Advanced Fiber Saved 300+ Hours Annually with Custom Field Service ERP

The Solutions

A Custom ERP Connecting Field and Back-Office Operations

AFI initially engaged Quandary to improve reporting and automate invoicing. Following a detailed discovery process, Quandary developed a custom solution that eliminated several of the company’s most time-consuming reporting and billing tasks and as the immediate improvements began producing results, we worked with AFI to expand the application into a comprehensive Quickbase ERP and CRM tailored to its field service operations.

The new platform centralized job intake, production reporting, scheduling, billing, fleet activity, inventory, HR documentation, and customer communication. Integrations with QuickBooks, Samsara, Microsoft Outlook, DocuSign, and peakSUITE connected operational data across the business and reduced dependence on manual handoffs.

AFI gained one system for managing how work moves from initial request through field completion, invoicing, and financial reconciliation.

The Key Capabilities Included:

• Automated invoicing: The platform generates invoices from approved production data, sends them to customers, and updates QuickBooks automatically. It also manages regenerated invoices without requiring duplicate entry.
• Structured job intake: New work requests are imported from CSV files and converted into standardized Quickbase records. Automated matching connects job numbers with purchase orders for more accurate tracking and billing.
• Automated job-number creation: When incoming jobs do not include an assigned number, the system generates one and associates it with the appropriate purchase order.
• Field production management: Technicians and operations teams can capture production data within a connected workflow, giving the back office more reliable information for reporting and invoicing.
• Workforce scheduling: Quickbase manages field assignments, on-call availability, and rotating schedules. The scheduling logic improves coverage while helping prevent individual team members from being overworked.
• Inventory and material tracking: The ERP tracks warehouse materials, usage, and costs to support more accurate billing, reporting, and inventory planning.
• HR and compliance documentation: A DocuSign integration automates employee onboarding documents, safety certifications, and benefits distribution while creating a clearer documentation trail.
• Automated communications: Microsoft Outlook automations send internal and external updates when jobs, invoices, approvals, and other activities reach predefined milestones.
• Improved data integrity: Required fields, validation rules, and relational data structures reduce manual errors and give AFI more dependable information for billing, reporting, and decision-making.

Rapid, Operations-Driven Development

AFI’s operations team remained closely involved throughout the modernization effort. The team brought detailed documentation, defined workflows, and a clear understanding of its operational pain points, allowing Quandary to move quickly through an agile development process.

Rather than attempting a disruptive replacement, we prioritized the improvements that would produce the greatest immediate value. The engagement began with reporting and invoicing automation before expanding incrementally into a broader ERP and CRM platform.

Each phase addressed a measurable operational bottleneck while allowing daily field service work to continue uninterrupted.

• Restructured the Data Architecture: Quandary transformed flat spreadsheet data into a structured, relational Quickbase architecture. This created a scalable foundation for job intake, scheduling, production tracking, reporting, and billing.
• Strengthened System Controls: We addressed limitations in the original application by introducing required fields, connected tables, validation rules, and standardized data relationships. These controls increased data integrity and reduced downstream billing errors.
• Automated Production Reporting: Quandary developed a dependable weekly production report that became the operational trigger for automated invoicing and downstream workflows.
• Streamlined Job Intake: We created an automated CSV import process that converts weekly work-request files into clean, structured records. Automatic job and purchase-order matching eliminated repetitive entry and improved intake accuracy.
• Expanded Through Continuous Improvement: Recurring working sessions allowed Quandary and AFI to identify manual processes, prioritize automation opportunities, and release targeted enhancements. This created an ongoing optimization framework aligned with AFI’s changing requirements.

This phased, operations-first approach allowed AFI to transform a limited Quickbase application into a scalable custom ERP without disrupting service delivery.

By strengthening the underlying data architecture and introducing automation incrementally, AFI reduced implementation risk while building a platform capable of supporting continued growth.