BQE CORE

BQE CORE is the all-in-one business management and professional services automation (PSA) platform built for architecture, engineering, construction, and other professional service firms — combining time & expense tracking, project management, billing, accounting, HR, and CRM in one user-friendly suite.

What is BQE CORE?

BQE CORE is a professional services automation (PSA) and business management suite built specifically for professional service firms — architects, engineers, consultants, and other project-based businesses. It unifies time & expense tracking, project management, billing/invoicing, accounting, HR, and CRM in one platform, consolidating what used to be the separate ArchiOffice, Engineeroffice, and BillQuick products. TrustRadius reviewers score it 9.4 out of 10 across 190 reviews, and Capterra rates it 4.5/5 across ~785 reviews — a genuinely well-liked tool. The strengths are consistent: an easy, intuitive interface with efficient time and expense tracking; versatile fixed-fee/hourly/hybrid invoicing; customizable reports and dashboards with real-time project health; seamless QuickBooks integration; and — most loudly praised — exceptional, responsive customer support. The caveats are equally consistent: performance that can be slow and occasionally loses entries (notably during Monday-morning timecard crunch), limited out-of-the-box reporting that pushes some firms to pay extra for custom reports, and pricing that several reviewers say has escalated sharply, eroding the value that first won them over. For small and mid-size A&E and professional service firms that value ease of use and great support, BQE CORE is an excellent one-stop choice; larger, cost-sensitive, or fast-paced firms are better served by Deltek Ajera, Unanet, or BigTime.

Key Features

• Time Tracking — Efficient billable and non-billable hour tracking with simple timesheets
• Expense Tracking — Real-time expense entry, approval, and reimbursement workflows
• Project Management — Projects, phases, budgeting, job costing, and resource allocation
• Billing & Invoicing — Fixed-fee, hourly, and hybrid billing with customizable templates
• Accounting — Full AP/AR, general ledger, retainage/retainer handling, and reporting
• HR Management — Payroll-adjacent HR functions (CORE HR module)
• CRM — Client and contact management with full project history in one view
• Reporting & Dashboards — Customizable reports, KPIs, and real-time project health
• QuickBooks Integration — Seamless sync with QuickBooks accounting packages
• API — Programmatic access for custom integrations

Who is it for?

• Architecture, engineering, and construction (A&E) firms needing integrated time, billing, and project management
• Small and mid-size professional service firms (consultants, recruiters, design studios)
• Firms that value ease of use and truly responsive customer support
• Firms wanting one platform to replace separate timesheet, billing, and accounting systems
• Project-based businesses with budget constraints where time and expense tracking accuracy matters

Who is it NOT for?

• Larger, fast-paced firms needing deep, advanced ERP functionality (Deltek Vision/Ajera or Unanet fit better)
• Very small firms with few projects and minimal income — the per-user cost can outweigh the benefit
• Cost-sensitive teams — reviewers report significant recent price escalation and extra charges for custom reports
• Teams where stability during high-volume timecard week ends is critical (reports of lost/duplicate entries)
• Organizations needing heavy reporting customization without a budget to pay for it