Years of experience.
Efficient tools.
Making working hours easier.

Fasttrack through a workweek with untermStrich.

Monday, Day 1

untermStrich® Tools of the day

Projects
Team
Addresses

08:00

Good morning! While the first colleagues are heading for the coffee machine, the others are checking in directly with untermStrich on their smartphone or tablet. At least those who haven’t already done so in the subway on their way to the office, which, by the way, is much faster than the colleagues are moving…

09:15

Hurrah! A project was landed. Office manager Dirk picks up a cake from the pastry shop next door (a bit of celebration is allowed after all!). At the same time, the boss reports that the new customer was particularly impressed by the precise preparatory work.

09:30

The employees go from the breakroom to the team meeting with coffee in tow. Project manager Edita quickly prepares the new project – both analog and digital – in folders and structures. All info is now stored centrally in untermStrich. All team members are informed about the new project via the BUTLER – even those working out of the office. At any given time, they have a full overview on their tablet! The available resources are also checked simultaneously. Better safe than sorry!

10:00

The new team member has arrived. His name is Simon – fresh from university. He is allowed to jump right in with the new project. There’s not much time for preparation. Even before the cake is bought (as mentioned, a little celebration is a must!), the office management team has already entered all the relevant data, security settings and specifications in the team module. Simon is amazed at how organized everything is. That was not the case at university. Then he gets busy collecting fresh ideas.

11:00

Brief stop! The project requirements have already changed at short notice; the fee has been recalculated, and the individual cost components have been allocated according to project phases. After a few minutes, however, everything is back on track. In the meantime, the project master data sheet – with all info like m2, m3, density, floor area, development ratio – begins to develop its own life and interacts with the stakeholders. Simon is amazed. No, we didn’t have that at university.

11:45

The new customer calls. While still explaining how much he is looking forward to collaborating, the office management has all the relevant information about the customer on the monitor at the click of a mouse. Project assignments, networks, documents and much more are immediately available to Dirk. And the customer is impressed by the knowledge of the info desk…

13:00

1:00 pm
Rush hour in the info pipeline! New addresses of builders’ representatives, contractors, suppliers shoot into the system on the fly. Even “profile photos” pop up when you go to the individual contacts. Simon makes a pit stop at the coffee machine. He’s already got the big picture; the only thing missing is more caffeine.

16:30

New categories and address groups are added continuously. So, in the end, there is more structure and overview for all project stakehold

17:00

The first project day comes to an end. Like all his colleagues, Simon logs the hours he has worked. It went pretty well, he thinks to himself. And beams when Dirk hands him a leftover piece of cake to take home.

Tuesday, Day 2

untermStrich® Tools of the day

Hours
Time protocol
Fees
Expenses
Control panel
Results
Billing

08:00

The coffee machine provides a steady beat for the day. Efficient is the keyword in the first team meeting. The project phases’ hourly targets are discussed, and – per business management guidelines – a target is set. Simon takes notes on everything. Just like at university. He learns quickly. For example, the change records are vital. And vital means ESSENTIAL! Especially for the subsequent accounting. Simon noted: At the beginning of the project, the currently valid project phase is released. The evaluation and continuation ensure that correct and targeted entries are made.

09:30

A smaller subsequent project just came in via e-mail and, bang; it’s immediately allocated according to the project. An expert assessment should clarify whether an additional structural component in another project can be extended through the building plans. It’s agreed that the services will be billed according to actual expenses.Simon notes: Customers appreciate precise calculations

10:45

The contracts have been drawn up, and the invoice amount was calculated with the HOAI BUTLER. Office manager Dirk enters the payment plan directly into untermStrich. Incidentally, this has also increased the displayed payment liquidity for the next 18 months. Now nothing stands in the way of the purchase of urgently needed IT tools for the BIM work process. To be on the safe side, a last look at the customer’s payment history, and then it’s time to place the order.

11:00

The first invoice from the surveyor commissioned for the study is in the inbox. After approval by the project manager, Dirk transfers this invoice to the external costs. Dirk cheers inwardly – the budget wasn’t exceeded, even though the invoice arrived earlier than expected. At the same time, he also enters the cost statements and invoices of other sub-planners. Dirk loves that. Order. And having a plan. Like this detailed overview of incoming and outgoing payments and the comparison of all billed services.

11:45

Dirk is on the go. He quickly takes a look at the team members’ comp hours. Simon, the new guy, accumulated some overtime yesterday, so he should work less today.

13:00

Simon is surprised. The project has only been running for two days, yet the client has already requested changes. He remembers that he has to be precise when recording the hours and the descriptive texts since they are used for possible negotiations about additional services and their billing.

13:30

Dirk is already on to the next task. A smaller project can be billed according to actual expenditure. The project manager releases the hours worked, and Dirk issues the invoice, which is automatically entered into the fee management. Dirk loves his job – with all this organization – even more

15:00

The project manager and senior management retreat to the meeting room. Some tricky questions about degrees of completion and payment deadlines need to be clarified. After all, the processes are becoming more complex. It quickly becomes apparent that a project has an unusually high number of meeting hours in work phase 3. The performance specifications of all team members are reviewed, and it’s decided that the client must be constructively reminded of his decision-making role.

Wednesday, Day 3

untermStrich® Tools of the day

Calendar
Vacation
Resources
Tasks

08:30

Simon is excited. One reason might be the espresso he’s been working hard to make on the fancy machine in the office kitchen. Another is that he has finally been assigned a specific task for the new project. With a deadline, of course, but never mind. A real task! For a real project! Awesome!

09:45

Simon is panicking. Meetings with authorities, to-do lists for the design, structural checks, initial ventilation calculations, and essential building physics preparation. How is he supposed to keep track of everything? His colleague Karin, who sits to his right, recognizes the situation’s seriousness and discreetly shows him where he can find everything at a glance in untermStrich. Simon is relieved and quickly has a clear overview. However, his heart is still racing. It’s actually from the espresso.

 

11:15

Simon is amazed. The jour-fixe meetings are already confirmed and in the system – of course.Every Wednesday at 1:30 pm, he reads. There are even a to-do list and a target for the meeting and a reminder regarding a client presentation.

13:30

Simon is sitting in the jour fixe. Under the table, he secretly Googles the translation of “jour fixe.” Another lesson learned. After a second of awkward silence and the clearing of the boss’s throat, the discussion continues. It turns out that the scheduled deadlines cannot be met; there is simply too much to do. A new scheduling concept is created. At the same time, it’s checked whether the internal resources are sufficient. The result: other appointments have to be postponed.

16:00

Dirk is eating cake from yesterday to calm himself down. In his euphoria about the new project, he almost overlooked two employees who were missing from service phase 3. Admittedly, everything was caught in time, and the two were able to postpone their vacations, but still. That this should happen to him….

16:15

Simon is excited. For the first time, he gets to go along to a customer appointment. Unfortunately, the anticipation ends after 5 minutes after getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Thursday, day 4

untermStrich® Tools of the day

Documentation
Plans
Plans

07:45

There’s a lot to do. For the coffee machine, as well. While Simon has been trying to measure out the perfect amount of powder for a balanced espresso for a good 10 minutes, templates for the project are being created in the office. Even with the customer’s logo on them. Then finally… Simon proudly presents his coffee, sips, and grimaces. After pouring it away, Dirk explains that sample forms are created partly in MS Office and partly in LibreOffice. And that next time, he should use the capsule machine instead…

08:15

New templates from Office Management are available. A test run for the new form letter starts. Dirk sends it directly to all 37 project participants. This system is efficient and fast; Dirk thinks with satisfaction.And they could pick up cake again to celebrate the day.

 

09:30

ALARM! Another construction site: Old documents for the previous definition and approval of the concrete surface are urgently needed.
Dirk is in his element. Out of 3650 documents, he retrieves three matching documents in just a few moments. “Safe,” he reports back on the phone. Unbeatable, that Dirk. And untermStrich, of course, too.

10:15

ALARM again! A disgruntled project stakeholder claims never to have given the final go-ahead to implement a construction project. But the opposite is quickly proven thanks to perfect system documentation.
“Safe,” exclaims Dirk after finding the original mails with the project stakeholder’s release. After all, it was only a few clicks.

11:30

Simon’s heart is racing. The second espresso was also too strong. Regardless. First, the initial plans of the new project have to be completed as a preliminary draft. Thanks to the digital plan book, he has immediate access to the most current approved plan status.

13:45

The initial plans of the project partners need to be checked in case someone has questions later on. One click, and the tasks land with the correct team member on the monitor.

 

14:00

After about three liters of water, Simon’s heart palpitations have subsided at least a little. No more coffee, he thinks to himself. His colleague Karin shows him that mail traffic is documented as a matter of course and is project- and person-related. Because she currently has to clarify an issue that is past the statute of limitations, this complete and traceable documentation is helpful, she says. And asks if Simon would like a coffee. Simon breaks out in a sweat just thinking about it.

15:00


The delivery notes for the personal handover of the initial plans are created automatically. Here again, “he who records reaps the rewards.” The old planner’s saying hangs on Dirk’s pinboard.

16:30

Once again, ALARM! A list of all incoming and outgoing documents over the last years is needed to prepare testimony in a court case about a completed project. In 5 minutes, Dirk – thanks to precise documentation – has collected all mails, letters and plans. “Safe,” he mumbles softly.

Friday, day 5

untermStrich® Tools of the day

Facts
Where to find what?

08:30

Simon boils water for a cup of tea. The mood in the breakroom is somber. Karin enlightens him. While checking the contact data in the database, it was discovered by chance that the new sub-planner has worked for the immediate competitor. All of the data and notes for this person are being checked. werden gerade überprüft.

08:40

Check completed. The all-clear is given, and everyone can continue working as usual.

09:00

Dirk has brought a cake. Chocolate nut. With whipped cream. After all, it’s Friday. He serves it to his colleagues at the meeting and, on top of that, the weekly review. The project manager overlooked the fact that the plan statuses on the platform urgently need to be updated.

09:30

A sales representative brings the latest folder of building materials. Since time is short, the filing is immediately multiplied in the virtual library and the office book. “Hop, hop,” says Dirk and pushes another piece of cake under the representative’s nose.

10:30

Checking the hours. Comp time and pending overtime payouts or reductions are clarified with employees. The travel expense review is also overdue. One quick check, and everything is up to date again.

14:00

Time for business. Cross-queries on the status of the company are made. The BUTLER system helps: liquidity, payment behavior, cost overview, fees and much more can be viewed at a glance. It has already paid off well. Last year, the change analysis alone resulted in a net increase in sales of 87,500 euros.

 

15:00

Dirk explains to Simon the importance of constant communication with the top 10 clients. That untermStrich even reminds bosses to check in with big clients regularly or go out to dinner with them to find out how follow-up projects and referrals are going. Simon is cool. In the meantime, he has already become familiar with untermStrich. What’s more, for once his heart isn’t racing.

16:15

Simon has his first week behind him. He packs his bag, visibly satisfied. “Much better than university,” he thinks to himself. „Viel besser als die Uni“, denkt er sich.

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