Construction teams rely on accurate financial data to keep projects on track. But when project management and accounting systems aren’t connected, teams often face duplicate data entry, delayed reporting, and the risk of costly errors.
That’s why customers find value in Forma Build’s integration with leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems through Agave—helping teams create a seamless flow of financial information from the field to the back office.
With that, we’re thrilled to introduce a blog and video series exploring how Cost Management in Forma Build connects with ERP systems through Agave.
This series will help you build a strong foundation in how Cost Management in Forma Build, ERP systems, and integrations work together to support construction financial workflows.
In upcoming posts, you’ll see these concepts in action through a live demo of Cost Management and more detailed walkthroughs of specific ERP integrations through Agave.
In this first installment, Jim Ferguson, ERP Integrations SME at Autodesk, and Ryan Ward, Customer Solutions Engineer at Agave, walk through the fundamentals and why these integrations matter.
Watch the first video in the series below to learn how Forma Build supports financial workflows across construction projects, the role Agave plays in connecting systems, and how integrated financial data helps teams make faster, more informed decisions.
Construction financial data touches nearly every stakeholder on a project. Budgets, commitments, change orders, invoices, and payments all need to move between project teams and accounting teams accurately and efficiently.
When those processes rely on manual data entry or disconnected systems, errors can occur and valuable time is lost.
Connecting your operations systems with your ERP creates a single flow of financial data across project and accounting teams. The result is improved accuracy, reduced administrative work, and greater visibility into project performance.
As Jim Ferguson explains:
"Agave can integrate cost management data with your ERP, which will save time, reduce errors, create more actionable data, and ultimately lead to better outcomes."
Forma Build is a comprehensive construction management platform that connects teams, data, and workflows across the office, trailer, and jobsite. .
Within Forma Build, there is a robust Cost Management toolset that helps teams control project finances through:
Together, these capabilities provide a clear view of project financial health while supporting the day-to-day processes that keep projects moving forward.
Cost Management supports a complete, end-to-end financial workflow. Budgets are established and used to buy out contracts, which are then routed through approval workflows for key stakeholders.
As work progresses, project activities such as RFIs, issues, and schedules can trigger potential change orders through built-in workflows. Expenses and change orders move through either basic or extended approval processes and ultimately feed into pay applications, directly impacting the overall budget.
These workflows extend beyond internal teams. Subcontractors, material suppliers, owners, and customers are all part of the process, with information flowing through to ERP systems for accounting, payments, and financial reconciliation.
Agave serves as the integration layer between Forma Build and construction ERP systems.
Through Agave, Cost Management in Forma Build can connect with a wide range of ERP solutions, including Sage 300, Viewpoint Vista, and CMiC, as well as additional systems such as Sage Intacct, Acumatica, and QuickBooks.
As Ryan puts it, “If you're on a construction ERP, odds are Agave integrates with it.”
By standardizing how information moves between systems, Agave helps ensure consistent, reliable data across your technology stack.
Every Agave integration supports a consistent set of core data types, including:
Maintaining alignment across these critical data sets helps teams ensure that financial information remains accurate and consistent even as your systems evolve over time. In fact, the workflow carries across your systems even if you choose to switch your ERP.
One of the biggest advantages of integration is automation.
The main goal of Agave is to have data sync on autopilot. Once set up, data flows automatically, eliminating the need for manual uploads or exports.
“You set it up once and then data flows in the background, so there’s no manual buttons you need to press,” explains Ryan.
That said, teams still maintain control over the process. You can configure which workflows are fully automated and which require review, ensuring the right balance between efficiency and oversight.
Agave also detects duplicates and matches records that exist in both systems. According to Ryan, Agave can match vendor details such as ID, name, code, or address, to name a few.
“You don't end up with 10 copies of the same subcontractor. We match what's there and only create what's new.”
Integration does not have to mean losing visibility.
Agave provides full transparency into how data moves between systems. Every sync event is logged, giving teams visibility into what has been processed, what is pending, and what may have failed.
In the event that something doesn’t go as planned, Agave’s error messages will tell you exactly how to fix it.
ERP integration delivers benefits for stakeholders across the organization.
Executives gain confidence in a single source of truth for financial data.
Project managers get real-time visibility into budgets, commitments, change orders, and billing information without relying on accounting.
Accounting teams reduce manual data entry, speed up workflows, and reconciliation work.
Operations leaders gain portfolio-level visibility without waiting for month-end reporting.
IT teams benefit from a scalable, supported integration rather than relying on ad hoc exports.
Before we dive into detailed ERP integration demos, the next installment of this series will take a closer look at Cost Management in Forma Build itself.
You'll get a deeper preview of the connected, centralized, and customizable experience that helps construction teams gain greater control over project finances. We'll explore how Cost Management brings financial data together in one place, streamlines workflows across stakeholders, and provides the visibility teams need to make informed decisions.
You'll also see how Cost Management helps teams instantly identify cost-related risks, improve forecasting accuracy, and maintain confidence in project financial performance—laying the foundation for the powerful ERP integrations we'll explore throughout the rest of the series.
Watch the full video above and stay tuned for the next installment of the series! To learn more about how our latest releases can benefit your teams, reach out and schedule a demo to learn more.
