Lloyd Architects Brings Financial Clarity and Faster Payments with BQE CORE

Lloyd Architects chose BQE CORE because they needed stronger financial clarity and operational structure without sacrificing the personal touch and culture of a small firm. As they grew beyond typical small-firm size, they wanted to get more done in less time and scale efficiently, but they were determined to avoid building a corporate layer that would distance them from clients and employees. Before CORE, profitability tracking was informal and limited. ArchiOffice supported time tracking and invoicing, but it did not give them a holistic, project-level view of the business, making it difficult to understand performance beyond a basic “cash-in, cash-out” approach. They made the switch with a long-term goal of reducing inefficiencies, eliminating manual work, and moving to an integrated firm management platform that supported the entire team, not just accounting. CORE offered project-level accounting, stronger financial data, and reporting tools that could drive day-to-day decisions and long-term planning. Over time, as CORE matured, it made time tracking and invoicing easier across the firm and gave leadership the ability to track where time is being spent by project phase and type, which is valuable for performance review and AXP documentation. Most importantly, it created the visibility needed to stay organized, compensate equitably, and operate at a high level while maintaining a small-firm mindset.

Profitability was tracked informally with limited financial clarity ArchiOffice handled time and invoicing, but lacked holistic firm and project visibility Manual work and disconnected processes made it harder to scale without “going corporate” Paper checks and bank trips slowed payment handling and wasted admin time

Paper checks for payments (pre-ACH) ArchiOffice for time tracking and invoicing Cash-in, cash-out style financial review with limited profitability planning

BQE CORE delivered ROI for Lloyd Architects by reducing administrative effort, improving cash flow, and giving leadership reliable project and firm visibility that supports smarter decisions. Before CORE, financial management was largely informal and the firm lacked a holistic view of profitability and project performance. With CORE, reporting became a core operating system rather than an afterthought. The firm now relies on structured reports to manage payroll support, expense tracking, invoicing history, project pipeline forecasting, work in progress for monthly billing, and utilization to protect profitability. Access to clean, consistent data also improved collaboration with an external consultant, making financial guidance more actionable because it is grounded in real project-level accounting. On the billing side, CORE’s built-in ACH payments created immediate time and cash-flow gains. Payment processing time dropped by 75%, and the firm no longer spends time dealing with paper checks or making trips to the bank. More than half of monthly payments are made by ACH and often arrive before the due date, which accelerates collections and strengthens cash flow. Internally, tasks that previously consumed hours, including invoicing and payroll-related work, became streamlined, freeing capacity for higher-value activities such as design work, client relationships, and mentoring the team. CORE also enabled leadership to stay engaged at a higher level in projects by clearly showing where time is being spent, while improving profitability planning so each project remains financially viable.

“BQE CORE lets us stay organized, compensate equitably, and keep a small-firm culture while operating at a high level.” – Warren Lloyd, AIA, LEED AP, Founding Partner

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