How Dynamic Engineering Grew Profit 25% By Switching From Excel To Monograph Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies podcast

12:31

Unbilled hours. Constant firefighting. Are broken systems holding back your A&E firm? In this episode, you’ll learn a simple question to find broken systems and get a concrete example of how a 10-person structural engineering firm in Florida grew profits by 25% after switching from Excel to Monograph. Key takeaways: Ask your team to perform the same task—if their results differ, your systems lack consistency and need fixing. Use tools that visually show budgets, workloads, and schedules to make faster, more confident decisions. Implement systems that automatically track billable hours and improve communication to recover lost revenue. Need to streamline your firm? Visit monograph.com to get started.…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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How Workbench Cut Monthly Unbilled Fees by 75% After Switching from BQE Core to Monograph 43:32

30 weeks ago43:32

43:32

Many architects and engineers struggle to manage their business, from staying on top of budgets to streamlining invoicing and forecasting. In this episode, we explore how Workbench, a California architect-developer + design-build firm, transformed their operations. By switching to Monograph from BQE Core + Smartsheets, they reduced unbilled fees by 75%, cut their billing time from 20 hours a month to just 4 hours, and sped up staffing and scheduling for their team by 8x. In this episode, you'll learn: How to give your team real-time clarity on project budgets and schedules. How Monograph simplifies invoicing, forecasting, and staffing adjustments. How better tools can help reduce inefficiencies and improve team productivity. Workbench used Monograph to save time, improve transparency, and focus on growing their business. If you’re ready to spend less time managing spreadsheets and more time doing the work you love, this episode is for you. Want to learn more? Visit monograph.com to book a demo today!…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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How Workshop/APD Transformed Their Architecture and Design Business with Monograph 13:56

32 weeks ago13:56

13:56

Many architects and engineers feel overwhelmed by the business side of their work. In this episode, we explore how Workshop/APD, a leading multidisciplinary design firm, tackled these challenges and grew their team by 78% with Monograph. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to align your team with real-time project and financial data. How to take control of your firm’s financial health using tools designed for architects. How to build a culture of accountability that empowers your entire team. If you’re ready to solve the business challenges in your firm and scale with confidence, this episode is for you. Listen now and discover actionable strategies to grow your firm while staying focused on what you love—design. Want to learn more? Visit monograph.com to book a demo today!…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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How Garrison Architects cut costs 50% by leaving ArchiOffice for Monograph 56:32

1 year ago56:32

56:32

Meet Garrison Architects — a Brooklyn-based architecture firm that specializes in sustainable, modular building design through highly refined modernist aesthetics across private residential and large scale public projects. In 2023, the firm left ArchiOffice for Monograph to streamline and improve project tracking, staffing, and billing, while reducing the cost associated with managing their systems by 50%. Here's what happened: Before Monograph - +$34k annual cost on project management and billing systems - 40-48 hours a month on monthly invoicing - 45-60 days time-to-payment After Monograph - 50% reduced cost on project management and billing systems - 66% less time on monthly invoicing - 2.6x faster time-to-payment Read the story here - https://bit.ly/49nlNJp New to Monograph? Start here - https://bit.ly/4bI3S1N…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Design-build firm Woodhull streamlined collaboration after switching from BQE Core to Monograph 44:28

1 year ago44:28

44:28

Meet the design-build firm Woodhull — an integrated architecture, construction, and millwork firm delivering thoughtful and enduring residential and commercial projects throughout New England. Their holistic ethos and business model relies on transparency, communication, and collaboration to drive successful internal operations. Everything starts with the 80 active projects in Woodhull's 25-person design studio, which switched from BQE Core to Monograph to improve speed and accuracy across the entire business. Here's what happened: Before Monograph - 4-6 hours per week on reporting latest project schedules - 5-10 days invoicing process due to back-and-forth between PMs and bookkeeper - 50% errors on retainer fee invoicing, causing client refunds After Monograph - 95% less time preparing project reports for firm owners - 53% faster monthly invoicing process - 100% error reduction on retainer invoicing, avoiding client refunds Read the story here - https://bit.ly/3OBJ7Lj New to Monograph? Start here - https://bit.ly/3w8y4mx…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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MVRDV: How To Win Work (w/ Inger Kammeraat, Jan Knikker) 54:48

3 years ago54:48

54:48

Systems are essential to organizing your workplace and maintaining order during a project. But how can you build systems to win new work? In this Best Practice interview, MVRDV Managing Director Inger Kammeraat and Strategy and Development partner Jan Knikker explained how they structure their firm to facilitate a healthy pipeline of new projects. They talked about how they use PR to drive business development, how they balance profit with their mission and how they close the cycle at the end of each project. Interview Takeaways Document new systems Build a supportive culture Don’t kill creativity Use PR to showcase your wins Close the project cycle Check in regularly Align with the client’s goals Balance profit with mission Overbook your projects Set boundaries Show Links Connect with Jan Knikker on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Inger Kammeraat on LinkedIn Check out MVRDV Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Level Architecture + Interiors: Success Stories: Leveling up Practice Ops (w/Adam Gayle) 21:30

3 years ago21:30

21:30

Forming the identity of a young business is difficult. Whether you’re branching off from a parent company or launching your own startup, without a consistent set of principles and practices, it can feel like you’re living in the Wild West. If you want your business to flourish, you need to establish law and order—namely, a consistent set of workflows and processes that will keep everyone on the same page. In this Section Cut interview, Adam Gayle, Director of Architecture at Level Architecture + Interiors, shared how you can help your business level up by organizing your practices and processes. Interview Takeaways Establish your identity Create consistency Start with good documentation Guide your employees Get the right people Be transparent Identify your weaknesses Break down projects by phases Form intentional habits Generate staff buy-in Show Links Connect with Adam Gayle on LinkedIn Check out Level Architecture + Interiors Connect with Nathan Malone on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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bldg.collective architecture + design: Achieving Balance: Creative Expression Meets Professional Service (w/ Steve Perce) 21:47

3 years ago21:47

21:47

One challenge architects face is the pressure to deliver their signature creative style while also serving the client’s needs. This push-and-pull relationship between creative practice and professional service never goes away, but there are a few tactics you can use to help strike a balance. In this Section Cut interview, Principal Steve Perce of bldg.collective explored how to deliver an excellent client experience while also honoring your creativity. He talked about the importance of guiding the conversation, educating them throughout the process, and creating moments of delightful design. Interview Takeaways Get in the right mindset Guide the conversation Connect over creative opportunities Create moments of delightful design Communicate the impact of client decisions Align on goals and scheduling Educate clients through the process Tailor your conversations to the client Treat your work as an ongoing practice Balance creativity with feasibility Show Links Connect with Steve Perce on LinkedIn or Twitter Check out bldg.collective Connect with Nathan Malone on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Defining Design Practice: Defining Change (w/ Lorena Galvao) 41:17

3 years ago41:17

41:17

Industry expectations and standards are constantly shifting. If you want your company to keep up, you have to adjust with the changing times. But to be ready for whatever lies ahead, you have to institute a flexible, agile mindset within your company and be ready to adapt to new practices. In this Section Cut interview, Lorena Galvao, co-founder of Defining Design Practice, shared her experience working in the changing architectural industry and how companies can prepare for future shifts. Interview Takeaways Spend your time wisely Prepare tomorrow’s leaders Find community Recapture your market share Think forward Focus on innovation Give opportunities to younger people Keep adapting Discover your niche Find your communication channel Show Links Connect with Silvia Lee on LinkedIn Connect with Lorena Galvão on Instagram Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Charrette Venture Group: Designing the Client Experience (w/ Lucas Gray, Dena Alspach) 44:58

3 years ago44:58

44:58

The client experience is at the heart of architectural work. Delivering an attentive experience through every phase is what will lead to a happy client, repeat business, and referrals for your firm. In fact, this experience starts before you even land a client. Becoming in tune with your potential clients’ feelings, thoughts, and questions will help you to meet them where they are. In this Section Cut session, Lucas Gray and Dena Alspach of Charrette Venture Group explained how delivering an excellent client experience from day one is what will elevate the relationship with your client beyond a transaction. Interview Takeaways: Get in tune with potential clients’ feelings Nurture the client relationship Set the right expectations Strengthen your onboarding process Find the best way to share documents Document when you reach milestones Reach out to the client regularly Show where the money is going Get feedback Check in annually after a project closes Show Links Connect with Lucas Gray on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Dena Alspach on LinkedIn or Twitter Check out Charrett Venture Group Connect with Joann Lui on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Studio Balcones: Growth Rooted in Community (w/ Jennifer Orr, Tiffany Rasco) 52:38

3 years ago52:38

52:38

When growth is rooted in community, it becomes self-sustaining. At landscape architecture firm Studio Balcones, Principal Jennifer Orr and Office Manager Tiffany Rasco believe that being active in their community is essential to their firm’s growth and success. In this Best Practice interview, they talk about the importance of educating others by collaborating with project partners, applying for community certifications, participating in diversity programs, and teaching clients throughout the process to ultimately create designs rooted in the local landscape. Interview Takeaways Create designs rooted in existing ecologies Design for the soil in each neighborhood Align with the project partners Get involved in community programs Be prepared to wear multiple hats Work with the landscape, not against it Educate clients Hire the right amount of hands Build systems as you grow Have the confidence to try something new Show Links Connect with Jennifer Orr on LinkedIn Connect with Tiffany Rasco on LinkedIn Check out Studio Balcones Connect with Silvia Lee on LinkedIn Connect with Nathan Malone on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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Ennead Architects LLP: How Civic Architecture Can Inspire Change (w/ Molly McGowan, Thomas Wong) 56:06

3 years ago56:06

56:06

Studio-based organizations can prevent architects from getting their hands on a variety of projects and experiences. Ennead Architects takes on a whole range of different scales, different typologies, and different locales in their projects. They see that as the dream training of an architect. Their teams are able to share ideas and transfer skills through this spectrum of projects. In this episode, Ennead partners Molly McGowan and Thomas Wong discuss how they manage all of their diverse civic projects, build teams, and define success. Interview Takeaways Build better architects with diverse projects Merge business and creative goals Help clients make the right decisions Build trust and relationships Be proactive about filling in where needed Staff team strategically Rely on peers for validation and inspiration Create a lasting impact Cultivate a culture of client service Have a tech leader on each team Show Links Connect with Molly McGowan on LinkedIn Connect with Thomas Wong on LinkedIn Check out Ennead Architects Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Silvia Lee on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

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GLUCK+: Architects Who Build (w/ Thomas Gluck, Stacie Wong) 50:12

3 years ago50:12

50:12

In the architect-led design-build model, the architect is responsible not only for design but for construction as well. This represents a major shift from the traditional design-bid-build way of building projects. Yet it offers unique advantages on both the architect and client end, say Thomas Gluck and Stacie Wong, both principals at Gluck+. Most importantly, it makes for a smoother construction process and a better, beautiful building. Interview Takeaways Design for the build Be the one point of contact Scale by hiring Preserve what matters Ask contractors for advice Price early and often Zoom in and out Diversity to problem-solve Feed your architecture addiction Show Links Connect with Thomas Gluck on LinkedIn Connect with Stacie Wong on LinkedIn Check out Gluck+ Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

1
Stayner Architects: How To Design New Models for Practice (w/ Christian Stayner) 55:58

3 years ago55:58

55:58

Many traditional architecture practices are no longer sustainable. Firms that want to lead the path into the future will need to adopt new ways of thinking. In this Best Practice interview, Christian Stayner, Principal of Stayner Architects, explains how expanding your services, collaborating with consultants, and systemizing client interactions can help you create new models for the future of the industry. Interview Takeaways Compartmentalize how you present your practice Showcase projects that attract your ideal clients Find alternative approaches to your practice Offer wrap-around services Expand beyond hourly services Continue your education to supplement your services Collaborate with consultants who lend credibility Research and develop your own passion projects Systemize client interactions Address the limitations of hourly work Show Links Connect with Christian Stayner on LinkedIn Check out Stayner Architects Connect with George Valdes on LinkedIn or Twitter Connect with Chris Morgan on LinkedIn Check out Monograph Follow Monograph on LinkedIn or Instagram Listen and read more about Monograph…

Architecture & Engineering Business Strategies

1
Essel Environmental: How the Random Can Change Your Practice (w/ Nik Lahiri) 55:28

3 years ago55:28