Sage is one of the most prestigious brands in back-end business and resource management. In recent years, they released Sage Paperless as a solution for construction companies seeking to automate manual invoicing and coding processes. With a variety of helpful features and impressive claims, it may seem like the best idea to choose a product with such an enduring legacy.
But as technology and software continue to evolve, it never hurts to keep your options open.
Whether you’re one of the 25% of small businesses still doing AP manually and considering an automation software that organizes and protects documentation…
Or you’re a current Sage Paperless customer wondering if there’s something better out there that can increase efficiency while drastically reducing human error and saving time and money…
This article offers insight into some of the reported problems with Sage Paperless, and presents three automated document management software alternatives that may be a better fit for your construction business–whatever stage of growth you’re in.
Read on to find the pros and cons of these AP automation solutions, eye-opening industry statistics, and why construction-specific software is crucial to operating efficiently and ensuring compliance.
Grappling with the nuance of maintaining compliance and regulations is just one uniquely challenging aspect of operating a construction company. Add in trying to accurately code, invoice, and track multiple job sites, chase time sheets, and find time to make sure your own invoices get paid, and it’s clear that manually processing construction AP requires impeccable accuracy, and spending a lot of time on easily-automated tasks, instead of focusing on higher-priority projects.
Even though 48% of invoices are still received manually (compared to 52% electronically) the problem with manual data entry is the risk of human error.
Aside from draining AP specialists' time (with the average invoice taking 10 days to process, according to a 2023 report by Ardent Partners’)... it ends up costing construction businesses an egregious amount of money each year.
Ernst & Young illustrates this point with their study revealing that each manually entered HR task (like payroll entry) costs US businesses an average of almost $5 PER task processed.
But a simple switch to software automation can reduce payroll errors by 75%, according to a report by The Hackett Group. One popular AP automation software is Sage Paperless–a pillar of enterprise resource planning and management… but is it really all it’s cracked up to be?
Sage Paperless Document Management software offers AP solutions that help accounting workflows operate more efficiently with automation. Consolidating and organizing all “project-related information” into a centralized platform, it claims to boost operational efficiency by reducing reliance on paper and offering easy integration with other Sage products.
While Sage’s long-standing career is appealing, customers report that setup for Paperless is overly complicated, has an expensive price tag, lacks features, and offers underwhelming software updates.
With its hefty price tag, it’s worth investigating alternative software to ensure you’re not only getting the best deal, but also the right solution for your specific business needs.
Now that we’ve addressed the value of automating AP processes, and why it’s worth looking into other construction AP software options, let’s dive into three top solutions, their pros and cons, and customer feedback.
Sage Paperless is document management software that offers both on-premise and cloud-based solutions for construction companies. It claims to improve operation efficiency by automating, organizing, and storing documentation in one location with the intention of helping businesses adopt a more efficient and “paperless process”.
Pro
Con
Avidxchange (previously Timberscan) is an accounting software developed specifically for the construction industry and states that it’s a “complete purchase-to-pay” Sage 300 CRE solution. It streamlines AP processes by centralizing information and offering features like automated workflows, automated coding, real-time reporting capabilities, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) invoice processing.
Pro
Con
SAP Concur is an accounts payable software that emphasizes the importance of going from paper to digital. It helps customers improve their AP workflows with features like mobile-compatible and cloud-based solutions.
Pro
Con
Hh2 cloud-based construction platform was built by contractors for contractors. Powering over 3,500 construction sites, hh2 connects field and office seamlessly, eliminating the frustration and costly errors associated with manual accounts payable. Hh2’s Document Flow software streamlines construction expense management (from invoices to reimbursements), without dealing with complicated spreadsheets and mountains of paper.
Pro
Con
With the breadth of software continuously expanding the market, it can be overwhelming trying to find the right solution for your construction company. The construction industry’s unique nuances, complexities, and compliance standards require automation software that isn’t just for accounting–but is designed specifically for your industry.
We hope this article has offered insight into the top construction-specific AP solutions worth looking into, and that even if you’re a long-time user of Sage products, there are excellent Sage Paperless alternatives that are accurate, secure, easy to use, and incredibly effective.
If you’re ready to optimize your construction AP processes with the industry’s #1 back-office accounting platform, book your free demo with one of our hh2 AP experts to learn more about hh2 Document Flow. We’re always here with exceptional software–and personalized support–to help you achieve your short and long-term goals.