Toronto, Ontario, September 19, 2024 – CMiC, a leading Next Generation Construction ERP provider, recently announced a new partnership with Interwest, a general contractor specializing in multifamily and single-family rental projects. Operating in California, Texas, Florida and expanding into Ohio, Interwest has been experiencing robust growth, driving the need for an integrated construction management software. Their expansion and the complexities of managing diverse regional markets prompted the search for a comprehensive ERP solution. After evaluating various options — and recognizing the necessity for a software that could integrate project management with financial oversight seamlessly — Interwest chose CMiC for its comprehensive suite of applications, on top of their industry-specific workflows.
Interwest: Pioneering Multifamily and Single-Family Rental Projects Across Key States
Interwest started its journey in California, harnessing the region's dynamic construction landscape to lay a strong foundation for its operations. In this competitive environment, this general contractor distinguished itself through its commitment to quality and a deep understanding of multifamily and single-family rental projects. Their success in California acted as a springboard for expansion into other states, exemplifying their adaptability and strategic growth.
The expansion into Texas and Florida together with plans to enter Ohio mark significant milestones for Interwest. These moves demonstrate the company's robust growth strategy and its ability to adapt to diverse regional markets. With projects in these states, Interwest is not only expanding its geographic reach, but also its expertise in handling diverse construction challenges and environments.
Business Challenges Faced: Disjointed Project Management and Accounting
In the past, Interwest faced challenges which impacted their levels of operational efficiency. These included:
Software Solutions that Didn’t Meet their Long-Term Business Needs: Initially, Interwest utilized QuickBooks, which fell short of meeting their growing and complex business needs, particularly as their business expanded. QuickBooks' lack of robust controls and its inability to efficiently handle multi-entity management, which were crucial for Interwest's expanding project portfolio, posed serious challenges.
Disconnected Systems: Interwest’s ambition to seamlessly integrate their project management and accounting systems has been a significant hurdle. The existing software required time consuming manual efforts to reconcile and manage, thereby impeding efficiency.
Fragmented Team Communication: A pivotal challenge for Interwest was to establish a platform that ensures cohesive communication and collaboration across different departments. This necessity stems from their aim to continually streamline and improve processes and is more effectively achieved by enabling operational staff and accounting teams to work in tandem, speaking a common language.
The Software Evaluation Journey: The Search for a Fully Integrated Construction ERP
Prior to their partnership with CMiC, Interwest explored various other software solutions. Procore was among the considered options, as were Sage Intacct and Sage 300 — however, these solutions fell short of Interwest's evolving needs.
The following criteria are what set CMiC apart from the rest:
Its robust platform and exceptional sales approach: Unlike other software providers, CMiC tailored their demonstrations specifically to Interwest's unique operational style, bringing in experts with in-depth product knowledge. This personalized approach ensured that all of Interwest's questions were addressed by knowledgeable professionals, instilling confidence in the decision-making process.
The Pricing Model: In addition to the technical advantages, CMiC's pricing model resonated well with Interwest. More importantly, the value CMiC would provide aligned with Interwest's growth strategy, making CMiC an optimal choice for a long-term partnership.
Key CMiC Applications in Interwest’s Implementation Plan
Here is an overview of the key applications outlined in their implementation strategy, along with the associated advantages these will offer to the business:
Phase 1 (June 2024):
Financials: General Ledger, Accountings Payable, Accounts Receivable, Project Costing (including Job costing), and Project Billing.
Project Management: Subcontractor Management and Change Management.
Integrations: DocuSign and GCPay, which includes managing lien waiver tracking.
Phase 2:
Financials: Opportunity Management.
Project Management: Drawing Management, Enterprise Content Management, Communication Management, Collaboration Management (Gateway)
Workflow: Enterprise Content Management, Outlook Plug-in, Imaging and Workflow.
Site Management.
Forging Ahead: The Promising Horizon of Business Efficiency with CMiC
Interwest is poised to revolutionize its operational landscape by integrating CMiC's cutting-edge project management tools. This strategic move is expected to support Interwest’s vision for efficient business processes and transparent financial operations. As Dean Anderson, CFO of Interwest, astutely notes, "With CMiC, we anticipate a transformation in our day-to-day and week-to-week project performance visibility, significantly surpassing existing siloed systems."
Anderson emphasizes the pivotal role of CMiC in enhancing operational transparency within Interwest. The deployment of customized dashboards and seamless connections between field staff and project management, he believes, will streamline workflows and ensure a unified view of budgeting across different departments. This harmonization is anticipated to lead to greater efficiency in staff utilization, supporting Interwest's growth without necessitating a proportional increase in the number of employees.
Anderson's vision for Interwest, empowered by CMiC's technology, includes a future where scalability is achieved through automation and remote capabilities. "This integration marks a leap forward for Interwest," Anderson states, "positioning us to scale our business efficiently, driven by the robust and autogen capabilities of CMiC's system. This forward-thinking approach is set to redefine Interwest's operational dynamics, paving the way for a new era of business efficiency.”
For more information about CMiC, please click here.
About Interwest:
Interwest stands out as a burgeoning general contractor, rapidly gaining ground in the construction of multifamily and single-family homes for rent, with a strong base in California, Texas, Florida and expanding footprints in Ohio. Their projects, characterized by a blend of aesthetic and functional excellence, demonstrate a deep understanding of contemporary living needs. This approach, combined with an unwavering commitment to quality and strategic project management, distinguishes Interwest in a competitive industry. As a relatively new player, Interwest is not just extending its geographic reach but is also setting new standards in American housing construction.
About CMiC:
As an industry pioneer, CMiC delivers complete and unified Financials and Project Management software solutions for construction and capital projects firms. CMiC’s powerful software transforms how firms optimize productivity, minimize risk and drive growth by planning and managing all financials, projects, resources, and content assets—from a Single Database Platform™. With customers throughout North America and overseas, CMiC serves one-quarter of ENR’s Top 400 Contractors and hundreds of small and mid-sized construction firms, from general and specialty contractors to heavy/highway and project owners. Over $100 billion in construction revenue is handled by CMiC annually.
Media Inquiries:
Farhana Ahmad
Senior Manger - Content, PR and Social Media
eMail: farhana.ahmad@cmic.ca