An All-in-one Firm Management platform designed by architects and engineers for architects and engineers, to streamline firm operations by automating project management, accounting, time tracking, billing, resource management, and more, enabling firms to focus on serving clients while improving profitability and performance analysis.
BQE CORE is an all-in-one, cloud-based platform purpose-built for architecture and engineering (A&E) firms by professionals who understand the realities of the industry—because it was designed by an architect and an engineer. It empowers firms to manage every aspect of their operations in one place, including project management, accounting, time and expense tracking, billing and invoicing, project-based ERP, and professional services automation.
One of the biggest challenges for A&E firms is balancing high-quality project delivery with the administrative demands of running a business. BQE CORE addresses this by streamlining operations, automating repetitive tasks, and organizing critical information so teams can focus on serving clients instead of managing internal processes. By expediting billing, improving project oversight, and providing deeper performance insights, CORE helps firms strengthen cash flow while optimizing efficiency and profitability.
A Platform Built for AEC Workflows
CORE’s origins set it apart—it was first developed to solve the challenges within its founder’s own architecture firm. That real-world experience shaped a solution that aligns with how architects and engineers actually work. CORE integrates front-office activities like project management and CRM with back-office processes such as time and expense tracking, invoicing, accounting, and HR. This creates a seamless workflow and reduces the friction of switching between multiple systems. With the BQE mobile app, firm leaders and teams can access full functionality from anywhere, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness.
Data-Driven Decision Making
CORE provides real-time visibility into key performance indicators, enabling firm leaders and project managers to make better-informed decisions. From high-level firm health metrics to detailed project profitability views, users can drill down into essential numbers such as utilization, realization, overhead, and runway. Project managers can track P&L across clients, phases, and employees, identify where profits are slipping, and make timely adjustments. Accurate time tracking and automated expense capture ensure every billable hour and cost is accounted for, eliminating revenue leakage and improving overall project outcomes.
BQE CORE is an all-in-one, cloud-based platform purpose-built for architecture and engineering (A&E) firms by professionals who understand the realities of the industry—because it was designed by an architect and an engineer. It empowers firms to manage every aspect of their operations in one place, including project management, accounting, time and expense tracking, billing and invoicing, project-based ERP, and professional services automation.
One of the biggest challenges for A&E firms is balancing high-quality project delivery with the administrative demands of running a business. BQE CORE addresses this by streamlining operations, automating repetitive tasks, and organizing critical information so teams can focus on serving clients instead of managing internal processes. By expediting billing, improving project oversight, and providing deeper performance insights, CORE helps firms strengthen cash flow while optimizing efficiency and profitability.
A Platform Built for AEC Workflows
CORE’s origins set it apart—it was first developed to solve the challenges within its founder’s own architecture firm. That real-world experience shaped a solution that aligns with how architects and engineers actually work. CORE integrates front-office activities like project management and CRM with back-office processes such as time and expense tracking, invoicing, accounting, and HR. This creates a seamless workflow and reduces the friction of switching between multiple systems. With the BQE mobile app, firm leaders and teams can access full functionality from anywhere, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness.
Data-Driven Decision Making
CORE provides real-time visibility into key performance indicators, enabling firm leaders and project managers to make better-informed decisions. From high-level firm health metrics to detailed project profitability views, users can drill down into essential numbers such as utilization, realization, overhead, and runway. Project managers can track P&L across clients, phases, and employees, identify where profits are slipping, and make timely adjustments. Accurate time tracking and automated expense capture ensure every billable hour and cost is accounted for, eliminating revenue leakage and improving overall project outcomes.
See BQE CORE in action through screenshots and short videos.
Watch the aec+tech Talks featuring BQE CORE.
Rachel K. Oleinick of Northworks Architects and Chris Vernon of BQE Software discuss how firm management software helped Northworks scale from 15 to 75+ people across multiple offices. They cover replacing scattered spreadsheets with BQE Core, tracking budgets and conversion rates, and what's next: AI-powered planning tools, expanded dashboards, and payroll integration.
Watch on YouTubeRead guides and insights featuring BQE CORE from the aec+tech team.
This article evaluates BQE CORE as an AEC-focused firm-management system. Built by architects and engineers, it mirrors typical A/E lifecycles and consolidates project and resource planning, CRM and proposals, time and expenses, native accounting and invoicing, forecasting, and configurable dashboards. It focuses on firm-wide adoption, real-time financial insight, scalability, and reducing tool sprawl.
In our latest AEC+Tech Talk, Northworks Architects shares how BQE CORE transformed their project management—from disconnected spreadsheets to real-time visibility across offices. BQE CORE is an all-in-one firm management platform built for AEC professionals to streamline operations, from time tracking and billing to resource planning and analytics. The platform is designed to support firms of all sizes and empower architects to manage their business more efficiently.
See how BQE CORE stacks up against similar tools before you decide.
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