Jim Heuer grew up in the construction business, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps when he opened Heuer & Company in 1998. Through hard work and thoughtful leadership, Heuer positioned the firm as a respected commercial general contractor and construction manager in NJ, NY, CT, and PA.
As the firm continued to grow, Heuer saw its accounting and financial functions needed better organization. Bookkeeping processes, job budget and expense tracking, and timely monthly closings were among those areas needing improvement.
“We needed to get more disciplined with our financial and accounting processes, so that we could see more accurately and in real-time how we were doing on the various jobs we had underway,” notes Heuer. “I’ve known and trusted KRS managing partner Maria Rollins for years. So it made sense to bring her in as a consultant to help with the bigger issues and formulate next steps for growth.”
Rollins reviewed the firm’s financial and accounting records and activities and then determined what needed to be fixed. She worked with Heuer and the firm’s bookkeeper to establish better practices for project accounting tasks including tracking W.I.P. (Work in Progress).
Rollins also helped the firm better utilize QuickBooks. This enabled the monthly books to be closed in a few weeks, rather than months afterwards. Now, with a year’s worth of historical data and smooth monthly closes, it is easier for Heuer and his project managers to track job financials in real-time.
“Maria brought an independent, outside view along with a knowledge of accounting that crossed beyond construction,” says Heuer. “Her depth of experience was invaluable to our team. She didn’t come here with any preconceived ideas about what we needed to do. Instead, she listened to our issues and worked with us to develop solutions. With her help, we now have better insights, in real-time, into each job’s profitability. And I’m much more confident that our accounting and financial processes will continue to support our growth and profitability.”
