Foundation Software Construction Accounting vs. HCSS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
Foundation Software headquartered in Strongsville, Ohio offers their construction accounting and payroll software. The vendor states that their job costing construction accounting software is designed to be easy to use and provides the accounting and management tools needed to run a successful construction business.N/A
HCSS
Score 9.5 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
HCSS is a construction software suite. It includes functionality for bidding, time card and project management, safety, planning, scheduling, equipment management, and data warehousing and reporting. Each module can be purchased separately. The suite can be hosted in the cloud.N/A
Pricing
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Considered Both Products
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
Chose Foundation Software Construction Accounting
The previous program we utilized, ADP Payroll, for payroll could not handle any of the job costing functions that were required. Simply put, the costs were not going in the right buckets and causing all sorts of issue with our reports. That was the main reason we switched back …
Chose Foundation Software Construction Accounting
Personally, I did not have a hand in deciding the software, but for our company is has not led to increased productivity or made things easier. It has been more difficult
HCSS
Chose HCSS
The company utilizes several platforms to achieve their overall project control goals.
Chose HCSS
I was not part of the team that looked at other potential products at the time of purchase of HCSS.
Chose HCSS
We did not try any other software. In discussions with employees that have worked with other companies, they said to go with the Cadillac of softwares from the get-go, and that's what we decided to do. We wouldn't have it any other way now that we have used HCSS.
Chose HCSS
We've used Sage in the past and even though I would say it's on par, it did not provide the integration that we needed for our new systems and databases.
Chose HCSS
I don't have any other to compare to, as my previous company we built a software system from the ground up that did all of these functions already.
Chose HCSS
We used to use Estimating Link. It was very helpful in our transition to a larger company. It was like HeavyBid light, but also a fraction of the cost.
Chose HCSS
Occasionally I have come across an individual you is a spreadsheet user for estimating. and has not used heavybid. Usually after a little bit of orientation the individual can readily see the increased efficiency and the potential for less errors. I have also talked to …
Chose HCSS
HCSS has mobile apps and is very attentive to its customer's needs. Support is awesome.
Chose HCSS
We researched other software companies but none provided the depth of support and knowledge that HCSS brought to the table. HCSS is also always growing and listening to its customers. Customer support seems to remain the backbone of the company that is always striving to grow …
Chose HCSS
None. Outside of Excel spreadsheets Heavy Bid is the only estimating program I have used.
Chose HCSS
I've looked at a couple different software systems, both at this company and others, and nothing has compared to Heavy Bid and Heavy Job. The versatility and functions of both are truly amazing and have helped us in many ways. Other systems just don't compare.
Chose HCSS
Other estimating products I have used consist of ICE/MC2 and MS Excel. ICE was not a good fit for our company, as they have awful technical support and offer very poor training. MS Excel is great for simple estimates where there is not a lot of data being compiled. However …
Chose HCSS
HCSS is the best we have ever found.
Chose HCSS
In general, HCSS has allowed us to grow to a point with technology as a company where we're now confident in pursuing more advanced technologies to help in other back office areas. We have also been able to grow our IT support team to open new doors for us that didn't exist …
Chose HCSS
I worked for Kiewit for 26 years and they wrote their own program which is similar to HCSS, but their operations program was better than HCSS.
Chose HCSS
Bid2win, and Hard dollar.

Heavybid is far above both in terms of product features, but even if they were equal, HCSS support makes a huge difference.
Features
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
6.5
Ratings
16% below category average
HCSS
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
6.1
Ratings
22% below category average
HCSS
-
Ratings
Pay calculation6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
5.6
Ratings
25% below category average
HCSS
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
6.5
Ratings
16% below category average
HCSS
-
Ratings
Dashboards9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Standard reports6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Custom reports5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Data exportability5.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Construction Project & Field Management
Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
7.0
Ratings
8% below category average
HCSS
6.8
Ratings
10% below category average
Photo documentation9.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Document sharing9.00 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Collaboration & approvals9.00 Ratings4.00 Ratings
Mobile app3.00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Change orders5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan distribution & viewing00 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Plan markups & sharing00 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Issue tracking & punchlists00 Ratings9.90 Ratings
Jobsite reports00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
RFI tools00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Estimating
Comparison of Estimating features of Product A and Product B
Foundation Software Construction Accounting
7.7
Ratings
4% below category average
HCSS
-
Ratings
Job costing5.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost databases9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost calculator9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
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Medium-sized Companies
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Score 8.3 out of 10
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Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 8.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Likelihood to Recommend
7.1
(0 ratings)
6.1
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.1
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Foundation Software Construction AccountingHCSS
Likelihood to Recommend
We are a multi-million dollar company with 12 various divisions. This software has proven to be beneficials in many ways through out all the various uses in all of our divisions of the company. There is an ease of use that comes with using foundation that we have not found in many other software's
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Our operation uses several pieces of what we call specialty equipment (not used every day on every job). The foreman when finished will give a location of where this equipment is left, this many times can be very vague and lead to a lowboy driver trying to block around to find the piece or driving down a street he cannot get turned around in. With the GPS devices, the driver can pinpoint exactly where the unit is and if he has room to turn around at that location.
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Pros
  • Detail completion of all transactions.
  • Easily job cost all of your projects.
  • Easy reports.
  • Year end closing function.
  • Tracking work completed, percent of completion for all projects.
  • Detailed records.
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  • #1 is support! HCSS is by far the best software support of any product we have ever used. Unlike most software companies HCSS utilizes their support calls to help upgrade their software. When you here them tell you that they will write down a particular issue you come across during a support call if they can't help you then and there they will research and get an answer to you extremely fast. If the software will not do it, you can bet there is a good chance it will be on the list of enhancements you will see come out in the near future.
  • Estimating software is very extensive. Their software is capable of handling the smallest estimate all the way to the largest joint venture estimate. It has advanced features that make it extremely useful for analyzing job materials, subcontractors etc.
  • HeavyJob is an extremely useful tool for the field to keep the office up to date with job costs. Everything is at the Foreman's fingertips on Tablets to allow the information from the field to get uploaded to HeavyJob manager which then can export to accounting. We are also able to give our Foreman the ability to deal with the Daily and weekly safety needs (Tailgate Meetings, incident Investigation, observations etc.) right on the Tablets thru HeavyJob.
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Cons
  • I think A/P Invoice approval could be much smoother.
  • Purchase orders should be more detailed able to be issued and easily modified and enter invoices against them.
  • A/P check distribution should let you select checks for ACH payment and printed check in the same run.
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  • All their apps are on mobile devices. Although there is not a clear company policy on Android versus iPhone. Updates for features lag behind on Android. Some apps are exclusive to one platform making it hard to fully interconnect all programs.
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Likelihood to Renew
There are some things it lacks, certain reports or history audits. I have to call them to do certain things-submit a ticket and wait on someone to call back instead of getting someone immediately. Especially if it's urgent. I have to wait on them to push an update-and they usually run a week or 2 later- to pull quarterly or annual tax forms.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Foundation is a fantastic software for our varied business. The fact that its feature set has allowed the ability to be tailored precisely to the requirements of our various divisions is the main reason we continue utilizing this software. Our company's financial administration duties, such as billing, invoicing, and trust accounting, have been greatly streamlined by Foundation's powerful and user-friendly accounting module. The synchronizing of data and allows for efficient workflows with other systems. This software greatly simplifies our processes and allows for efficiency and growth.
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As mentioned, user interface appears messy and complicated at initial onset. Training is necessary but becomes easy to maneuver through after solid daily use.
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Support Rating
Support is usually pretty great. Most of the time return calls to tickets logged are fairly quick. Most everyone is knowledgeable and helpful.
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The people at HCSS who I interact with, whether it is a support technician, product manager, or the HCSS President, Mike Rydin, are as passionate at making construction management for heavy civil contractors a valuable experience as I am. They want to get us emphatic, project management addicted people in to tell them why their product is not working, and work with us to design the software to work for us. HCSS is good for the heavy civil contractor; it is going to help us to manage our projects with precision, accuracy, and accountability.
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Implementation Rating
the person from them was impatient and would make comments about we've been over this
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It is critical to select the right team to take to HCSS for implementation. They take very good care of you and your team and listen to all of your concerns. During implantation we often discuss wants and needs with VPs and Officers as they pass through to check on our progress.
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Alternatives Considered
I have not used other construction accounting software.
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We researched other software companies but none provided the depth of support and knowledge that HCSS brought to the table. HCSS is also always growing and listening to its customers. Customer support seems to remain the backbone of the company that is always striving to grow with the industry.
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Return on Investment
  • Double input for payroll.
  • Certified payroll reports lacking.
  • Takes more time.
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  • The biggest ROI for us was the ease of adoption by field personnel.
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ScreenShots

HCSS Screenshots

Screenshot of HeavyBid - build the structure of an estimateScreenshot of HeavyBid - manage sub and material quotesScreenshot of HeavyBid - create professional bid proposalsScreenshot of HeavyJob - manage a job site from a mobile deviceScreenshot of HeavyJob - capture job site photos from any deviceScreenshot of HeavyJob - review, edit, and approve time cards from a mobile device