Case Study: DBJ Furniture x WorkGuru
DBJ Furniture x WorkGuru
DBJ is one of New Zealand's leading creators of bespoke cabinetry and luxury interiors, partnering with some of the country’s top architects and interior designers. Renowned for their design-driven process, high-quality craftsmanship, and exacting attention to detail, DBJ is a growing business operating at the intersection of creativity, production, and precision.
Why Change Was Needed
As DBJ’s project load increased and operational complexity grew, it became clear that their legacy platform was no longer able to keep up with their needs. Data was fragmented, reporting was inconsistent, and workflows required too much manual handling.
They needed:
A centralised project system that could scale with their business
Clearer visibility over project status and profitability
Stronger links between production, timesheets, costs, and finance
Simplified processes with reduced duplication and rekeying
Partnering with Business Sense
DBJ partnered with Business Sense to implement WorkGuru, supported by a full-scale transition including configuration, data migration, training, and go-live support.
The process was broken into five consulting stages:
Project Management: Aligning on scope, responsibilities, and a realistic rollout schedule.
Data Migration: Bringing across contacts, users, open jobs, timesheets and setting up critical job states and templates.
Configuration & Integration: Integrating WorkGuru with Xero, mapping GL codes, and setting up custom document and job templates.
Testing & Training: Practical testing of workflows across project management, sales, finance, and admin. Focused 1:1 and group training sessions ensured deep understanding.
Go Live Support: Transitioning to WorkGuru with no disruption to timesheet users and smooth onboarding for management and admin teams. Two days onsite with the leadership, key team, and workshop staff meant all final data could be migrated, everyone had what they needed and there was hands on support to get every little niggle and question worked through to completion
Working with Heidi
“Heidi was exceptional from start to finish. She made herself available whenever we needed, was proactive in anticipating challenges before they arose, and kept the entire process moving at pace. Her ability to balance technical detail with practical implementation meant we could get WorkGuru embedded quickly without losing momentum in our day-to-day operations. She’s not just a consultant - she’s a partner who genuinely cares about the outcome and goes above and beyond to make sure you succeed. If you want someone who will roll up their sleeves, think strategically, and still keep a human, approachable touch, Heidi is the one you want on your team.”
Transformation Outcomes
Migration of over 200 open jobs and 40+ user accounts into the new platform
Consolidated workflows from quoting to production to invoicing
Custom templates and tools tailored to DBJ’s specific job types and processes
Streamlined data and reduced reliance on workarounds
Real-time project tracking and better financial visibility through WorkGuru
Empowered teams via role-specific training and support
Advice from DBJ
"If you’re scaling or evolving your business, don’t just change software - rethink your processes. Working with Business Sense gave us both: the right tools and the right thinking to futureproof how we work. Heidi was instrumental in making that happen. She brought structure, insight, and a proactive approach that kept us ahead of potential roadblocks. Her ability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on problem-solving meant we could implement WorkGuru smoothly while still running a busy operation. If you want a partner who genuinely cares about your success and will go the extra mile to deliver it, Heidi is the one to call."
