensing options for our software, allowing customers to choose between concurrent user and named user licenses based on their specific needs. Many of our clients prefer concurrent user licenses due to their cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

Concurrent User Licensing permits a specified number of users to access the software simultaneously, regardless of who they are. This model is particularly advantageous for organizations where multiple employees need periodic access to the software but not all at the same time. Additionally, organizations with multiple shift operations find this very beneficial.  By purchasing licenses based on the maximum number of concurrent users, businesses can optimize costs, ensuring efficient utilization of resources.

Named User Licensing, on the other hand, grants exclusive access to the software for specific individuals.  This approach is beneficial when certain employees require constant and unrestricted access or when utilization is extraordinarily high.

Recognizing that business requirements can evolve, ScerIS provides the flexibility for customers to switch between Named User and Concurrent User licensing as their needs change. This adaptability ensures that your licensing model remains aligned with your operational demands, offering both efficiency and scalability.

In summary, our dual licensing options empower you to select the model that best fits your organization’s usage patterns, with the added assurance that you can transition between models as your requirements evolve.

Featured Success Story

Case Study: TRC Companies, Inc.

Challenge: TRC faced delays and inefficiencies in managing their A/P invoice processing, affecting cash flow, flow-through billings to customers, forecasting, and compliance. This plus handling their Concur activities and online purchases provided an opportunity for significant process improvements and optimizations.

Solution: ScerIS implemented ETCETERA® ECM and EPM to automate A/P invoice processing, improve financial controls, and streamline workflows.  Additionally, ScerIS manages all Concur expenses, produces data files for vendor invoices and Concur transactions for TRC’s ERP, evaluates sales taxes charged by vendors to determine if use tax obligations are applicable, manages vendor invoice retainage and repackages all vendor invoices and expense images for rebilling to customers.

Results:

  • First-year cost savings in excess of $1,000,000 (initial project delivered over $4,000 per Project Manager in savings per year).
  • Improved cash flow and compliance.
  • Faster invoice processing and reduced manual errors.
  • Enhanced vendor relationships and negotiation capabilities.
  • Faster bill-throughs to customers resulted in improved cashflow
  • Faster customer payments produced faster vendor payments (Pay When Paid terms).
  • Reduction of financing and interest expenses.

Testimonial: “We needed a way to gain control of invoice processing that would reduce our costs, improve our processes and allow our people to perform their responsibilities without unnecessary interference. That has been accomplished with ScerIS.” – Accounts Payable Manager, TRC Companies, Inc.

Download the TRC Case Study

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