Arcwell Engineering

Summary:

Arcwell, a structural steel fabrication company, struggled with manual admin work, slow payroll, and unreliable job cost tracking. Their outdated system made budgeting unclear and time tracking a hassle. With help from Business Sense, led by Heidi Seal, they switched to WorkGuru. The result was 15 hours of admin work eliminated per week, faster payroll, accurate job costing, and better reporting.

About the Company

Arcwell Engineering is a family-owned structural steel fabrication company based in Whangarei, New Zealand. With over 60 years of experience, they handle everything from design and fabrication to on-site installation for construction, industrial, and utility projects across the North Island.

The company specialises in structural steel fabrication, site welding, protective coatings, and custom metalwork. Known for quality craftsmanship and a strong safety focus, Arcwell has worked on major projects like The Logan Apartments in Auckland and the Kensington Crossing retail center in Whangarei.

The challenge for Arcwell

As Arcwell took on more projects, its outdated system became a bottleneck. It couldn’t accurately track project budgets and only provided insights at the purchase order level, leaving them without a clear view of actual costs. Without precise financial data, pricing jobs became a guessing game rather than a calculated decision.

Manual processes also slowed the team down. Timesheets had to be manually entered, adding 10 hours of admin work weekly. Payroll took longer than necessary, often leading to errors and delays. Admin staff were stuck re-entering data instead of focusing on higher-value tasks.

Arcwell initially kept its old system running alongside WorkGuru while cross-checking information to avoid potential data loss. Even with this extra step, it became clear that their old setup wasn’t sustainable and that a full transition was necessary.

“We couldn’t track budgets project by project. It was really hard to get a clear picture of how we were performing financially.”

- Eamon Garton, Operations Manager at Arcwell Engineering

Key Benefits

Less Admin Work

Better Budget Control

Faster Payroll

Clearer Reporting

The search for a solution

Arcwell needed a job management system that worked the way they did—fast, accurate, and easy to use. Business Sense, led by Heidi Seal, stepped in to help.

Heidi worked closely with the team to map their workflows, identify inefficiencies, and configure WorkGuru to fit their operations. She also provided training, including video guides and weekly check-ins, ensuring the team felt confident using the platform.

Once Arcwell saw firsthand benefits—faster workflows, real-time tracking, and fewer errors—they fully transitioned to WorkGuru. The system’s real-time budget tracking eliminated guesswork, allowing the team to make informed financial decisions.

WorkGuru also automated time tracking, replacing manual data entry and freeing up hours of admin time each week. The seamless integration with Xero ensured that invoicing and payroll ran smoothly, reducing errors and simplifying the entire accounting process.
The rollout was carefully planned, and key staff were involved early in the process, ensuring a smooth transition and quick adoption.

“We liked the budget control and tracking capability. That was probably the biggest thing we wanted from a new piece of software, and WorkGuru ticked that box better than anything else we considered.”

Eamon Garton

Operations Manager at Arcwell

The results with WorkGuru

Since implementing WorkGuru, Arcwell has transformed its work processes. Manual time tracking is gone, saving them 15 hours a week, while payroll is faster and more accurate.

With real-time budget tracking, Arcwell finally has clear insights into job costs. This allows them to price projects confidently and make informed financial decisions. Purchase order management is now seamless, ensuring materials arrive on time without delays or miscommunication.

Reporting tools have provided a new level of visibility into job performance, allowing the team to analyse data more effectively and identify areas for improvement.

“The biggest advantage is seeing where we stand on any project at a glance. It’s made decision-making much easier and improved efficiency across the board.”

- Eamon Garton, Operations Manager at Arcwell

Conclusion

Arcwell’s transition to WorkGuru eliminated time-consuming admin work, improved financial clarity, and made job tracking effortless. With the help of Business Sense and Heidi Seal, the shift was smooth, ensuring the team could quickly adapt and start seeing the benefits.

By reducing admin time and providing better insights into their business, Arcwell can now focus on delivering high-quality structural steel fabrication without getting bogged down in paperwork.

If your team is stuck in spreadsheets, wasting time on manual data entry and struggling to track job costs, get your free WorkGuru trial now. It isn’t just another tool—it’s a game-changer.

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