Advantech Aircon Systems Improves Cost Visibility and Site Discipline with ProjectBase

Company Overview

Company: Advantech Aircon Systems
Industry: HVAC & Air Conditioning Contracting
Employees: 140+
Operations: Multi-project execution with strong focus on material-intensive HVAC works

Advantech Aircon Systems is a large and fast-growing HVAC contracting company handling multiple projects with high material movement and tight execution timelines. With a workforce of over 140 employees, the company manages complex coordination between site teams, purchase, stores, and project management.

As project scale increased, Advantech realized that traditional tools were no longer sufficient to maintain control, visibility, and discipline across teams. This led them to adopt ProjectBase as their central project execution platform.

The Situation Before ProjectBase

Before implementing ProjectBase, Advantech had gone through multiple systems in an attempt to manage operations effectively.

• They initially used GrowSmart, but later moved to Excel-based tracking
  
  
• Excel soon became too complicated, fragmented, and difficult to manage
  
  
• Critical project data such as material usage, inventory, and actual costs were spread across files
  
  
• Teams depended heavily on manual follow-ups and personal coordination
  
  

As project volume increased, these issues began to impact execution efficiency and management confidence.

Key Challenges Faced

1. Lack of Actual Cost Visibility

Tracking actual project costs versus planned budgets was difficult. Inventory movement and material consumption were not clearly linked to projects, making reconciliation time-consuming.

2. Manual and Reactive Processes

Material requests, inventory tracking, and reporting depended on spreadsheets and follow-ups. This led to delays and inconsistencies, especially across multiple sites.

3. Limited Site Discipline

Without a structured system, site teams often raised material requests late, affecting delivery timelines and execution planning.

4. Management Visibility Gaps

Management had no single dashboard to track:

• Material delivery status
  
  
• Unbilled values
  
  
• Project-level financial exposure
  
  

This reduced confidence in decision-making and forecasting.

Why Advantech Chose ProjectBase

Advantech implemented ProjectBase around four months ago with a clear objective:

To digitize project execution, improve cost and material visibility, and bring discipline across site and office teams.

ProjectBase was chosen because it connects projects, purchase, stores, and management in one system without adding operational complexity.

How ProjectBase Was Implemented

ProjectBase was rolled out primarily across:

• Project teams
  
  
• Purchase department
  
  
• Stores and inventory operations
  
  

The focus was on digitizing daily execution activities rather than just reporting.

Key Improvements After Implementing ProjectBase

1. Clear Project Cost Reconciliation

One of the biggest improvements for Advantech has been easy reconciliation of actual costs.

• Material issues and inventory are directly linked to projects
  
  
• Actual cost incurred is visible at the project level
  
  
• Manual cross-checking between Excel sheets has reduced significantly
  
  

This has helped teams understand project profitability more clearly.

2. Digitized Project Execution

Project execution has moved from manual coordination to structured digital workflows.

• Material requests are raised within the system
  
  
• Delivery tracking is visible across teams
  
  
• Execution follows a defined process rather than ad-hoc communication
  
  

This shift has made operations more predictable and controlled.

3. Better Site Discipline and Planning

A key cultural change noted by Advantech is improved site discipline.

• Site teams now raise material requests on time
  
  
• Material planning is more systematic
  
  
• Last-minute emergencies and escalations have reduced
  
  

This has had a direct positive impact on project timelines.

4. Stronger Support for Management

For leadership, ProjectBase has become a daily visibility tool.

Key management benefits include:

• Dashboards showing material delivery status
  
  
• Visibility into unbilled value, helping timely client invoicing
  
  
• Better confidence in project and financial reviews
  
  

Management no longer depends on manual updates from teams.

5. Simpler Workflows for Purchase Teams

The purchase team has seen immediate operational relief.

• They now simply review material requests
  
  
• Select vendors
  
  
• Create purchase orders directly in the system
  
  

This has reduced confusion, rework, and follow-ups.

6. Clear Visibility for Project Managers

Project managers now have clear visibility of material flow:

• Requested quantities
  
  
• Delivered quantities
  
  
• Balance quantities
  
  

This makes planning and coordination with site teams far easier.

Measurable Impact

After implementing ProjectBase, Advantech reports:

• 30–40% reduction in manual work
  
  
• Faster project reconciliation
  
  
• Better material and inventory tracking
  
  
• Improved coordination between site, purchase, and stores
  
  
• Higher discipline and accountability across teams
  
  

Support Experience

Advantech highlighted the responsiveness of the ProjectBase support team.

• Support is prompt and approachable
  
  
• Users feel comfortable reaching out to consultants
  
  
• Issues are resolved without delays or friction
  
  

This has played an important role in smooth adoption.

Conclusion

For Advantech Aircon Systems, ProjectBase has helped bring structure, visibility, and discipline to large-scale HVAC project execution.

By digitizing material tracking, cost reconciliation, and project workflows, the platform has reduced manual dependency and improved operational clarity across teams.

Most importantly, ProjectBase has enabled management to stay in control without micromanaging, while empowering teams to work in a more systematic and accountable manner.

As Advantech continues to scale, ProjectBase is positioned as a strong foundation for tighter execution, better financial control, and long-term operational maturity.