It's 5:30pm on a Friday, and you're still in the office trying to reconcile three different spreadsheets to work out whether that commercial fit-out in Auckland is actually making money. Your project manager has one version with the latest costs, your QS has another with updated variations, and accounts has a third that doesn't match either. Sound familiar?
If you're running a construction business in New Zealand using spreadsheets as your primary project management tool, you're not alone. But you're also probably spending far too much time wrestling with data instead of winning and delivering profitable projects.
In 2026, a growing number of Kiwi construction firms are making the shift away from spreadsheets to purpose-built construction management systems. Here's why—and what's driving the change.
The Hidden Cost of Spreadsheet Dependency
Spreadsheets aren't inherently bad. They're flexible, familiar, and everyone knows how to use them. The problem is that construction projects have become increasingly complex, and spreadsheets simply weren't designed to manage multiple projects, track real-time costs, handle variations, manage subcontractor payments, and provide instant profitability visibility.
Let's look at what this actually costs your business:
Time Lost to Manual Data Entry
When your site manager records timesheets on paper, someone in the office types them into a spreadsheet. When materials are delivered to site, someone updates the costs. When your subbies submit invoices, someone cross-references them against purchase orders. Every piece of information gets entered multiple times, creating opportunities for errors and eating up valuable admin time.
A typical commercial contractor managing 8-12 active projects might have staff spending 15-20 hours per week just on data entry and reconciliation. That's more than a full-time role dedicated simply to moving information from one place to another.
Delayed Decision Making
By the time you've consolidated your spreadsheets and worked out your project position, the information is already out of date. Perhaps a subbie has submitted a variation that hasn't been captured yet. Maybe materials costs have increased but your estimates haven't been updated. Your site team made progress this week, but you won't see it reflected in your reports until next week's update.
In construction, decisions need to be made quickly. Waiting days or weeks for accurate project data means you're always operating on yesterday's information, making it nearly impossible to identify and address problems before they impact your bottom line.
Version Control Chaos
"Final_Project_Costs_v3_UPDATED_Final.xlsx"
We've all been there. When multiple people need to work with the same data, spreadsheets create version control nightmares. Which is the most current file? Did the PM see the latest changes from the QS? Has accounts been working from an old version?
This isn't just frustrating—it leads to incorrect decisions based on outdated information. A variation might get priced using old rates, or a progress claim might miss recent costs because the spreadsheet wasn't updated in time.
Limited Visibility for Site Teams
Your project managers and site supervisors are where the work actually happens, but they're often the last to see financial data. They're making decisions about resources, materials, and subbies without knowing the real-time cost implications.
When site teams can't easily access project budgets, committed costs, and current margins, they can't make informed decisions about where to focus their attention or when to flag concerns to management.
What Modern Construction Firms Are Doing Instead
The construction firms gaining competitive advantage in 2026 aren't just working harder—they're working smarter with systems specifically designed for construction project management.
Real-Time Project Profitability
Modern construction management systems like MYOB Acumatica Construction Edition provide instant visibility into every project's financial position. Project managers, quantity surveyors, and directors all see the same real-time data, whether they're in the office, on site, or meeting with clients.
You can see at a glance which projects are tracking well and which need attention. Committed costs, actual costs, variations, and forecast margins are all visible in real-time, enabling proactive management rather than reactive firefighting.
Single Source of Truth
Instead of multiple spreadsheets with conflicting information, everyone works from one system with one set of data. When a subcontractor invoice arrives, it's matched to the purchase order, allocated to the correct cost code, and immediately reflected in project costs. No duplicate entry. No version control issues. No reconciliation headaches.
Your estimators can see actual costs from completed projects to inform future quotes. Your project managers can see which subbies are running over budget. Your accounts team can see exactly what's been committed versus what's been invoiced. Everyone's looking at the same information, updated in real-time.
Mobile Access for Site Teams
Today's construction systems aren't desk-bound. Site managers and supervisors can access project information, submit timesheets, record progress, and capture photos directly from their phones or tablets—even when they're on remote sites without internet coverage.
This means site teams can make informed decisions on the spot, and office staff get immediate visibility into what's happening across all projects. The information flows both ways, keeping everyone aligned and reducing the endless phone calls and emails trying to chase down project status.
Automated Workflows
Purchase orders are automatically matched to invoices. Progress claims are generated from recorded project progress. Variations flow through approval workflows. Time and materials are captured and billed automatically. The system handles the administrative grunt work, freeing your team to focus on managing projects and building relationships.
Civil contractors like CAMEX Civil have found that automating these workflows not only saves time but dramatically improves accuracy and reduces payment disputes with clients and subbies alike.
The Warning Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Spreadsheets
How do you know when it's time to make the change? Here are the telltale signs:
You're Hiring More Admin Staff
As your business grows, you keep adding office staff to handle the increasing administration burden. But you're not getting more projects done—you're just keeping up with the paperwork from existing projects.
You Can't Quote Accurately
Your historical project costs are scattered across multiple spreadsheets and folders. When pricing new work, you're estimating based on gut feel rather than actual data from similar completed projects.
Cash Flow Is a Constant Battle
You don't have clear visibility into committed costs across all projects, making cash flow forecasting more art than science. By the time you realise a project is over budget, it's too late to take corrective action.
Project Managers Are Frustrated
Your site teams are spending too much time on admin and not enough time managing projects. They're constantly being asked for updates and reports that should be available instantly if the right systems were in place.
You're Missing Growth Opportunities
You'd like to take on more work, but you're not confident your systems could handle the additional complexity. Your current processes are already stretched, and adding more projects would break them completely.
Making the Change: What to Expect
Moving from spreadsheets to a proper construction management system isn't a small decision, but it doesn't have to be disruptive either. Here's what the journey typically looks like for NZ construction firms:
Understanding Your Requirements
The first step is mapping out your current processes and identifying where the pain points really are. What's working? What's broken? What would make the biggest difference to your team's efficiency and project profitability?
This isn't about implementing a system for the sake of it—it's about solving real business problems and enabling growth.
Choosing Construction-Specific Software
General accounting systems or generic project management tools won't cut it. Construction has unique requirements around project costing, variations, retention, subcontractor management, and progress claims. You need software that's been built specifically for how construction firms operate in New Zealand.
MYOB Acumatica Construction Edition, for example, includes functionality specifically for construction workflows—from estimating through to final account, with proper handling of progress claims, retention, and subcontractor payments the way they're actually done in NZ.
Implementation and Training
Yes, there's a learning curve. But modern systems are designed to be intuitive, and with proper training and support from your implementation partner, most teams are up and running productively within weeks.
The key is having a partner like Avanza Solutions who understands both the software and the construction industry, so they can configure the system to match how you actually work rather than forcing you to change everything to suit the software.
Rapid Return on Investment
Most construction firms see benefits within the first few months. Time saved on admin, fewer errors, better project visibility, improved cash flow—these all translate directly to the bottom line.
More importantly, you'll have the confidence to take on more work, knowing your systems can scale with your business rather than holding you back.
The Competitive Advantage
Here's the reality: whilst you're manually updating spreadsheets, your competitors are making decisions based on real-time data. Whilst your project managers are chasing information, theirs are proactively managing project margins. Whilst you're hesitant to grow because of system limitations, they're confidently taking on larger, more complex projects.
The construction firms that are thriving in 2026 aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest teams or the longest track records—they're the ones with the right systems in place to support efficient project delivery and profitable growth.
Getting Started
If your business is experiencing any of the warning signs we've discussed, it's worth having a conversation about what better systems could do for your construction firm.
The good news is you don't need to figure this out alone. At Avanza Solutions, we work exclusively with NZ construction firms to implement MYOB Acumatica Construction Edition—from initial assessment through to full operation and ongoing support.
We understand the unique challenges of running construction businesses in New Zealand because we specialise in this sector. We know what works, what doesn't, and how to make the transition as smooth as possible for your team.
See how MYOB Acumatica Construction can help your business by building your demonstration below.
