Jason Nani started his own company, TerraCura, in 2012 to focus on practical and achievable sustainability in construction through improved materials and methods. TerraCura provides cost control functions and project management software, primarily to small and medium residential building companies in Western Australia. Jason has extensive experience in various roles in the construction industry, including working for suppliers and builders, and has qualifications in project management, business development, and sustainability. He focuses TerraCura on using BEAMS software to help builders streamline processes from initial client contact through construction for better cost and time management.

1. 63
When Jason Nani decided to create his own company in 2012, the words of the business name were
chosen with care and borrowed from Latin. ‘Terra’, of course, translates easily as ‘Earth’ but ‘Cura’ is a
little more complex since the word covers management, administration, care, concern and charge. Jason
cares about sustainability but he chooses to focus on practical and achievable ‘feet on the ground’
sustainability which can be fostered by improved building materials, methods and taking a longer term
view when it comes to construction and development. ‘Project Management’ and ‘Administration’
coupled with Cost Control is the bedrock upon which TerraCura is built, and by focusing especially on
software skills in these areas, Jason has identified a real niche in the marketplace which he has made his
own.
2 | The Building of Your Dream Home
Building Services
COST CONTROL IS THE KEY
TERRA CURA
WHERE, TYPICALLY, ARE TERRA CURA’S
CLIENTS DRAWN FROM?
“Ever since I can remember I have always been
interested in building, and over the years have
gained a broad range of experience – looking at
the building practice from just about every angle
including representing building materials supply
companies through to working for and with building
companies as an estimator and project manager.
This has allowed me to appreciate and understand
in depth the very different challenges involved in
each part of the industry, it’s an unusual range of
experience as most people either work for suppliers
or clients (builders) and don’t generally move
between the two. I’ve been able to see building
and construction from all sides and that gives
me a considerably more rounded knowledge and
experience.
“I’m a consultant to the building industry, in essence
TerraCura promotes and provides an array of Cost
Control functions for construction businesses and
the vast majority of my clients in Western Australia
are small to medium size residential building
companies. When it comes down to it, I help to
manage systems and processes so that they are
more cost effective and efficient for builders and
developers who do not have those resources
to hand within their own companies. Over the
years, I have chosen to complement the hands on
experience and have accumulated qualifications
in Project Management, Business Development,
Business Management and Sustainability which I
have a passion for.”
SO YOUR EXPERIENCE INCLUDES
WORKING FOR SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING
COMPANIES AS WELL AS SMALLER
CONCERNS?
“Yes, although that also involved helping to build
up a small company to the point where it was
substantial and well known. The work included
estimating, project costing, project scheduling,
project management, client liaison as well as Shire
liaison work. As the company grew, I focused more
on the project costing and estimating side of things
and was really overseeing and managing the whole
process. Eventually, expansion meant that I needed
to focus on one main area and that is why, in the
early part of my career, I built my reputation on my
Project Estimating expertise.”
Jason Nani

2. RealEstate Tips + Advice
64
WHAT DOES PROJECT ESTIMATING
REQUIRE?
“Part of my work involves providing project
estimating and contract costing work for building
companies who require my services when they
experience an overload, or a shortage of staff with
the appropriate skills. You need to enjoy numbers
because it’s all about calculations. Of course it also
helps to have a good knowledge of construction,
have a project management mindset, be able to
think outside the square and, above all these days,
have an exceptional understanding of I.T. and be
comfortable with using software.
“In fact, it’s software, and specifically BEAMS
software, that really underpins the TerraCura
business now. BEAMS is Western Australian-based
and supported and offers full project management,
project costing, and fully integrated estimating, post
construction maintenance as well as accounting.
“I have adopted BEAMS for my own work as
a contract consultant and have a complete
knowledge of the software by using it to capacity
with all of the features it provides. I have built up a
relationship with the developers of BEAMS where
I can help them to support new users from a
practical point of view and even help existing users
to identify features which they have not got around
to using – or understood. This has opened more
doors for me as a consultant and trainer and has
enabled me to work with an increasing number of
builders across the Perth metro area. Furthermore
I am accredited as an independent BEAMS
distributor, with the capacity to offer up front sales
and continued service.”
DO MOST BUILDERS YOU COME ACROSS
ALREADY USE BEAMS?
“Although my work is BEAMS centric it’s not all
I offer, it varies, and that’s what makes my work
interesting and different every day. A number of
users have already invested in the product, but only
use a fraction of the capabilities that the software
offers. In those situations, where inefficiencies within
the business still exist, I may be brought in as a
preferred trainer with a brief to show management
and staff how to achieve greater efficiency, thus
achieving cost and time savings by using BEAMS
to its fullest extent.
“For example, I have worked with a major and
highly respected WA residential homes builder
whose CEO and top management wanted data
on estimating, contracts and accounts in one
integrated report that the three individual pieces of
software his team was using could not, frustratingly,
deliver. The answer, researched by the company
itself, was BEAMS – and I have been working with
them on a full integration programme which has
been eagerly embraced by all the departments
concerned, as well as their top management. The
whole team is doing everything they can to help
make this system the best system it can be, and it’s
great and very rewarding to be in an environment
like that.
“More often than not, a builder has acquired
BEAMS and I have been recommended by the
developers to build and commission the system,
integrate the current live project data from a
less evolved system, and train everyone in the
software’s correct use. The need for training often
triggers a much longer term relationship that goes
well beyond ‘show and tell’ and demonstrating
what BEAMS can actually do. A great deal of trust
is also involved, especially when I am converting
a client from an old and outdated system through
to the functionality offered by BEAMS and using
live project data relating to unfinished contracts. It
means that every step I take is logged so that we
can always track back, review all transactions and
have the ability make adjustments to postings as
necessary.
“It is one thing to understand the ins and outs of
a piece of software and be fully conversant with
all the features it offers. It is an entirely different
matter to know building, construction, estimating

3. 65
2 | The Building of Your Dream Home
and project management inside out – and be able
to think though all the issues with the mindset
of a builder and a software trainer at the same
time. It makes an immense difference to clients to
know that there is a wealth of practical building,
construction and estimating knowledge to hand
when it is needed most – and it provides a practical
slant to the training and support that I am able to
provide.”
WHERE DOES THE MAIN STRENGTH OF
BEAMS LIE?
“Most builders have the construction process well
under control, and although BEAMS can assist
with this it’s generally everything leading up to
construction that tends to need the most attention.
It’s all about pre contract administration and that
is an Achilles heel for many small to medium
sized builders. Pre contact is about client contact
and managing customer relationships, project
costing, estimating and cost control, contract
documentation and contract administration. It is
part of project management, but the early part that
sets the scene for the ongoing relationship between
the builder and the client. It’s a vital area, and one
which builders often ignore because they are all too
often practical people who prefer to be out on site.
“BEAMS, which handles estimating, contracts
and accounts, enables a builder to ensure that
each client’s contract can be handed over to the
construction team with a cash flow forecast for
each individual project, an anticipated timeline,
schedule of planned ‘what by when’ activities on
site and a clear understanding of when money will
be coming in and when it is likely to be expended.
Some builders run projects on a rough and ready
estimate which can let them down and lead to cash
flow shortfalls.
BEAMS is ideal for small to
medium builders who are looking
for streamlined systems and
procedures to manage client
contact from the initial stages right
through to construction. It manages
everything that you could possibly
want from a suite of building and
construction software including
fully integrated accounting.
“A fully integrated BEAMS system, where every
aspect of a project including estimating and
accounting is taken into account, provides a
high level of control and reassurance to building
company Directors who need to understand in
detail how all of their projects are tracking, be
aware of any time lags and take corrective action if
potential financial shortfalls are flagged well ahead
of time. It means that builders can concentrate on
their core business and let automation take the
strain of managing the administrative details. It
should also result in an enhanced bottom line year
in, year out.
“In my travels as a preferred Beams training
provider I come across clients who are using
BEAMS effectively in some areas, but not others.
They often recognise they’re not getting the
most out of BEAMS and may want me to show
them how to set up the system and database
more appropriately for their business. These are
opportunities to show builders how to have a
smoother running system which is more efficient
and accurate in order to save time as well as
money. For example, BEAMS allows for the
creation of prescriptions or formulas to perform
regularly used project costings, and we then build
the schedules around the plan types (base model
templates for bills of quantity for many types of
home) before handing that information over to the
construction team.
“It means that a builder can save many hours of
work on a standard design just with the click of a
button – and that kind of productivity can make all
the difference in a highly competitive marketplace!
BEAMS is a powerful productivity tool, and when
it’s used to the full, it enables builders to control
their operations and their costs far more effectively.
It facilitates a slick and well managed building
operation and in that sense, this is central for
TerraCura and part of our overall mission.”