Why CPA Firms Choose FOUNDATION® Accounting for 20+ Years
Large & Gilbert is a construction-focused CPA firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. With more than five decades of experience, the firm supports contractors with core accounting services, including tax filing, financial monitoring and budget analysis.
The team of CPAs also help their clients transition to more reliable accounting programs. When generic accounting software no longer provides accurate financial visibility, the firm recommends construction-specific solutions that better support job costing, compliance and long-term growth.
When Generic Accounting Systems Don’t Cut It
The CPAs at L&G are familiar with the limitations of generic accounting systems because most of their clients start off using entry-level systems that struggle to scale with their business needs.
As Head of Consulting, Bobby Lauman, pointed out, reporting is always lagging: “With QuickBooks®, for example, you’re dependent on [what the program shows]; there aren’t many internal reports that you can run in the system.”
As a result, these customers turn to spreadsheets to fill the gaps.
“So, you’re doing a lot of Excel® sheets outside of the system,” Lauman said, adding that this creates unnecessary rework and risk.
“Excel is only as good as what you type in. If you forget a zero on a number, that’s a significant problem,” added Managing Partner Gary Fortier.
Switching to a Solution Designed for Construction
When contractors are ready to move beyond these general systems, L&G consistently recommends FOUNDATION.
“We’ve researched different construction accounting packages,” Fortier said, “[Then] started working with FOUNDATION — the benefits were clear. We’ve had a great experience with this product.”
For L&G, the value starts with usability.
“FOUNDATION is very user-friendly,” Fortier noted, saying that it’s accessible even for non-accountants.
“We know we have a lot of family-owned construction businesses,” Lauman said. “They can come in and easily run the program to get the accounting information they need with some training.”
FOUNDATION also gives contractors flexibility in how they view their data.
“Being able to run most reports directly in the system allows contractors to spend more time analyzing their numbers instead of preparing them,” Lauman detailed.
The largest benefit of FOUNDATION is the speed at which we get information from the system and the fact that it’s going to be more accurate.
Gary Fortier
CPA, Managing Partner
L&G Technology Solutions
FOUNDATION’s Rapid Impact
Fortier and Lauman say that time and time again, FOUNDATION provides immediate improvement in processes.
“Our clients who switched are going to enjoy more timely reporting immediately — 100%,” Fortier said, noting that key construction accounting functions like percent complete and over/under billings move from spreadsheets to “the click of a button.”
That visibility translates into better decision-making across the business.
“You can really get a look at where things are up-to-the-minute,” Fortier explained, “which is going to allow the clients to adjust the jobs based on performance, good or bad.”
As a result, contractors spend less time preparing reports and more time analyzing them.
“[With generic accounting software], it’s difficult to produce every report exactly the way a contractor wants it because people track performance differently,” Fortier said. “That’s why having a built-in construction report writing tool like DataGenie™ in FOUNDATION is tremendous. A non-programmer can create and customize reports to match how they run their business, without relying on outside spreadsheets or IT support.”
Numbers Everyone Can Trust
For L&G, FOUNDATION does more than improve reporting.
“With FOUNDATION, our clients are comfortable with their data because the system is designed to consistently produce detailed information every minute,” Fortier said. “They can finally rely on quality numbers to manage jobs and review performance timely and accurately.”
That reliability is especially important from the CPA’s perspective.
“There are controls in place within FOUNDATION,” Lauman explained. “That’s very important to us because it ensures that the information we’re reviewing and reporting on hasn’t been altered after the fact. We need confidence that the numbers are correct and accurate.”
With FOUNDATION, there’s no way for a transaction to be accidentally altered after the month has been closed.
Software CPAs Can Rely On
After more than two decades with the platform, L&G continues to recommend FOUNDATION because of the clear upgrade to reporting and job costing.
When asked to summarize FOUNDATION’s impact, Fortier had two words: “Speed and accuracy,” while Lauman added, “It’s an [easy] program to use, but it also has very advanced features and simple input.”
Beyond the software itself, L&G values the relationship they’ve built with FOUNDATION’s parent company, Foundation Software.
Both CPAs note that Foundation, treats CPA firms as partners, understanding the critical role CPAs play in guiding contractors’ financial decisions and supporting long-term growth.
From ongoing training to responsive support, the Foundation team recognizes that when CPA firms succeed, their contractor clients succeed as well. For L&G, that mindset reinforces their confidence not just in the product, but in the people behind it.
With construction firms under increasing pressure to manage margins and cash flow carefully, L&G sees FOUNDATION construction accounting software remaining a core part of how they help contractors move from reactive bookkeeping to proactive financial management.
Share Article
Keep up on current news in the construction industry. Subscribe to free eNews!
