Factor AE Reviews

“Help stands out more than software”

Pros

To me it seems like one of those platforms that simply works without getting in the way. It's very easy to use and their team has easily been the most supportive group we have dealt with across all our software vendors. That kind of responsiveness is really refreshing these days.

Cons

There have been a few small coding hiccups here and there but the team has been quick to respond and address them.

“provides quick access”

Pros

Working in an admin role I really liked having quick access to everything the platform offers. The search bar made moving between projects, invoices and timesheets very convenient. On top of that the invoice generation feature made it simple to create and send invoices without delays. Customer support also responds very quickly which has been a big plus.

Cons

One part that seems a bit challenging is learning how to build your own templates for specific statistics such as creating one for the total of all current project expenses. That said the team is usually very quick to put those templates together for you.

“it works well”

Pros

It is easy to use and it comes with a lot of helpful reports. Creating invoices is fast and simple and the integration with QBO works pretty well. The interface is also amazing overall and makes day to day tasks manageable.

Cons

Project setup feels more tedious than it was in our previous project management software. Things like creating parent and child phases with subconsultants take some time to adjust to. The import from our old system also didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped.

“Tools are helpful”

Pros

There are a lot of useful tools here for managing projects and that has been a big plus for our team. The interface looks nice and everything is laid out in a way that makes it simple to read and understand.

Cons

Coming from a different program, it took some time to adjust. Figuring out what each tool does and setting everything up to fit our business the right way involved a bit of a learning curve.

“Reporting and support both are awesome!”

Pros

The customer support was outstanding. We were pretty anxious about moving over to Factor AE but their team made the transition pretty manageable. They worked with us on custom reports and set up several Zoom meetings so we could fully understand how everything worked. The software itself has been excellent. Our whole staff is happy using it and the data is easy to access and understand. Time entry is very convenient and user friendly and the visibility into project status is extremely helpful. Project managers can handle staff assignments across projects and collaborate without much friction. We looked at several software options for engineering firms and it turned out to be one of the most competitively priced. It delivers very strong value for the cost.

Cons

To their credit it has managed to solve or work around most of the challenges we have run into. The one issue that still gives us some trouble is invoicing two separate companies under the same project without added complexity. The only other limitation is that you cannot apply multiple payments made on different dates to a single invoice.

“Dashboards show project progress clearly”

Pros

Using it has been a really positive experience. The interface is simple to work with, the dashboards are easy to navigate and managing data across different projects seems very organized. It's been a strong tool for accessing information across the firm and keeping an eye on project progress as well as financial performance.

Cons

I am still getting familiar with the platform so it's a little difficult to say what might be missing at this point. Right now we're mainly using it for project financial management and I am interested to see how adaptable it will be when it comes to tracking subconsultants.

“timesheets roll over without headaches”

Pros

Copying and rolling over timesheets from the previous week cuts down a lot of repetitive work. The interface looks clean and the graphics give the whole system a great feel.

Cons

One thing that bothered me was thinking my timesheet was already submitted, only to realize I still had to manually send it to my manager as a second step. I ended up with two months of timesheets sitting there unsubmitted and it never gave me any reminder or alert that they hadn't actually gone through.

“Custom views keep workflow smooth”

Pros

Navigating the software is not a hassle and the interface is easy to work with. It also lets you customize settings and dashboards to match your preferences which makes everyday use much more convenient.

Cons

The forecasting and time-allowable side can take a bit of practice at first but once you set up a consistent process for entering and assigning production time, it starts to feel like second nature.

“Syncs with QuickBooks well”

Pros

Right from the first sales conversation through the trial, onboarding and training, the Factor team delivered excellent support and service the whole way. The weekly training webinars have been especially useful and I still revisit them every few months when I need a refresher. Even though we have not fully tapped into every feature in Factor, we have already seen noticeable improvement in how we handle tasks and project management overall. On the Finance and Accounting side, it has helped us separate our fees from subconsultant fees and manage expenses much more efficiently. The instant sync with QuickBooks also makes day to day work much simpler and keeps information flowing accurately and efficiently.

Cons

It offers a lot of reporting options but some of the timeline reports cannot be edited and the printed versions are not ideal when sharing with clients. It would also be very helpful to have access to historical invoicing details broken down by phase. At the moment during monthly invoicing, we have to print each invoice screen to PDF one by one so we can look back at them later. Another challenge for us is reimbursable expenses. When staff enter an expense in it, it can be billed to the client without any problem but that same expense also needs to be recorded in QuickBooks. If we enter it there as well, it gets registered again under the project which creates duplicate reimbursable expense tracking. Because of that, our current workaround is to have employees avoid entering expenses in it and submit them to Accounting instead so they are entered once in QuickBooks and then pulled into it.

“Help makes platform even better”

Pros

From day one I find it user friendly. Adding new projects, updating details, putting together complex budgets and managing billing all come across as easy and manageable. The part that really makes it stand out, though, is the support team. Choosing a new project management platform is a big commitment and strong customer service makes a huge difference. Plus the team has been exceptional as they are responsive, attentive and genuinely hands-on, with a real concierge-style approach. They've even tailored parts of the platform to match the specific needs of our business.

Cons

The CRM could use some improvement. It feels a bit too basic right now and I'd really like to see integrations with other widely used CRMs such as HubSpot.

“timesheets won our whole team”

Pros

The thing our team appreciates most about Factor is how user friendly it is. Everyone prefers the timesheet section compared with the project management system we used before.

Cons

It would be helpful if there were a feature that let internal departments or disciplines run reports and access their own data views.

“Invoices send out much quicker”

Pros

One of the biggest benefits for me is how Factor sends invoice data over to QuickBooks once invoices are issued. That cuts out the need for double entry, saves time and helps reduce mistakes. The invoicing workflow itself also feels efficient and well organized.

Cons

On the downside we had to adapt our project IDs and invoice numbering to fit its setup and that has made reporting in QuickBooks harder to pull together and use. I understand the platform is geared toward viewing profitability by client and project but from a day to day accounting management standpoint, the project level is what matters more to us.

“well laid out tool”

Pros

It is a program that's quick to learn and easy to use. The interface is amazing and everything is organized in a clear, sensible way.

Cons

The web based timesheet can be annoying because it has to be refreshed often, otherwise error messages show up when entering time.

“Tracking time actually works here”

Pros

Keeping track of time with it is really easy. I can start and stop the timer fast, review my hours without any hassle and the reports are clear and easy to follow. It helps me stay organized and accountable every day and everything works well.

Cons

Honestly there is nothing I would change. It makes timekeeping look effortless with quick clock-ins, reliable tracking and clear reports that keep my hours organized. It saves me time every single day.

“amazing experience overall”

Pros

Using this tool has been a positive experience overall. The interface is user friendly and the task and project management features work really well. The workflow automation is also a big plus and it makes keeping track of working hours much more manageable.

Cons

I noticed customer support could be a little difficult to get in touch with and there were times when I couldn't figure out the issue on my own.

“so convenient..!”

Pros

Running accounting tasks with Factor AE is much more manageable thanks to its user friendly dashboards, strong reporting tools, secure cloud syncing and excellent automation. It's efficient, dependable and a really great fit for growing businesses.

Cons

One limitation is the small number of third-party integrations. It works well with QuickBooks but outside of that, the integration options are pretty limited.

“really worth the price”

Pros

As an ERP option for a small business, it delivers a lot of value without overcomplicating things. The setup is also easy and it's a good way to get started without heavy onboarding costs or needing extensive employee training.

Cons

The area that could be better is customization. It would help if users could add or remove sections or widgets from the pulse dashboard themselves. Editing reports also is harder than it should be. Tool is usually responsive about creating a new report when asked but having a simple, user friendly way for users to make basic formatting changes or add and remove sections on their own would be a big improvement.

“Project billing gives good returns”

Pros

Running a small consulting firm means we need reliable time and expense tracking for every project and QuickBooks alone just wasn't enough. Since adding Factor, the time we spend on AR billing has dropped dramatically. Having AEC project budgeting, expenses, timesheets and invoicing all in one place is a big plus. The progress billing feature is essential for us and it handles it very well which is exactly where QuickBooks falls behind. Plus its and QuickBooks connection can feel a little confusing at times but I have never actually had a problem with the sync between the two systems. Considering how expensive a full all in one accounting platform can be, the Factor and QB integration delivers really good value for the cost.

Cons

Well a downside for me is that I often catch up on bookkeeping over the weekend and customer support isn't available during that time when I sometimes need help. Navigation could also be more direct. It would be better if clicking the PROJECTS button took me straight to our projects instead of opening a submenu and then making me go a few options down to reach the Project List. A dropdown beside the PROJECTS button for the other options would make more sense. There are also moments while preparing invoices when I need to update contacts, settings or add an expense and it would be much more convenient to access those pages without having to save the invoice as a draft first, leave the screen and then return. In the timesheet, I regularly hit Tab expecting the cursor to move to the Description field but instead it jumps to the next day. It would help to keep data entry faster without having to take a hand off the keyboard. Another small frustration is that when I add a project to a timesheet that already has several projects listed, the new one gets inserted based on project number, usually somewhere in the middle so I have to scan the list to find it. I'd prefer newly added projects to appear at the bottom instead. Also, the training videos would be more useful with topic-based timestamps so I wouldn't have to scrub through a 15-minute video just to find one specific point.

“actually delivers!”

Pros

It is quick and efficient, covering the core features a professional services firm actually needs without adding unnecessary complexity. Many other platforms come with long lists of extra functions but I really like a system that stays focused on the essentials and handles them well. With everyone already managing a lot, this one seems built with that in mind. Also it gives us an organized tool that supports our firm's success through accurate, effective workflows for project planning and execution, along with simple time tracking and invoicing.

Cons

A couple of areas could make it even better. One is an estimating or proposal feature. Being able to create fees directly in it instead of depending on Excel spreadsheets would make our process much more efficient. In an ideal setup, once an opportunity turns into a project that information would flow straight into the project record and help set up or at least guide, the project's initial resource allocations. Another improvement would be tying resource allocations into the revenue forecasting tool in some way. Since our project management process depends heavily on resource allocations, having that information feed forecasting would create better alignment between planning and financial projections.

“Custom billing with useful insights”

Pros

Factor's biggest strength for us is how customizable it is. We can build unique phases and subphases with different billing methods which is really valuable since not every project fits the standard SD, DD, CD structure. Also it is helpful that each project can have its own billing rates and team roles. The dashboard connected to QuickBooks is something I really enjoy because it gives a quick snapshot of profitability and other key metrics and the QuickBooks integration has been reliable. Invoicing is also hassle free and easy to review. You can look at project performance from several different angles which makes tracking progress much clearer. With the recent update, timesheet entry has become much simpler. Budgeting is also flexible since you can build budgets from either a top down or bottom-up approach. On top of that the support team has been excellent as they are very responsive, helpful and willing to assist with custom requests.

Cons

The part we have liked least about it starts with the onboarding cost. In a world where software already seems like a constant subscription expense, the added upfront onboarding fee felt unnecessary for us especially since we didn't need a major system conversion. We were able to self-train and get much of the setup done before most of the onboarding sessions even covered it so it really seems like onboarding should come with service-level options based on each firm's actual needs. Another weak spot is the task and scheduling system. It's very basic and doesn't work well for us as a true task management tool. With so many strong task-specific platforms out there, an integration with dedicated scheduling or task management software would be far more useful. Right now the task feature seems more suited to budgeting hours in broad chunks of project work. I'd say something similar about the CRM as we would rather have an integration option than rely on the built-in version. The invoice template editor is also more complicated than it needs to be. I like having customization options but making those changes yourself is difficult. Overall it is helpful if you ask them to handle the customization, though it still should be more DIY friendly. Retainer tracking is another area that seems limited since it's fairly one dimensional, relies on workarounds, requires manual entry and isn't very dynamic. The interface overall could also use improvement, both for navigation and appearance, to make it feel cleaner and easier on the eyes. The invoice and billing history page especially comes across more like a spreadsheet than modern software with user friendly visuals.