Project controlling is becoming increasingly important in architecture and engineering offices in view of ever tighter fees. It is becoming increasingly important for planning offices to constantly monitor the economic success of both individual projects and the office as a whole and to take countermeasures at an early stage in the event of impending undesirable developments.
VvW Control 2023- the office and management software for planning offices (BMSP) - supports you in processing, controlling and documenting projects and tasks in the day-to-day office life of an architecture or engineering office as well as in fee calculation according to HOAI.
A mature, clearly structured project management such as in VvW Control 2023gives you an overview of the cost and performance status at any time. Only constant control of the status of projects helps to estimate their economic efficiency and to recognise potential savings. Such project and company controlling requires, on the one hand, the complete collection and, on the other hand, a key figure-oriented evaluation of the data relevant for decision-making. VvW Control provides you with 2023intuitive masks for entering times, costs and revenues.
What are the functions and features of the programme?
Project management, arbitrarily subdivisible with service phases
Recording of the agreed fees per service phase
Employee master data
Planned working hours
Holiday entry
Part-time employees
Setting hourly rates
Budgeting
Hourly estimate
Zeiterfassung (time clock, tabular, WEB interface)
Repost time entries
Recording of absence times
Import interface
Overtime evaluation and allocation
User management
User management
Evaluations:
Overview of calculated and completed project hours
Overview staff hours
Comparison of target and actual times
Hourly forecast
Module: Controlling incl. Zeiterfassung
Labour costs
Recording of material costs, direct costs, periodic costs, imputed costs
Cost and performance planning
Travel and incidental expenses recording
Overhead cost projects
Liquidity forecast
Recording fees
Evaluations:
Company key figures
Project statuses
Overview of employee times and costs
Overview of calculated and completed project hours
Calculation of internal hourly rates
Project metrics
Customisable reports
Report management
Project status overviews
Cost centre overview
Overview of cost types
Project hour diagrams
Cost distribution diagrams
Revenue charts
Export to Excel, Word, PDF, HTML, XML
Report generator
Data backup
User management
Message dispatch
automatic update search
Module: HOAI incl. Zeiterfassung & controlling
New HOAI 2021
All service profiles and consulting services according to HOAI 2021, 2013, 2009 and 1996
Siemon Tables 2012, Steinfort and Rift Tables
XRechnung
RBBau sample contract
Cost calculation according to DIN 1981, 1993, 2006 and 2008
Conversion from DIN 2008, 2006 and 1993 to DIN 1981
Several preliminary and design plans
Management of approaches with different service profiles
Fee zone according to object list and point system
Special services
Additions and deductions
Service charges with transfer from controlling module
Existing building fabric with extended calculation (value factor model, gew. performance factor)
Local construction supervision
Conversion and expansion surcharge
Conversion and expansion surcharge
Success fees
Time fees with transfers from Zeiterfassung
Hierarchical flat fees
Security retention
Special positions
Rounding option for invoice totals
Offer, partial and final invoice
Invoice deduction
automatic number assignment
Payment overview
Fee statistics
Address database
Templates for contracts and reminders
Management of different VAT rates
Subsequent taxation (VAT) of progress invoices from 2006
Service catalogue
Assumption of ancillary costs from the control
AHO service specifications (fire protection, BaustellV, thermal insulation and energy balancing, project management)
Module: Resource planning
Target time rough planning for projects and project phases
Target time planning per employee as Gantt chart/bar chart (assignment of project phases)
Target time planning per project as Gantt chart/bar chart (assignment of employees to project phases)
Daily view or cumulated on weekly/monthly/yearly view
Staff scheduling on a percentage basis (e.g. 50% of working time) or on a flat-rate basis (e.g. 1 h per day)
Overview of employee workload
Common time/absence planning (training time, planned sick time, meetings)
Colour highlighting of overloads
Self-definable limit for tolerated overloads
Module: Profit centre
Separate calculation and evaluation of company divisions and sub-companies, e.g. return on sales, sales target, labour cost ratio, project hourly shares, average profit centre hourly rate, overhead cost factor, ...
Any profit centre structure, e.g. according to topics, locations, clientele
Freely definable allocation rates for material costs, personnel costs and overhead hours
Automatic calculation of separate hourly rates (full cost rates/partial cost rates) and valuation of project hours per profit centre
Hourly rates inheritable from higher level
Features for VvW Control
Project controlling is becoming more and more important in architecture and engineering offices in view of ever tighter fees. It is becoming increasingly important for planning offices to constantly monitor the economic success of both individual projects and the office as a whole and to take countermeasures at an early stage in the event of impending undesirable developments.
"A planning office without controlling is like a ship without a helmsman."
VvW Control 2023CS - the office and management software for planning offices (BMSP) - supports you in processing, controlling and documenting projects and tasks in the day-to-day office work of an architecture or engineering office as well as in fee calculation according to HOAI.
VvW Control 2023CS also comes with free time tracking apps for iOS and Android that allow you to record times on the go and synchronise them with the desktop application.
incl. free app
"Zeiterfassung mobile"
for iOS and Android
Modules:
Zeiterfassung (table and time clock)
Controlling (project and corporate management)
Fee calculation (ECJ-compliant)
Resource planning (staff scheduling)
Web server incl. app for iOS and Android
Project manager roles
Profit centre and third-party order management
XRechnung
Terminal and transponder
System requirements:
800 MB free hard disk space
At least 4 GB free main memory
Processor 2 GHz
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11
New in version 2023
VvW Control
Time entry crosstab (pivot)
Cost cross table with document no.
Cost pivot with new columns "Year", "Year/Month
Third-party order item: Fee mode (manual or automatic from target fee of the project phase)
Overview calculated vs. worked hours: new filter on actual hours > 0 (only booked phases)
Overview calculated vs. worked hours: new filter on progress > 0 (only started phases)
DATEV Chart of Accounts 2022
Colour setting for administration tree (for several instances)
Screen "Enter invoices from the fee module in Controlling" with period filter (important for the search for invoice portions not yet booked!)
Edit project phases: Import with checkbox for subprojects
Holiday schedule with departments
Cost-performance import
DATEV import: format version 12
The sample database selection at programme start can now also be activated for normal users in the options. (The setting is (as before) computer-related and is saved in the data directory (MusterDB.ini).
The automatic display of cost centre details can now be switched on/off directly in the administration tree.
Employee master data: Deviating public holidays can be set for specific periods via the working time model. However, this should only be used (for performance reasons) if the previous possibility with different departments is not sufficient.
Time tracking table: Reset column widths to standard
Administration tree: Search function now also takes into account the "Project manager" data field
Employee import extended: Import of working hours and wage costs
Project status overview/project phase overview: Percentage columns now sortable
Time fee: Import from Zeiterfassung with 3 decimal places for daily entries (otherwise 3h + 5h = 0.375 + 0.625 = 0.38 + 0.63 = 1.01)
Project properties: Info button provides a list of all additional permissions associated with the assignment of an employee as project manager for this project.
New law: Viewing times of responsible employees
Project properties: any number of project participants (from address DB) with any categories (also hierarchical)
Budgeting: profit margin of 0% allowed
Budgeting: Multiple Insertion
Holiday schedule: Storage of time stamps (requested on, approved on, approved by) and detailed evaluation list
Project properties: Contract pre-selection list definable
Controlling fee allocation: new distribution mode for automatic apportionment (e.g. conversion surcharge to LPHs); for PH, BL, ZA, NK, SP explicit distribution can be set
Resource planning by project: PopupMenu "expand all subordinates", "collapse all subordinates", "collapse all subordinates completed".
Import of employee hourly rates (internal and external)
Import of project-related external hourly rates
Invoicing: new data fields with department data (only for VvW Control)
Define and determine locations: Where does who stay? Incl. special case: home office
Report generator: + Function getFremdleisterAuftragLeistungsstandBetragProjekt
Report generator: + Function getFremdleisterAuftragLeistungsstandBetragProjektphase
Automatic project folders, optional execution of Cmd
Profit centre: Invoice number range by department (with department number)
Evaluation for calculating project hourly rates with additional display and calculation options
Depreciation periods extended to 50 years
Resource planning greatly accelerated during loading
Additional costs: Update catering choice to ">8h-or-overnight" and 24h
Separate public holidays: Button for "deselect all" and "specifications of the federal state
Fee calculation module
XRechnung: new module
DIN276: with KG filtering and hiding of KG without construction costs or without chargeability
Copy approach directly during project creation
Invoice data: Selected company data (= department) is stored at the approach.
HOAI: Status bar and fold-out date calendar
DIN276: X51 import (GAEB) for cost calculations
DIN276: MultiSelect e.g. to change the chargeabilities
Time fee: new field for internal remarks
Options: Standard payment term can now be preset as desired
Hourly rate for hourly fee: Correct specification of the dimension 50 €/h, previously printing 5 h x 50€ = 250€.
Performance improvement in data backup
Marking of the heading "Invoice deduction" if invoices are ticked off
Gross room volume also for building acoustics(room acoustics) 2021
GAEB import: Warning for direct costs and subordinate cost groups.
New XRechnung Standard 2.2.0 (effective 01.08.2022)
Performance profile matrix processing
Multiple invoice number ranges (separately per "Own company data")
Invoice dispatch by e-mail: Fields "Adr form of address (short)" and "Adr form of address (long)".
New help centre
Additional deductions: Calculation on GH+Reh.+Conversion surcharge
Sending invoices by e-mail even with Word templates
Salutation/final text with spelling checker
Template management (text templates) with spelling checker
View of service diagrams: additional columns for chargeable costs
DIN 276: GAEB import: 'ProgSystem', 'ProgName' no longer mandatory
Module: Terminal and transponder
The terminal in the latest generation of devices, in a modern and sleek design, allows it to be installed in both prestigious and more sophisticated environments. It is operated intuitively via a touch colour display. The robust, polished metal frame, which protects the terminal from rough damage, completes the design.
Time bookings are recorded in seconds by means of so-called transponders - either as key fobs or cards. The built-in dual transponder reader recognises transponders in RFID and MiFare Classic format.
The terminal can be integrated into the existing company network and transmits the booking data in real time via the network to the Zeiterfassung programme, where it is processed and stored. If there is an existing network connection, there is an automatic transfer to the server.
The power supply can optionally be delivered via the enclosed plug-in power supply unit or via the network (PoE), provided that the network connection provides this.
Module features:
Physical recording of coming and going times as well as tours of duty via terminal and transponder (RFID tag or chip card)
Time booking in seconds
Comprehensive evaluation options
Checking the booking of attendance times on project activities
Transponder reader, MiFare Classic (ISO 14443A, 13.56 MHz)
Booking confirmation
Buzzer
Arrival/absence notification
Convenient menu navigation
Large and understandable displays and symbols
Capacitive operation
Functional keypads for Come, Go, Duty call
Power supply
Power supply via plug-in power supply unit or network (PoE - Power over Ethernet).
Input voltage: 5.5 VDC
Power consumption: max. 12 W (standard version)
Housing dimensions: 188 x 157 x 32 mm (without wall bracket)
Reviews
Reduction in turnover tax as of 01 July 2020
In recent weeks, we have received numerous enquiries from users of our HOAI software and VVW-Control regarding the implementation of the VAT reduction. For preliminary information, the Federal Chamber of Architects offers an overview of the different variants under the title "Questions and Answers on the Temporary VAT Reduction for Architect Contracts".
Zeiterfassung via any Internet browser without having to install the client software at the workplace
Employees can also record their times easily and quickly outside the office
Comparison of target and actual times for the current month
Individual project filter adjustable
Holiday plan
600 € *
Project manager roles
Project- or department-related special rights for individual employees
Predefined standard project manager role
Simple handling through freely definable project roles for grouping additional rights
Assigning staff to projects/subjects with one of the defined project roles, e.g. as project manager
Authorisations from several roles have an additive effect
Specific evaluation options
800 € *
Profit centre
Separate calculation and evaluation of company divisions and sub-companies, e.g. return on sales, sales target, labour cost ratio, project hourly shares, average profit centre hourly rate, overhead factor
Any profit centre structure, e.g. according to topics, locations, clientele
Generation of standard-compliant XRechnungs (XML invoice, electronic invoice)
Fulfilment of public sector invoicing requirements
Electronic invoicing is gradually becoming compulsory in the federal states
Embedding of additional attachments in the XRechnung possible
Easy switch between XRechnung generation and the generation of classic invoices possible
Security check of relevant data fields
depending on configuration *
Terminal and transponder
With the powerful terminal, working times and breaks can be recorded quickly and contactlessly on site via handy transponders. The data transfer for Zeiterfassung 2023takes place in real time via the network.
Physical recording of coming and going times as well as tours of duty via terminal and transponder (RFID tag or chip card)
Controlling is an instrument of corporate management that encompasses planning, steering, control and reporting.
The basis is a detailed cost and performance accounting (CAC) as an information system for successful controlling.
Objectives of cost and activity accounting:
Value-based recording and presentation of the operational performance process
Profitability control, i.e. in particular the monitoring of the quantitative component of the operating result
Determination of the hourly rates
Carrying out project costing (preliminary, ongoing and final costing)
Determination of the "operating result", i.e. the success generated by exclusively operational services of the planning company.
Principles of cost and activity accounting
Costs and services must be presented for the same period.
The costs should be comparable over time.
The costs determined must represent current figures.
The allocation of costs to projects should be as source-related as possible.
Cost accounting should only take into account costs incurred in normal operations.
The cost and performance accounting shall be prepared according to business principles and not according to tax principles.
Cost and performance accounting must be prepared economically. Effort and benefit must be in reasonable proportion.
In contrast to accounting, cost and activity accounting is hardly subject to any legal regulations.
What support do you receive from our programme?
Management of staff and projects
Resource planning
Detailed recording of working times on projects
Recording of costs and services
Determination of hourly rates
Project costing
Cost and performance planning
Project development overview
Various evaluation options and aids for in-house reporting
And with the fee calculation module, an additional integrated fee calculation for calculation + creation of offers based on legal templates (e.g. HOAI) as well as invoicing. The scope of services corresponds to the current version of HOAI-Pro.
The integration gives you the option of transferring the following data to the controlling area:
Service phases with the proportional fees according to the bid data
Billed services from accounting
The following overview is intended to clarify the interfaces between the modules:
Zeiterfassung Mobile App
For our VvW Control software, 2023 we offer a free app for the Zeiterfassung module, with which you can conveniently record working times while on the road. The prerequisite for this is the optional "web server" module:
Synchronisation between app and desktop
Record times accurately
Start / Stop / Pause function
subsequent entries
Download now
Prof. Uwe Meiendresch, presiding judge at the Aachen Regional Court, recommends that architects and engineers use a secure HOAI billing system.
Articles & practical reports on VvW Control
Article: New module XRechnung
Article: More momentum for the office
Article: Working hours flexible
Practical report: Mauthe GmbH - Offices and construction sites under control / Deutsches Ingenieurblatt
The Mauthe planning office has been using programmes from Weise Software to manage offices and all projects since 2017. Dogan Ucar, project manager for construction projects at Mauthe GmbH, reports on his experiences with the programme and its practical use.
Practical report: Mauthe GmbH - Offices and construction sites under control / BDB
The Mauthe planning office has been using programmes from Weise Software to manage offices and all projects since 2017. Dogan Ucar, project manager for construction projects at Mauthe GmbH, reports on his experiences with the programme and its practical use.
Practical report: Planungsbüro Ledermann - Everything in the green / Concrete and reinforced concrete construction
It is not only her projects that are "green". In the office, too, landscape architect Marion Ledermann likes everything to run smoothly, which is why she uses office management and construction diary software.
Practical report: IBK Dresden - Facts and figures instead of "reading coffee grounds".
Coffee is a tradition in Saxony. Nevertheless, IBK Dresden does not believe in reading coffee grounds when it comes to office and project data. Instead, exact figures are required from BMSP programmes. Mike Silbermann, responsible for controlling, accounting and IT at the engineering firm, reports on his user experiences.
The Dresden engineering office for road construction and civil engineering emerged in 2006 from a branch of a large internationally active engineering office and has thus existed for around 25 years. The scope of services includes traffic, track and wastewater planning, the planning of gas and water supply systems, pipeline and SiGe coordination. With 16 permanent employees, most of whom have been with the company for many years, the office has a comparatively lean structure despite large civil engineering projects.
First practical experience with VvW Control
Since the IBK team already had experience with HAOI Pro, it was not difficult to get started with VvW Control. An almost identical appearance and similar operating procedures contributed to this. The transfer of master data was also problem-free, only somewhat laborious for old projects. In the meantime, almost all modules of VvW Control are used - first and foremost Zeiterfassung for documenting project statuses and as a project preview, project costing for checking target/actual times and services, controlling for checking services offered and rendered as well as determining costing figures. And of course HOAI-Pro is also frequently used for quick fee calculation and billing of services. "Except for Zeiterfassung, the daily input effort for the staff is kept within limits," Silbermann sums up his colleagues' experience so far and continues: "If you compare input effort and benefit, the balance is clear: the time spent on project data recording pays for itself many times over. Once a project has been completely recorded, accounted for and an overview obtained, you can immediately see what worked well, where problems occurred and where you currently stand. The programme also helps us to rethink project structures and, if necessary, to make them clearer." After initial scepticism, VvW Control has also become a natural tool for the IBK staff. Silbermann sometimes even observes certain withdrawal symptoms: "In the meantime it is even the case that colleagues complain if a service phase has not yet been released or supplements cannot yet be used. This shows me that they have also realised that the software does not control us, but accelerates our work processes and increases our competitiveness. After all, the word "controlling" in the programme name applies to the project, not the employees."
Professional competence and planning security,...
... but also speed are top priorities at IBK Dresden. That is why office and project management software (BMSP for short) is used at each of the 16 PC workstations to optimise office processes and control projects. Previously, only general office software was used - invoices, for example, were created using spreadsheet software. The relationship between the time required and the services billed had to be estimated individually for each project. "Whether projects were likely to cover costs or be completed at a loss was more or less a matter of reading tea leaves, especially in the case of complex projects," remembers Mike Silbermann, IBK staff member responsible for accounting, controlling, IT and CAD. As a result, it was not possible to draw up an interim balance sheet of ongoing projects at the end of the financial year. This has changed with the introduction of the office management software. For Mike Silbermann, the gain in security, speed of reaction and flexibility is paramount: "Deficits are now discovered more quickly and you can see immediately where they come from. Relying solely on your gut feeling can, under certain circumstances, go to the very substance of the office."
First fee-based, then BMSP software
In their search for a suitable solution, the IBK team first became aware of HOAI-Pro from Vordruckverlag Weise during intensive internet research, and the fee calculation software was introduced as early as 2006. "Due to our experience with standard programmes and the practical handling of the HOAI software, we quickly recognised the advantages of subject-specific software," Silbermann recalls. In the meantime, HOAI-Pro has become part of everyday life. It ensures that fees are calculated exactly and fee margins are optimally sounded out. Both simple fee estimates and complex civil engineering projects with several service specifications, repetitions, different cost allocations, etc. can be processed efficiently with it. In order not to burden the staff with several new programmes at the same time, the HOAI programme was retained for the time being. But the appetite was whetted and four years later the BMSP software VVW Control came into the office. "The decision criteria were the software's performance, ease of use and clear, comprehensible structures. But it was also important for us to have a manufacturer who is open to customers and willing to learn," Silbermann explains the decision to buy with a twinkle in his eye, adding: "While working with the software, but also due to structures specified by the customer, new requirements and suggestions on how to optimise and expand the software constantly arose. To this end, the VvW Control development team received practical suggestions from us - for example, how to make the accounting more flexible, and how to design function sequences and structures more clearly. This is how it was later implemented. Our good cooperation with the Vordruckverlag Weise also benefits other users, improves the practical relevance and expands the application spectrum of the software."
The "chemistry" also has to be right...
According to Silbermann, in addition to software quality, the "chemistry" between the user and the software manufacturer must be right: "With the purchase decision, we ultimately bind ourselves to the manufacturer with regard to maintenance, support or update services. That's why we should also take a closer look at him. We appreciate the support and development team at Vordruckverlag Weise because they are open to suggestions and improvements. More often than not, we have found our ideas reflected in the next version. That makes us a little proud and shows that we are dealing with customers in a spirit of partnership." In fact, a lot has happened in the last five years that IBK Dresden has been using VvW Control. In addition to improved handling and flexibility, the range of functions has also been expanded. This includes, for example, new modules such as resource planning, project manager roles for the central allocation of employee rights or the profit centre for office cost control. Silbermann is also satisfied with the support. During the introductory phase or with the introduction of new versions, he did need it from time to time. In the meantime, however, Silbermann has become an in-house software expert and only uses VvW support for specific questions.
He has a few tips for offices that are in the selection phase: "Before buying, you should definitely try out your favourite programme in your office. The software should be intuitive, easy to use and coherent. A cumbersome operation only creates frustration. In addition, you should contact the manufacturer and, for example, call the hotline to test it. The motivation of the staff is also important and should be "taken along" from the beginning.
Case study: Ingenieurbüro Többen - Office management? Yes, but not off the peg!
"Office management software should adapt to the office - and not the other way round," says Martin Többen from the engineering office of the same name in Munich. The following practical report reports on his experiences in choosing a programme, getting started and using it.
For 15 years, Ingenieurbüro Többen has been involved in the planning, tendering and construction management of technical building systems. "With seven employees, we are a small but well-coordinated team of planners specialising in building technology, building physics, building climate control and project controlling," says Többen, the founder of the office, describing the profile of his engineering firm. Together with clients, architects and other specialist engineers, the Munich-based engineering firm develops holistic building services concepts for private, public and commercial construction projects. Martin Többen knows how to assert himself in a highly competitive market: "Our goal is to optimise the building services and energy efficiency of construction projects. We don't just pull standard solutions out of a drawer, but use our know-how to develop solutions that are precisely tailored to the project.
"So that the 'coal' is right!"
In addition to Zeiterfassung and controlling, the HOAI module is one of the most important components of VvW Control. It relieves planners of the tedious calculations and calculates fees transparently and conveniently. "The economic success of an engineering office depends on professional, but also business management qualifications. To ensure that the "money" is right in the end, project and office managers need support today. The HOAI module of VvW Control ensures that we can optimally sound out fee margins and consistently claim open fees," Többen is pleased to say. Both simple fee approaches and complex projects with several service specifications, repetitions, different cost allocations, etc. can be processed efficiently with it. Whether as a single, partial, partial or final invoice - the HOAI module takes into account all types of billing and tracks all payments received on a project-specific basis. "In addition to correct invoicing, the programme also ensures that we receive our fees promptly. Furthermore, the HOAI module contains many useful additional functions, such as an hourly calculation, cost distribution, fee statistics or a payment overview," explains Többen. Többen does not hide the fact that, as with all software, there is also potential for improvement: "Before office management software can be used productively, it must first be adapted to office-specific requirements. Evaluations and reports have to be adapted to the office requirements, forms and print masks have to be designed individually. This is the case with all software. However, one should not only pay attention to a powerful form generator that offers a lot of freedom for individual design wishes, but also to simple and fast processing. Here I still hope for improvements, so that one can create one's own print masks more easily and quickly".
"With software, service is also important...!"
Off-the-shelf solutions are also not his thing when it comes to choosing his own office tools: "Actually, we were already well equipped in terms of software with Office, AVA, CAD and specialist programmes. Only project times were still documented with a spreadsheet programme and had to be evaluated manually. Therefore, we were looking for a lean office management solution. We came across VvW Control through intensive internet research," recalls Többen. Before deciding to buy, the management and controlling solution was compared with "complete solutions" from other providers. These contained complete office management with office, CRM and AVA functions. Since these areas were already working well in the office, Többen ultimately opted for VvW Control because it filled a gap and fitted well into existing structures. "In addition to the price/performance ratio, the modular structure was also decisive, and the programme modules met our requirements profile exactly," explains Többen, explaining why he decided on the office management solution of the Vordruckverlag Weise. And because the VvW Projektmanager product portfolio also includes a project management tool, the engineering firm also opted for the project management and construction scheduling software because of the consistency of the data and work processes. Five years after the purchase, Többen still feels in good hands with the Dresden-based software provider: "Our field of expertise, building services planning, requires a large number of industry-specific software products. Our 'software fleet' is correspondingly large. That's why we can judge the support and hotline quality well - and that is at least as important as the product itself. In a direct comparison, we quickly noticed the helpful and committed support team at Vordruckverlag. With other providers, we sometimes had the feeling of being more of a 'nuisance' and being 'dispatched' on the phone," says Többen, summarising his different experiences.
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating!"
However, that seems to be the only downer, because Többen is already thinking about acquiring more VvW software: "For us construction supervising planners, construction diaries are obligatory, but very time-consuming. Until now, we have had to digitally record records made on the construction site in the office and assign them manually. This generates unnecessary additional work and errors. The VvW construction diary would support us with structured queries, templates and automatisms and further improve the "workflow" in the office, streamline work processes and create more transparency for all involved, which would further increase the profitability of our office," Többen is convinced. In retrospect, the decision in favour of a lean office management solution was the right one for him. For offices that are currently in the selection phase, he has a few tips: "Before buying, you should definitely try out the favoured programme in the office, first playfully, but then also seriously on the basis of a concrete task. You should also call the hotline to test how fast, friendly and accommodating the response is...", Többen reveals with a wink.
"If you're in control of time, you're in control of the office!"
All beginnings are difficult - this also applies to familiarisation with an office and project management tool. "Support helped us with the first steps with a short telephone briefing and online remote maintenance. The rest was learning by doing and after about a week the employees were fit," recalls Többen, who did, however, have to invest more time for familiarisation with the evaluation and control functions. In the meantime, VvW Control and the VvW Project Manager, each in the current 2014 version, are being used productively at five workstations as a cost-effective network solution. VvW Control is mainly used in the areas of Zeiterfassung, project costing, controlling and HOAI. Via the digital "time clock", the employees record their individual working hours daily, which are directly assigned to the projects and service phases of the HOAI. This is the basis for successful office management. After all, personnel costs, at around 60 per cent, are the largest cost block in a planning office. "A decisive advantage of an office management solution is that with consistent Zeiterfassung and evaluation, you can continuously assess the economic situation of both individual projects and service phases as well as the entire office. If you have time under control, you also have the office under control," Többen sums it up. For him, staff and project times are important basic data that enable an up-to-date overview of target/actual times, project costs, etc.. For this purpose, he uses VvW Control to create evaluations for individual, several or all projects. The comparison of project- and activity-related costs with the agreed fees enables a constant control of success. The focus is not only on the actual costs incurred, but also on future costs. Martin Többen comments: "If times and costs get out of hand, I can now take countermeasures in time. On the other hand, the recorded times form a secure basis for future calculations, so that I can offer our services on a more reliable basis.