Case Study: Western Washington University achieves real-time budget visibility and cuts change-order processing time by two weeks with Trimble e-Builder

Western Washington University - Customer Case Study

Western Washington University (WWU), a public university in Bellingham serving nearly 16,000 students and managing a $35M annual capital construction program across about 20 active projects, struggled with a decentralized, paper- and spreadsheet-based system. Project information lived on individual desktops and in separate tools, budget visibility across omnibus programs took weeks to reconcile, change orders were processed manually with paper memos and vendor copies, and outdated running worksheets made tracking liabilities time-intensive and error-prone.

In 2017 WWU implemented e-Builder Enterprise, using the Account Level Cost tool, Cost Summary tab, and about 10 custom workflows (including electronic COP and CO processes). The solution provides real-time program and project balances, automated budget liability projections, and fully electronic change-order handling—cutting CO processing time by more than two weeks, eliminating paperwork, and reducing staff time required to determine re-appropriation status and overall budget exposure.

Western Washington University