Management Accounting & Reporting

Introduction - Automation in Construction: Threat or Opportunity? Automation is becoming a major talking point across the construction and engineering sector. From CRM systems to job management apps and digital timesheets, more businesses are trying to use technology to “save time and improve accuracy.” But here’s the real question:  is automation actually helping your business, or is it slowing your team down? Many SMEs rush into software adoption expecting instant efficienc

Introduction - Price Sales Commission Correctly for Contract Wins Getting sales commission right is more than choosing a percentage. For construction and engineering SMEs, where contracts vary in length, complexity, margin and lifetime value, poorly calculated commission can wipe out profit before the job even starts.In this blog, we break down how to price sales commission correctly, how to calculate customer lifetime value, and which KPIs protect your margins. This is esse

Introduction If you run a construction or engineering business, you’ve probably invested in a CRM, job management system or project platform to “save time.” But here’s the truth:  if your operating systems don’t align with your finance function, they create more problems than they solve .Instead of saving time, your accountant ends up manually re-entering data, fixing errors, and trying to reconcile systems that don’t speak the same language. This blog explains why CRM, accou

Introduction In fast-growing construction and engineering businesses, the biggest financial problems often have nothing to do with invoices, cashflow or project overruns. They come from something far simpler:  people sitting in the wrong roles . Whether it’s a site manager trying to run procurement, an office manager forced into bookkeeping, or a supervisor covering commercial tasks, one misaligned role can create bottlenecks, low morale, slow problem-solving, and weak leader

Running a construction or engineering business means managing constant uncertainty, material prices, labour rates, project delays, and client payment terms. Yet, too many companies rely on “best-case” budgets and hope for the best. That’s where  sensitivity analysis  comes in. It’s one of the most powerful (but underused) tools for construction SMEs. It helps you see how changes in key assumptions, like a 10% material price increase or delayed stage payment, will affect your

Introduction - Fix GRN and PO Bottlenecks If you’ve ever had a site manager call the office saying  “materials are on site but the PO hasn’t been raised”  , you’ve felt the frustration of a  GRN (Goods Received Note)  bottleneck. It’s one of the biggest operational slowdowns in construction and engineering businesses. For most SMEs, these delays don’t just cause admin headaches, they affect  cash flow, supplier relationships, and project margins . Materials get delivered befo

Introduction - Efficiency and Business Growth Every construction and engineering business wants to grow, but not every one of them is built to sustain that growth. While most directors focus on turnover and project wins, the real difference between businesses that expand profitably and those that struggle lies in  overhead efficiency . At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we often tell clients:  you don’t grow by spending less; you grow by spending smarter.  Overheads, your r

Introduction - Reinvest Profits for Business Growth A profitable year should never be the finish line, it’s the starting point for your next stage of growth. Too many construction and engineering firms see profits as a reward to withdraw, rather than a resource to reinvest. But when margins are tight and competition fierce, how you reinvest makes the difference between staying stable and scaling sustainably. At  Jones Financial Accounts (JFA) , we help business owners turn pr

Introduction - Dashboard for Your Lift Business In the lift industry, small inefficiencies quickly become big costs. Engineers running overtime, delayed valuations, unbilled callouts, and rising parts prices all chip away at margin long before anyone notices. For most lift companies, the biggest challenge isn’t lack of data, it’s that information is buried across multiple systems, from service logs to Sage or Xero. That’s why the  right business dashboard  isn’t just a report

Introduction - Succession, Where Do You Start In the construction and engineering world, many business owners spend years building their...

Introduction - Management Accounts Fast-growing construction and engineering firms live or die by control. Projects overlap, materials...

Introduction - Not Having a Finance Director Every successful construction or engineering business eventually hits a turning point, when...

Introduction - Risks in Credit Control In construction and engineering, cash flow is the lifeblood of the business. Yet too often,...

Introduction - KPIs Profit, Cash, and Control For construction and engineering businesses, making big decisions isn’t just about gut...

Introduction - Stress-Tested Forecasting for SMEs In construction and engineering, no project is free of risk. Payments are delayed,...

Introduction - Construction Accounting Year-End Preparation For construction and engineering businesses, the end of the tax year is more...

Introduction - ROI of Outsourcing Finance for SMEs For many construction and engineering SMEs, finance is treated as a cost rather than a...

Introduction - Growing Pains in Construction Growth is a double-edged sword for construction and engineering businesses. On one side,...

Introduction - Job Costing in Construction In construction and engineering, every job tells its own financial story. Some projects...

Introduction - Use KPIs to Drive Growth Many construction and engineering SMEs feel like they’re constantly chasing problems rather than...