Case Study Information
Short Description
Pell Software engineered a scalable, multi-tenant integration ecosystem that bridges QuickBooks Online (QBO) with FieldFlō operations. Featuring a Visual Configuration Portal that abstracts complex API logic into a simple dashboard, the system enables the rapid deployment of dedicated sync instances for an unlimited number of clients, ensuring 100% financial accuracy across projects, payroll, and inventory.
The Challenge
For construction businesses and service providers managing a large network of partners, the “Field-to-Office” gap is a systemic risk to profitability. Our client needed to act as a central hub, onboarding dozens of different partners, each with their own unique QuickBooks Online environment and specific business requirements.
Specific hurdles included:
- The Onboarding Bottleneck: Traditional integrations are “one-to-one” and slow to deploy. Our client needed a “factory” model to spin up new partner instances in minutes rather than weeks.
- The Double-Entry Drain: Project managers were creating jobs in FieldFlō, while accountants were creating the same jobs in QBO. This led to naming inconsistencies, fragmented cost tracking, and hours of wasted administrative time.
- The Payroll & Billing Gap: Collecting handwritten or digital timesheets and manually re-keying them into QuickBooks Payroll is a high-risk task. A single typo can lead to incorrect paychecks, tax filing errors, and disgruntled crews.
The Solution
Pell Software developed a two-layered solution: an Azure Batch Backend for enterprise-grade power and a Visual Configuration Portal that provides total control over every client instance.
1. The Pell Sync Portal: Visual Command for Multi-Tenancy
The heart of the solution is our custom-built portal. When a new partner is onboarded, our client can spin up a dedicated, isolated sync instance. The portal allows for Sophisticated Rule Configuration through a user-friendly UI:
- Advanced Labor Rules: Instead of generic hour syncing, the portal allows administrators to define complex OT and Drive Time (DT) rules. This ensures that when hours flow from FieldFlō to QuickBooks, they are automatically categorized according to the specific partner’s payroll policy.
- Client-Specific Settings: Every instance is isolated and all managed from the same central hub.
- Entity-Level Toggles: Total control over which data sets are active for each client, including Clients, Employees, Projects, and Inventory Categories.
2. Bi-Directional Project & Timesheet Flow
Unlike static integrations, this solution creates a living loop between the field and the books:
- Project Back-Sync: The system supports syncing projects directly from FieldFlō back into QuickBooks Online, ensuring the financial record is created the moment work begins in the field.
- Field-to-Payroll Pipeline: Validated labor hours captured in FieldFlō are pushed directly into the QuickBooks Online payroll module, eliminating the “human element” and ensuring accuracy in wage allocations.
3. Enterprise-Grade Scaling with Azure Batch
For the “heavy lifting,” we utilize Azure Batch to provision dedicated compute nodes for each sync task. This prevents execution timeouts and ensures that even the largest inventory or timesheet transfers are completed within a reliable 15-minute window without impacting the performance of other client instances.
The Outcome
The implementation of the Pell Sync Engine has turned construction accounting into a strategic, automated asset.
- 90% Reduction in Administrative Overhead: Automating the project creation and timesheet-to-payroll flow has reclaimed hundreds of hours previously spent on manual data entry.
- Zero-Error Deployments: By abstracting complex API syntax into a visual UI, the client has virtually eliminated configuration-related sync failures during partner onboarding.
- Limitless Scalability: The client can now onboard an unlimited number of partners, knowing that each one receives a secure, isolated environment that meets their specific business needs.
Date
August, 2022 – Present
We started work on the application in August 2022. Our team has been constantly improving and maintaining it ever since including the addition of new features and adjustments of existing features.
Major Features
- Multi-Instance Spawning: Ability to deploy isolated, dedicated sync environments for an unlimited number of end-clients.
- Visual Sync Designer: Code-free interface for selecting and syncing entities.
- Bi-Directional Project Sync: Seamlessly move projects from QBO to FieldFlō or back-sync new field jobs into QuickBooks.
- Field-to-Payroll Integration: Validated field timesheets pushed directly into QBO Payroll.
- Azure Batch Orchestration: High-performance background processing that scales automatically to handle bulk data loads.
- Real-Time Visibility: Detailed, instance-specific logging for immediate troubleshooting and status monitoring.
Technologies Used & Keywords
- Programming Language(s): .NET, C#, SQL
- Framework(s): ASP.NET Core, .NET MVC, Razor, Bootstrap
- Infrastructure: Microsoft Azure, Azure SQL Server, Azure App Service, Azure Batch
- Third-party Systems: QuickBooks Online, FieldFlō
Client
Client Industry
Construction Field Management
Client Description
Built by contractors, FieldFlō is a comprehensive platform helping specialty subcontractors run their business from a single interface. This offers peace of mind and the freedom to concentrate on what is most important: Your bids, customers and company success.
Client Review
“We have been working with Pell Software continuously and can credit the team over there with creating our entire sync capabilities. The team at Pell Software has been a pleasure to work with. They are incredibly professional, talented, responsive and deliver on time. Thank you!”
- Roni Szigeti, Founder and CEO
1. We respond in 1 business day to schedule a 30-min call.
2. You speak directly with a US-based software expert, not a salesperson.
3. We’ll determine how we can help, or point you in the direction of someone who can!
