BuildQS vs Excel Spreadsheets - Why Subcontractors Are Switching
Excel is flexible but error-prone for payment applications. BuildQS automates the calculations, tracks retention, and integrates with Xero - replacing the spreadsheets construction subcontractors have relied on for years.
Why Subcontractors Use Excel
Excel is familiar, free, and flexible. For a long time it was the best option available. Most QSs learned the trade using spreadsheets, and bespoke templates have been refined over years.
But payment applications involve cumulative calculations across multiple periods. Each new application builds on every previous one - and that compound dependency is where Excel starts to break down.
Where Excel Falls Short
Nothing prevents entering a completion percentage lower than last period's figure. Nothing stops a formula referencing the wrong cell. Emailing version 14 of a spreadsheet when a colleague has version 12 creates version conflicts with no way to identify the correct figures.
Retention tracking is particularly vulnerable. Research by Professor Ray Panko at the University of Hawaii found that 88% of spreadsheets contain errors (Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 2008) - in construction, this leads to under-claims, disputed applications, and retention that gets forgotten entirely.
What BuildQS Does Differently
BuildQS is purpose-built for construction payment applications. Enter completion percentages and the software calculates this period's value, cumulative totals, retention deductions, and net amounts. Built-in validation prevents mistakes before they become disputes.
- Automatic cumulative calculations - no broken formulas
- Retention tracking with 6+6, 12-month, or custom release schedules
- Approval workflow: Draft, Submitted, Approved, Paid
- Variations tracked separately from original contract
- One-click Xero export for payment applications and retention releases
BuildQS is best for
- Subcontractors managing 3+ active projects
- Teams needing shared access to valuations
- Businesses that use Xero for accounting
- Anyone tired of broken formulas and version conflicts
