Item: BQE CORE
Rating: 9
Author: Felice Geoghegan

Overall Satisfaction with BQE Core

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use BQE Core to give us more visibility into our projects, as well as time tracking, invoicing, and last year we added the accounting module to our subscription.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Time Tracking
Reporting
Invoicing

Cons

The ability for the user to customize features
It would be great to be able to view phases as part of a whole project
Training - it can be expensive, so maybe they could think about group training to help small businesses afford it.

Return on Investment

Training can be expensive
If you want good results you need to enter good data
Staff became frustrated at the learning curve
Gave us the visibility we desired

Alternatives Considered

Deltek Ajera

Both are good programs, but for us, BQE Core had the edge as we had already been using ArchiOffice, so we were already familiar with how the system worked and were able to transfer over old data.

Key Insights

Do you think BQE CORE delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with BQE CORE's feature set?

Yes

Did BQE CORE live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of BQE CORE go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy BQE CORE again?

Yes

I enjoy using this product, although there was a learning curve in the beginning, and I know that if I get stuck I can make a quick phone call to customer service and get assistance. The fact that customer service is available 24x7 is amazing.

Support Rating

You can't beat a knowledgeable customer service department like BQE Core and the fact that they are available 24/7 means that you can get answers to your questions at any time of the day or night.

Likelihood to Recommend

We previously used ArchiOffice and were looking for a software program that would give us greater visibility into how we are doing from a project perspective, and BQE Core does this. It is really easy for staff to enter their time - either in the office or in a mobile situation - and the ability to convert timed work into a time entry is great. Core treats each phase of a project as its own project, and I wish you could bypass this feature as it would work better for us if each phase added up, and then all numbers added up to the Parent Phase.

Using BQE Core

Users and Roles

10 - Most of the staff is using the project management areas of Core and time tracking, and an administrative staff is using this plus the accounting module.

Support Headcount Required

1 - The skills required to support BQE Core are varied - but I would say that patience, tenacity, and adaptability are important. BQE Core is a large software and there are many areas where things can go right but also can go wrong. Fortunately we have the backup of customer service 24/7 to assist us in this area.

Business Processes Supported

Project Management
Time Tracking
Accounting

Innovative Uses

Allocation/Forecasting
Accounting
Reporting

Future Planned Uses

Likelihood to Renew

BQE Core is working well for us and continues to make updates to the software. Customer service is amazing and available 24/7.

Evaluating BQE Core and Competitors

Products Replaced

Yes - ArchiOffice.

Key Differentiators

Ease of Use

We did look at a few different option, and after careful consideration we chose BQE Core as we felt is had the ability to give us the visibility we needed with our projects, and it allowed us to add additional modules as needed such as accounting. We liked the flexibility it gave us with regards to adding licenses for additional staff.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I think that we evaluated all options to the best of our ability and made a solid choice. The only thing we would probably do a little different if we had to do it again would be to prepare the staff a little more with regards to the learning curve. And there is a learning curve - this is to be expected so you need patience to navigate those first few months and to be adaptable. Also, make sure your data is as "clean" as possible if you are going to import it into Core, especially if you are thinking of using the accounting module.

BQE Core Implementation

Implementation Rating

It takes patience.

Implementation Details / Implementation Partner

Implemented in-house

Implementation Issues

Staff getting used to new software
Cleaning up the data

BQE Core Training

Training Types Used

Online Training

In-Person Training

Online Training

Make sure you have someone training you that fits your style of learning.

BQE Core Support

BQE CORE Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	None

Premium Support

We did not purchase premium support and I was not aware this even existed. Even if I had I doubt we would feel the need to purchase it as I have always had a great experience calling the regular support team.

Bug Resolution

Yes - Yes, BQE has an email where you can report these types of situations as well as make suggestions for improvements. They will open a case and let you know when it has been resolved.

Exceptional Examples of BQE CORE Support

Honestly, I feel that every time I call I am made to feel that my call is important and they are here to help me. Recently I spoke to Jeremy from the support team and he went out of his way to guide me through customizing one of their reports for project profitability and solved a glitch for me. He also found an area that was not working as it should, so he sent it over to the tech team to get it looked at and advised he would email when it was resolved. It was fixed within the hour.