The short answer
Most growing Australian engineering consultancies run on a practice management platform (Total Synergy, Projectworks, BQE CORE, Deltek or WorkflowMax) plus Xero or MYOB, Microsoft 365 and their design tools. That stack handles time, fees and invoicing well. Where it usually falls short is everything around it: fee proposals, resourcing across offices, document control, client portals and the reporting directors actually want.
If your firm is under about 15 people and bills simply, an off-the-shelf tool is usually enough.
If you’re 20 to 150 people, run several disciplines or offices, and spend hours each week moving data between systems, it’s worth looking at custom software built around how your projects run, connected to the tools you already use.
At a glance: the main options
| Software | Best for | Pricing (indicative) | Made in | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Synergy | AU architecture and engineering firms wanting an AEC-specific platform | From A$10, A$29 or A$49 per user per month by plan1 | Australia | Reviewers mention a learning curve and clunky reporting |
| Projectworks | Consultancies wanting a modern, easy-to-adopt tool with strong Xero sync | From US$19 per user per month, onboarding from about $1,0003 | NZ-founded, global | Expense handling and resourcing dashboards are lighter |
| BQE CORE | Firms wanting time, billing and optional accounting in one product | Quote only, priced per user by module4 | US, with AU presence | Accounting and payroll modules are US-leaning |
| Deltek Vantagepoint | Larger multi-office firms needing ERP-grade project accounting | Quote only; third-party estimates around US$30 per user per month, implementation US$15k to US$150k5 | US | Long, costly implementations; built for scale |
| WorkflowMax | Small firms needing simple jobs, time and invoicing | Standard from A$36 per month, Premium from A$97 per month6 | Australia (BlueRock) | Not engineering-specific; lighter on resourcing and fees by stage |
| WorkGuru | Engineering businesses that also quote, purchase and hold stock | From about A$30 per user per month (minimum 5 users) | Australia | Better suited to workshops and contractors than pure design consultancies |
| Custom software | Firms whose workflow spans several tools and doesn’t fit one platform | One-off build plus hosting; scoped per workflow | Built for your firm | Needs a clear process and a partner to support it |
Prices are from vendor and review-site listings in October 2026. Check them with the vendor before you decide.
Sources: Synergy AEC (Total Synergy) on Capterra Australia · Projectworks on Capterra Australia · BQE CORE pricing · Deltek Vantagepoint pricing, ERP Research · WorkflowMax on Capterra
What engineering consultancies need software to do
An engineering consultancy sells time and expertise against a fee. Almost every software decision comes back to one question: can we see, project by project, what we quoted, what we’ve spent and what we can bill?
In practice that breaks into seven workflows.
- 1Win the workTrack opportunities, prepare fee proposals by stage or deliverable, and record why you won or lost. Many firms still do this in Word and Excel.Usually bolted on
- 2Set up the projectTurn an accepted proposal into a project with stages, budgets, a team and a client contact, without re-keying.Covered well
- 3Plan resourcesSee who’s working on what across disciplines and offices, and spot overload before a deadline slips.Usually bolted on
- 4Record time and expensesTimesheets against stages and tasks, with approvals, disbursements and sub-consultant costs.Covered well
- 5Control documentsDrawing registers, revisions, transmittals and RFIs, usually in 12d Synergy, SharePoint or Aconex alongside the PM tool.Usually bolted on
- 6Bill and claimFixed fee by percentage complete, time and materials, variations and progress claims, then push invoices to Xero or MYOB.Covered well
- 7Report on profitabilityProject margin, work in progress, write-offs, utilisation and forecast revenue, at project, team and firm level.Usually bolted on
Practice management platforms are strongest at steps 2, 4 and 6. Steps 1, 3, 5 and 7 are where firms most often bolt on spreadsheets, a separate CRM or manual reports.
The typical engineering software stack in Australia
A civil or structural consultancy of 20 to 80 people often runs something like this:
| Layer | Common tools | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Design and modelling |
| Drawings, models, calculations |
| Document control |
| Drawing registers, revisions, transmittals, markups |
| Practice management |
| Projects, stages, timesheets, fees, invoices |
| Accounting |
| Ledger, payroll, GST and BAS |
| Sales and proposals |
| Opportunities, fee proposals, client contacts |
| Communication |
| Email, meetings, files |
| Reporting |
| Utilisation, WIP, director reports |
Each layer is usually a good product. The friction is in the gaps: a proposal re-typed into the PM tool, a resourcing spreadsheet nobody trusts, a WIP report rebuilt by hand every month.
The main engineering software options, reviewed
Total Synergy
Total Synergy is the Australian-made default for architecture and engineering practice management. It covers projects, stages, timesheets, fees, invoicing, resourcing and document links in one cloud platform, and integrates with Xero, MYOB, Business Central and 12d Synergy.
- Who it suits
- AU and NZ consultancies from about 10 to 300 staff that want a platform built for AEC rather than a general job tool.
- Pricing
- Capterra lists three plans at A$10, A$29 and A$49 per user per month.1 Most firms land on the middle or top tier once they need resourcing and reporting.
- Strengths
- AEC-specific stages and fee structures, mature Australian support, a large user base among local consultancies. Reviewers rate support and onboarding highly (4.6 of 5).1
- Limits
- Reviewers mention a learning curve, a busier interface than newer tools, and reporting that doesn’t always give directors what they want without exports.1
- Recent change
- Total Synergy joined forces with US-based Monograph in mid-2026, with a combined product family for architects and engineers planned. Monograph says existing products and contracts aren’t changing in the short term.2
Projectworks
Projectworks is a newer, cloud-only platform for consultancies that sell time. It’s popular with engineering and architecture firms that find older platforms heavy.
- Who it suits
- Firms from about 10 to 500 people that want fast adoption, clean timesheets and tight Xero integration.
- Pricing
- From US$19 per user per month, with optional onboarding from about $1,000.3
- Strengths
- Rated 4.7 of 5 from 162 reviews on Capterra.3 Reviewers praise ease of use, fast invoicing from timesheets and Xero reconciliation. Integrates with 12d Synergy, HubSpot, Employment Hero, Teams and Zapier.
- Limits
- Expense handling and over- or under-resourcing dashboards are weaker than the core time and billing features. Fewer AEC-specific conventions out of the box than Total Synergy.
BQE CORE
BQE CORE is a US platform for architecture and engineering firms that combines time, billing and project management, with optional accounting, CRM and HR modules.
- Who it suits
- Firms that want one vendor for project management and back office, and are comfortable with a US-designed product.
- Pricing
- Quote only, priced per user with modules added as needed.4
- Strengths
- Broad feature set, phased billing, Gantt charts, an open API and 24/7 support with an account manager. BQE has Australian customers and case studies.
- Limits
- Payroll and some accounting features are built for the US. Most Australian firms keep Xero or MYOB for the ledger, which narrows what CORE adds.
Deltek Vantagepoint
Deltek Vantagepoint is an ERP for project-based firms: project accounting, CRM, resource planning and business intelligence in one system.
- Who it suits
- Larger engineering firms, often 100 people and up across several offices, that need ERP-grade project accounting and are willing to invest in a long implementation.
- Pricing
- Not published. ERP Research cites around US$30 per user per month as a starting point, with implementation from US$15,000 to US$150,000 over three to six months.5
- Strengths
- Depth across finance, CRM, resourcing and reporting. A strong fit where the firm’s processes already match a large-firm model.
- Limits
- Cost and complexity are high for firms under about 80 people. Deltek Vision reaches end of life on 31 December 2026, so firms still on Vision face a migration decision now.5
WorkflowMax (BlueRock)
WorkflowMax is an Australian job, time and invoicing tool for any business that bills by time. It’s now owned and developed by Melbourne-based BlueRock.
- Who it suits
- Small consultancies of 2 to 20 people with straightforward billing.
- Pricing
- Standard from A$36 per month, Premium from A$97 per month, Advanced on request. A lead manager add-on is A$19 per month.6
- Strengths
- Simple, affordable, strong Xero integration, easy to set up.
- Limits
- Not built for engineering. No native drawing control, limited fee-by-stage structures and lighter resource planning. Reviewers rate features 3.8 of 5.6
WorkGuru
WorkGuru is an Australian job management tool covering quoting, scheduling, timesheets, purchasing and stock.
- Who it suits
- Engineering businesses that build or install as well as design, such as fabrication, mechanical services or electrical contractors with a design arm.
- Pricing
- From about A$30 per user per month, minimum five users, with a stock module extra.
- Limits
- Its strengths in purchasing and inventory matter less to a pure design consultancy.
Custom software
Custom software is built around your firm’s own workflow instead of a vendor’s model of a typical firm. For a consultancy that usually means one system covering proposal to project to resourcing to reporting, connected to Xero, Microsoft 365 and your document control.
- Who it suits
- Firms of roughly 20 to 150 people with several disciplines or offices, unusual fee structures, or a stack of tools that each do one part.
- Pricing
- A one-off build scoped per workflow, plus hosting and support. No per-user licence fees.
- Strengths
- Fits how your team actually works. Can include AI agents for tasks like drafting fee proposals from past projects, chasing timesheets or summarising project health. Keeps the tools that already work.
- Limits
- Needs a clear process and a partner who will support it. It isn’t the right call if an off-the-shelf tool already fits 90 percent of your work.
Supporting tools you'll almost certainly keep
- Keep12d SynergyAustralian engineering data and document management with version control, widely used by civil firms and surveyors. Integrates with Total Synergy and Projectworks.
- KeepXero or MYOBThe ledger, payroll and BAS. Every option above connects to at least one of them.
- KeepMicrosoft 365 and SharePointEmail, Teams and file storage. Often the real home of proposals and project files.
- KeepBluebeamPDF markups and drawing review.
How to choose engineering software without buying shelfware
Start from the workflow that costs you the most time, not from a feature list. Most firms that switch platforms and stay unhappy picked on features and never named the problem.
Step 1: Name the problem in one sentence.
Use the table to match what you're feeling to where it usually sits.
- “We don’t know if a project is making money until it’s over”Where it usually sits: Budgets aren’t tied to stages, or time is coded looselyWhat to look for: Stage budgets, live burn against fee, earned value
- “Month-end WIP takes two days”Where it usually sits: Data split between PM tool, Xero and ExcelWhat to look for: Native WIP reporting, or one source of truth feeding reports
- “We keep overloading the same engineers”Where it usually sits: Resourcing lives in a spreadsheetWhat to look for: Forward resource planning by person and discipline
- “Proposals take a day each and nobody reuses them”Where it usually sits: Proposals are Word files, disconnected from projectsWhat to look for: Proposal templates that become projects without re-keying
- “Clients keep asking where things are up to”Where it usually sits: Status lives in email and people’s headsWhat to look for: Client portal or automated status updates
- “Timesheets are always late”Where it usually sits: Friction in entry, no remindersWhat to look for: Mobile entry, reminders, an agent that chases them
Step 2: Decide what to keep, connect or replace.
Most firms should keep their accounting and design tools. The real choice is usually about the middle layer.
| Tool | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Xero or MYOB | Keep | Your accountant works in it; every option connects to it |
| CAD, 12d, Revit | Keep | Specialist tools with no realistic replacement |
| 12d Synergy or SharePoint document control | Keep and connect | Works well; the gap is linking it to projects |
| Practice management platform | Keep, extend or replace | Depends on how much of your workflow it covers |
| Spreadsheets for resourcing, WIP or proposals | Replace | This is where time and errors pile up |
Step 3: Test with one real project.
Run a live project end to end, from proposal to final invoice, through any tool you shortlist. A demo with sample data won’t show you where your process breaks.
Step 4: Ask about the next five years.
How does pricing scale as you hire? Who owns your data, and can you export all of it? What happens if the vendor is acquired or a product is retired?
What it costs over time
Per-user pricing looks small at the start and grows with every hire. An illustrative example (not a quote) for a 40-person firm using list prices:
| Option | Year 1 | Year 3 (55 staff) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Synergy, top tier (A$49 per user per month) | About A$23,500 | About A$32,300 per year | Plus implementation and training time |
| Projectworks (US$19, about A$29 per user per month) | About A$13,900 plus onboarding | About A$19,100 per year | Exchange rate moves the AUD cost |
| Deltek Vantagepoint | Implementation US$15k to US$150k plus licences | Licences grow per user | Built for larger firms |
| Custom software | One-off build plus hosting | Hosting and support only; no per-user fees | Cost depends on the workflow, not headcount |
The point isn’t that one option is cheapest. It’s that platform cost grows with headcount, while the cost of a custom build is driven by scope. For firms planning to grow fast, that difference matters more than the year one number.
Custom or off-the-shelf?
When custom engineering software is the better choice
Custom software is worth looking at when your workflow is the problem rather than any single tool. Common signs:
- You run more than one platform and staff re-key the same project data into each.
- Your fee structures (multi-stage, multi-discipline, retainers, panel rates) don’t fit how the platform wants to bill.
- Directors rely on monthly reports someone builds by hand in Excel.
- You’ve tried two platforms already and work around both.
- You want AI to do real work, such as drafting proposals or chasing timesheets, inside your own systems.
When off-the-shelf is enough
Stick with an off-the-shelf platform if:
- You’re under about 15 people with simple time-based billing.
- One platform already covers proposal to invoice and your team uses it properly.
- The real problem is adoption or data hygiene, not the software.
- You don’t have time to describe how your process works. Custom software only fits as well as the process behind it.
A 45-person civil and structural firm, Newcastle and Sydney
A request comes in by email. An AI agent creates the opportunity, pulls similar past projects and drafts a fee proposal by stage for an engineer to review.
AI agentWhen the client accepts, the proposal becomes a project with stages, budgets and a team. Nothing is re-typed.
The resourcing view shows each engineer’s load across both offices for the next eight weeks, from the same data.
Timesheets are entered against stages. The agent reminds anyone who’s late on Friday afternoon.
AI agentDrawing issues stay in 12d Synergy; the project record links to the latest transmittal.
Invoices are raised by percentage complete and pushed to Xero.
Directors get a weekly project health summary: burn against fee, forecast margin and the three projects that need attention.
AI agent
How implementation usually goes
| Option | Typical timeline | What takes the time |
|---|---|---|
| Small platform (WorkflowMax, Projectworks) | 2 to 8 weeks | Data import, timesheet habits, Xero mapping |
| AEC platform (Total Synergy, BQE CORE) | 1 to 3 months | Stage templates, fee structures, training, historical data |
| ERP (Deltek Vantagepoint) | 3 to 6 months or more | Process redesign, consultants, reporting build |
| Custom software | A working prototype in days; a first live workflow in weeks | Process mapping up front, phased rollout, ongoing support |
Frequently asked questions
Most use a practice management platform such as Total Synergy, Projectworks, BQE CORE, Deltek or WorkflowMax, alongside Xero or MYOB, Microsoft 365, 12d Synergy or SharePoint for documents, and design tools like AutoCAD, 12d Model and Revit.
There isn’t one best option. Total Synergy suits AEC firms wanting an Australian platform built for the sector. Projectworks suits firms wanting fast adoption. Deltek suits large firms. Custom software suits firms whose workflow spans several tools.
Listed prices range from about A$10 to A$49 per user per month for Total Synergy and from US$19 per user per month for Projectworks. WorkflowMax starts at A$36 per month. Deltek and BQE CORE are quote only.
No. Total Synergy is used by architecture, engineering, surveying and other AEC consultancies across Australia and New Zealand.
Yes. Total Synergy, Projectworks, WorkflowMax and WorkGuru all integrate with Xero. Most also support MYOB.
Yes. A good custom build connects to Xero, Microsoft 365, 12d Synergy and your design tools rather than replacing them.
Anywhere from a few weeks for a small platform to six months or more for an ERP. Historical data migration is usually the slowest part.
Practical uses include drafting fee proposals from past projects, chasing timesheets, summarising project health for directors, triaging inbound requests and pulling data out of RFIs and transmittals.
Bottom line
If an off-the-shelf platform fits how your projects run, use it. If your team spends its week bridging tools, the better question isn’t which platform to buy next, it’s what your workflow should look like.
See how a free prototype could workSources
Pages checked in October 2026.
- Synergy AEC (Total Synergy) on Capterra Australiacapterra.com.au
- Monograph: Building the future of A/E software togethermonograph.com
- Projectworks on Capterra Australiacapterra.com.au
- BQE CORE pricingbqe.com
- Deltek Vantagepoint pricing, ERP Researcherpresearch.com
- WorkflowMax on Capterracapterra.ca