Constructech’s Hottest Companies of 2006: Igniting the Industry
Successful projects in the construction industry are contingent upon strong
partnerships. Beyond those established in the field, owner organizations and
contracting companies believe strong partnerships with software, hardware, and
automation vendors are key to this process as well.
Strong service and support and a good knowledge of the construction
marketplace are factors most acclaimed by these organizations when selecting the
right technology or automation vendor. A strong product and fancy interface has
little benefit if the contractor out in the field has no means of leveraging its
capabilities.
Contractors and owners realize the relationship with a vendor shouldn’t cease
once the contract is signed and the check has cleared. Rather, it should be
ongoing. What’s more, it should be a developing relationship that helps the end
user build on the capabilities as needed.
“I need to know the technology is strong and that the vendor has been around
for a while and comes highly recommended from colleagues,” says Sam Lamonica,
CIO (chief information officer) with Rudolph & Sletten, www.rsconstruction.com, Redwood City,
Calif. “Very important is to have a vendor that is willing to put a lot of skin
in the game, ensuring that the technology fits our business plan and it is a
success. The last thing I want to do is find out the technology is not working
and have to turn to something else.”
Ryan Conover, IT manager with R.E. Crawford Construction, www.recrawford.com, Pittsburgh, Pa., says
the primary factor that separates the good vendors from the bad is support. He
explains that sometimes users get what they pay for with technology. An
application that is half the price of others in the market can often provide
users with only half the support, which in the end proves much more costly.
“Vendors also need to have the mindset, in some ways, of the people that are
using (the technology). Some just don’t understand construction or the
requirements of the people in the field,” says Conover.
Their sentiment is certainly shared across the industry. While these
characteristics are highly sought after by all IT directors and CIOs in the
market, it often gets difficult to discern the truth from the marketing hype
expounded by some vendors.
Each year the editors of Constructech judge submissions by vendors
looking to be named ‘Hot.’ Such criteria as new products released in the past
year, financial growth over a period of time, and strong customer wins, factor
into the decision.
In addition to these factors, the reputation of each vendor and the
commitment it has shown to serving the construction marketplace also weigh into
the evaluation process. We take pride in presenting our readers with
Constructech’s Hottest Companies of 2006. We believe these companies
have demonstrated a strong commitment to construction and provide solutions that
will ultimately play an integral role in growing your business. So we hope you
will enjoy learning about the companies that are helping spark technology
adoption across the industry.
Accubid Systems
Concord, Ont.
www.accubid.com
With more
than 14,000 active users in more than 4,300 companies across North America,
Accubid Systems, www.accubid.com, Concord,
Ont., continues to prove its estimating, billing, and project management tools
are the ideal choice for electrical and mechanical contractors.
This past year, Accubid has been aggressively introducing products into the
market: Pocket WorkOrder, a handheld solution for service contractors, version 2
of Pocket Bid and Pocket ChangeOrder, and version 6 of ChangeOrder.
The company also came to market with cadLive. As a CAD (computer-aided
design)-based estimating tool, it allows users to quantify with higher accuracy
and automatically detect and quantify material using reusable selection riles.
Integrated with Accubid’s full line of estimating programs, users can accurately
count and measure objects in CAD drawings and update corresponding estimates
from one application.
Collins Electrical, www.collinselectric.com, Stockton,
Calif., Royal Electric, www.royalelect.com, Sacramento, Calif.,
Northside Electric, www.northsideelectric.com, Salem,
Ore., are among the customers that came onboard with Accubid during the past
year, furthering its penetration into the market.
Accubid believes as more specialty contractors and general contractors become
further educated on the use of digital signatures to secure files and prevent
unauthorized alternations of plans, the adoption of technology will continue
across the construction industry. This is an initiative the company says it is
strongly committed to in 2006.
Adobe Systems Inc.
San Jose, Calif.
www.adobe.com
For a company
with a name synonymous with the PDF (portable document format) file, Adobe
Systems Inc., www.adobe.com, San Jose,
Calif., provides so much more to construction professionals.
Software from the company addresses all areas of the project lifecycle,
allowing construction teams to collaborate on documents, images, and other
critical files at all stages of a project. Its products also play a crucial role
in reducing processes that often drive up the costs of a construction project.
For example, using Adobe PDF and Acrobat, users can eliminate unauthorized
access of design information and intellectual property, assemble various types
of files and share the information in a single PDF file, and publish and
distribute 3D (three dimensional) files to the entire project team, among other
tasks.
Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional has become a key tool for more construction
organizations in the past year, playing a role in streamlining the RFP (request
for proposal), RFI (request for information), and other collaborative processes.
Its acquisition of Macromedia in 2005 improves information exchange, document
security, and business data integration processes for AEC (architectural,
engineering, and construction) professionals.
In today’s complex construction environment where various file formats are in
use across all phases of a project, Adobe helps better bridge the gap. Its tools
create more elaborate and secure electronic workflows for the industry.
Austin Lane Technologies Inc.
Denton, Texas
www.austinlane.com
Austin
Lane Technologies Inc., www.austinlane.com, Denton, Texas,
develops custom mobile applications for job costing and time tracking, among
other actions.
Autodesk
San Rafael, Calif.
www.autodesk.com
Commonly
known as a design technology company in previous years, Autodesk, www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif., is
rapidly gaining momentum as a key player in providing complete solutions for
construction professionals.
Its design authoring tools, including AutoCAD and Autodesk Architectural
Desktop, continue to make a profound impact on the way more commercial and
residential structures are designed across the country. Building design and
documentation software Revit is taking a leading position as a tool of choice
for design firms, contractors, and owner organizations looking to tap the
benefits of the burgeoning BIM (building information modeling) market.
The unique needs of the engineering and building markets are met via
Autodesk’s DWF solution set. Autodesk Design Review and DWF Viewer products
enable design professionals to share complex drawings and models with non-CAD
professionals, and enable digital mark ups. Used in the design review process,
these tools help reduce costs and time associated with the traditional methods
of design document delivery.
Its Autodesk Buzzsaw collaborative project management solution is ideal for
companies in the pre-planning through bidding stages of a project. Taking it a
step further, Autodesk acquired the technology of Constructware to create
Autodesk Constructware, which provides users with the ability to manage the
build and operate phases of the project lifecycle. Both solutions are delivered
on-demand, so users have access to information anywhere at anytime.
Autodesk has a prominent footprint in the construction marketplace, providing
enhanced tools for every stage of a project.
CMiC
Toronto, Ont.
www.cmic.ca
CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., is centered on
integration. Its flagship CMiC Enterprise product integrates disparate
departments and functions, linking all members of the project team, allowing
them to manage finance, human resources, sales, project management, and
accounting.
CMiC Integration interfaces with a company’s current IT infrastructure,
enabling it to manage workflow by connecting people, applications, and
processes. CMiC Project Management helps manage contacts, automate sales
processes, track and manage budgets, and monitor and control costs, among other
tasks.
In 2005, CMiC took integration and collaboration to the next level. The
release of CMiC I/O brings to market a tool for contractors to collaborate both
internally and externally through the simple process of sending an email from
any device. CMiC I/O eliminates the need for accessing a PC in an office or at a
jobsite for communication. Instead, users only need an email-capable device,
such as a Pocket PC, Palm, Blackberry, or smartphone, to send email and update
data into a project management database. Through the recognition of keywords,
CMiC I/O translates the email into the appropriate database object.
In the past year the company has committed itself to addressing the needs of
the owner market. At the same time, customer wins such as JE DUNN, www.jedunn.com, Kansas City, Mo., among many others, shows CMiC is still
maintaining a strong hold of the contractor community as well.
Corecon Technologies Inc.
Huntington Beach, Calif.
www.corecon.com
Corecon
Technologies Inc., www.corecon.com,
Huntington Beach, Calif., provides Web-based estimating and project management
for commercial and residential contractors.
Corecon made a big splash in the construction market in 2005 with its release
of Corecon 4.0. Leveraging the Microsoft .NET platform, the company developed a
best-of-breed enterprise level solution that combines estimating, project
management, and job cost control.
Keeping up the momentum in the coming year shouldn’t be an issue for Corecon,
as the company came to market with Corecon 2006, which pushes the capabilities
of 4.0 even further.
DBO2 Inc.
Redwood City, Calif.
www.dbo2.com
Technology and
services from DBO2 Inc., www.dbo2.com,
Redwood City, Calif., are currently making more than 3,000 worksites throughout
the country much safer.
Its SafetyNet application allows safety inspectors and field personnel the
ability to record observations in up to 20 specific safety and risk areas using
a handheld device. These observations are analyzed against safety and risk
parameters and then prioritized and summarized in reports that can be
distributed to the project team.
In 2005 two of its customers received honors from industry associations with
technology from DBO2 Inc. playing a critical role in each case. Its customer win
list in the past year is quite impressive as well, including such names as
Turner Construction Co., www.turnerconstruction.com, New
York, N.Y., Bovis Lend Lease, www.bovislendlease.com, New York,
N.Y., and Clark Construction Group LLC, www.clarkconstruction.com,
Bethesda, Md.
According to the company, it experienced a 360% increase in utilization, as
measured by the number of inspectors completing one or more inspections per
week, 400% growth in completed inspections, and more than 330% growth in number
of observations during 2005.
Working towards the goal of safer and more efficient worksites, more
contractors are finding value in the role of technology. With increasing
revenues and some of the largest contractors in the world using its services,
DBO2 looks to be at the center of this evolution.
Exaktime Inc.
Woodland Hills, Calif.
www.exaktime.com
The
Jobclock time tracking system from Exaktime, www.exaktime.com, Woodland Hills, Calif., is
helping thousands of contractors record more accurate time in the field and
integrate it with accounting.
Expesite LLC
Columbus, Ohio
www.expesite.com
Many
high-growth retailers use Web-based project management software from Expesite,
www.expesite.com, Columbus, Ohio, for
store development and rollout.
Foundation Software
Cleveland, Ohio
www.foundationsoft.com
Foundation
Software, www.foundationsoft.com,
Cleveland, Ohio, knows construction accounting. Its solutions are built for
labor and/or equipment-intensive contracting companies.
FOUNDATION for Windows leverages Microsoft SQL technology and includes Job
Cost, Payroll, General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Purchase
Order/Subcontract, and the Data Genie report designer. The CPA Audit/Review
module is a centralized CPA console that makes reports visible to CPAs, allowing
them to choose relevant information as needed. It also allows CPAs to make
corrections to the data or reclassify items.
Graphisoft
Budapest, Hungary
www.graphisoft.com
Graphisoft,
www.graphisoft.com, Budapest, Hungary,
is among the leading providers of BIM (building information modeling) technology
for construction.
Meridian Systems
Folsom, Calif.
www.meridiansystems.com
Meridian
Systems, www.meridiansystems.com,
Folsom, Calif., has a penchant for combining industry expertise with emerging
technology to create leading edge project management, facilities management, and
portfolio management to a range of owners and contractors. This past year was no
different, as the company came to market with three key releases.
Proliance 3.0, the latest release of its infrastructure lifecycle management
solution, integrates facilities management and project management functionality
on a Web Services/XML (extensible markup language) platform. Ideal for
corporations with large real estate portfolios, this product delivers plan,
build, and operate functionality all in a Web-based format.
With the announced integration of its Proliance product with Microsoft
SharePoint products and technologies, from Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., Meridian
provides the ability to organize and access project data and manage project
documents in a browser-based and Microsoft Office integrated environment. This
helps contractors track both structured and unstructured information across a
project.
The release of Prolog 7.5 demonstrates the company’s ability to incorporate
customer feedback into its products, thus creating construction applications
built for construction organizations. Methods for multiple records at one time,
logging all field-level changes, and tracking incoming and outgoing mail within
Prolog 7.5 are features added based on customer feedback.
With another strong year under its belt, Meridian Systems continues to
reinforce the fact it was the project management application in use by the
majority of respondents to Constructech’s 2006 National Construction Technology
Survey.
Primavera Systems Inc.
Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
www.primavera.com
Scheduling
and project management tools from Primavera, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., are in
use by some of the largest organizations across the globe.
Quest Solutions Inc.
Sarasota, Fla.
www.questsolutions.com
Whether
you are a contractor involved in residential, commercial, sitework, or a
specialty field, it is more than likely Quest Solutions Inc., www.questsolutions.com, Sarasota,
Fla., has the estimating solution to fit your business goals.
The company provides automated estimating and takeoff technology that helps
thousands of contractors in all areas of the market streamline bidding processes
and improve estimating methods.
The company recently announced the release of Quest Takeoff 2.0, its digital
takeoff tool. Addressing the market’s growing desire for a paperless takeoff
process, this tool allows contractors to generate quantities and measurements
from digital plan files rather than paper blueprints. Recognizing that
electronic blueprints are not always available, the company has designed the
solution to be flexible enough to support digitizer boards as well.
Automatic plan revision, an electronic overlay feature that helps distinguish
plan changes, the ability to digitize accurate curved lines, and simple
import/export functionality are among the many innovative features of this
release.
Longevity and profitability helped steer the growth of Quest Solutions in
2005. Marking its 20th year in business, the company grew revenues 45% and
profits by 48% from 2004 to 2005, while adding successful customers in all areas
of construction, including Centex Homes, www.centex.com, Dallas, Texas, and Holder
Construction Co., www.holderconstruction.com,
Atlanta, Ga.
Quest Solutions is highly focused on providing bidding, estimating, and
takeoff software specifically tailored for each segment of the market. This
helps assure contractors they are working with technology that fits the
day-to-day challenges associated with their type of project and impacts their
bottomline.
Sage Software
Beaverton, Ore.
www.sagetimberlineoffice.com
For
contractors, the key to successfully leveraging technology is working with a
solution robust enough to foster growth. Sage Software, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com,
Beaverton, Ore., believes it has the right software for any construction
company.
Its Peachtree accounting solution is an ideal fit for handling the financial
demands of smaller contractors. Sage Timberline Office, an integrated set of
financial and operations software built around accounting and estimating
technology, is suited well for larger organizations. The application provides
users with a cross-functional system that produces single-source control of
enterprise information.
October 2005 marked the release of Sage Timberline Office 2005. Enhancements
to accounting, estimating, project management, procurement, property management,
service management, and reporting, position this offering as one of the most
comprehensive enterprise suites for large construction and real estate
corporations.
Among the features of the new release include a Quick Checks feature within
accounting; a tool for easing reconciliation of sub ledgers to the general
ledger; and a commitment change order feature for organized workflow.
An update to its Estimating Explorer allows reports to be sent to a Microsoft
Excel file, maintaining the formatting and presentation of the estimating
report.
Building on its commitment to delivering solutions tailored to fit any size
organization, Sage Software announced in Spring 2006 plans to acquire the Master
Builder product line from Intuit, www.intuit.com, Santa Rosa, Calif. This, along
with its purchase of Contractor Anywhere, provides Sage with a suite of project
management and accounting products tailored to fit the midsize segment of
construction.
site|folio
Bellevue, Wash.
www.sitefolio.com
site|folio,
www.sitefolio.com, Bellevue, Wash.,
offers portfolio management technology for some of the biggest and well-known
organizations involved in retail construction.
USGN
Phoenix, Ariz.
www.usgn.net
USGN, www.usgn.net, Phoenix, Ariz., believes one of
its most successful implementations of 2005 was the cradle-to-grave lifecycle
implementation for Commerce Bank, www.commercebank.com, St. Louis, Mo.
According to the company, its work with this customer produced many robust
processes that will become a benchmark for prospective customers.
This is just one of the many new customers to begin using Web-based
collaborative project management technology from USGN in the past year. Built on
a thin-client application development platform, it allows companies to operate
in a shared virtual environment that is built on their own company best
practices.
In fact, the number of Fortune 500 companies and large general contracting
companies using USGN technology currently totals more than 40. This shows quite
an aggressive growth pattern considering the company had only a single customer
under its belt as recently as 2000.
USGN recently launched SXI, its streaming XML (extensible markup language)
interface. This application easily links any custom application with third party
solutions in very little time. This includes Crystal Reports, Microsoft Project,
and Oracle, among others.
As the construction industry continues down the path of true collaboration,
USGN is providing a unique set of tools to the table. Its technology allows
owners, contractors, project managers, and service providers the ability to
connect and share information and processes while maintaining their own
independent USGN environment in the process.
WennSoft
New Berlin, Wis.
www.wennsoft.com
WennSoft,
www.wennsoft.com, New Berlin, Wis.,
effectively addresses field service and equipment management industries through
three comprehensive core products: Job Cost, Service Management Series, and
Equipment Management Series. Its integration with Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great
Plains) allows customers to build a strong IT backbone around solid financial
data.
For Wennsoft, 2005 marked a year of improved partnerships and increased
adoption. The company delivered enhancements across its full line of products
with the released of version 8.0EX. More than 90 new customers were added to the
Wennsoft family of customers in 2005.
Working with HP, www.hp.com, Palo Alto,
Calif., the company brought to market the WennSoft mobile field service software
package, MobileTEC, on the new HP iPAQ hw6500 series Mobile Messenger. Combining
the WennSoft Service Management Series and the MobileTEC product helps establish
a faster way for field service workers to communicate through the use of
wireless devices. WennSoft MobileTEC enables field workers to update their
schedules, add parts and track materials, record labor, expenses and mileage,
send and receive email, manage scheduled maintenance, and eliminate the
duplicate data entry.
More than 1,200 customers and 14,000 concurrent system users across 17
countries is quite impressive. WennSoft continues to demonstrate its commitment
to its customer base through the release of applications designed to fit the
demands of business conditions of service-based contractors.
Companies to Watch
BidX.com, an Info Tech Co.
Gainesville, Fla.
www.bidx.com
BidX.com, an
Info Tech Co., www.bidx.com, brings to market
an online bidding and information service for the heavy/highway construction
industry.
Eos Group Inc.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
www.eosgroup.com
Eos
Group Inc., www.eosgroup.com, Scottsdale,
Ariz., provides a Web-based enterprise project history system that allows users
to create a centralized repository for projects.
Hard Dollar Corp.
Tempe, Ariz.
www.harddollar.com
Hard
Dollar, www.harddollar.com, Tempe,
Ariz., has a firm hold on the bidding and estimating needs of heavy/highway
contractors. The company added new customers in the past year while expanding
its capabilities through partnerships with Primavera, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and
Dexter + Chaney, www.dexterchaney.com, Seattle, Wash.
With the release of its Project Life Solution in the first half of 2006, Hard
Dollar aims to provide its customer base complete lifecycle management,
including project modeling, project execution, and performance management. It’s
a strong bet Hard Dollar will fit the complete project lifecycle needs of its
customer base with this release.
HCSS
Houston, Texas
www.hcss.com
Thousands of
infrastructure contractors bidding in excess of $100 billion per year use
estimating, field management, and dispatching software from HCSS, www.hcss.com, Houston, Texas.
Users leverage HeavyBid to prepare detailed cost estimates, which can be
exported to leading accounting systems. HeavyJob allows foremen and project
managers to collect jobsite production information on a daily basis and transmit
the data to the home office for in-depth reporting and analysis.
The Dispatcher enables equipment managers to track resources through the use
of an electronic magnet board. Used in conjunction with Microsoft’s MapPoint
software, equipment managers have improved loss prevention procedures and
increased equipment deployment methods.
Its bidhistory.com is a collection of historical bid pricing and tabs
accumulated for DOT (department of transportation) sites across the country.
This service is ideal for tracking and reviewing historical bid pricing
tabulations and viewing standard prices for specific bid items.
HCSS has maintained an unwavering commitment to contractors in the
heavy/highway market for more than 20 years. Providing topnotch technology and
support, the company was able to surpass the $10 million mark in revenue during
2005.
Its knack for building solutions around the direct demands of its customer
base has helped it position products as the ideal choice for heavy/highway
contractors.
Intuit Construction Business Solutions
Santa Rosa,
Calif.
www.intuit.com
Intuit
Construction Business Solutions, www.intuit.com, Santa Rosa, Calif., services
the construction industry through its Quick Books and Easy Estimate products.
NetStreams LLC
Austin, Texas
www.netstreams.com
With
its audio/video products a top choice by homebuilders, NetStreams, www.netstreams.com, Austin, Texas, is
making a big push in commercial.
WinEstimator Inc.
Kent, Wash.
www.winest.com
The release
of Small Business Contractor from WinEstimator, www.winest.com, Kent, Wash., is ideal for
contractors running Microsoft Small Business Accounting.
Up & Coming
Data Builder Inc.
Des Moines, Iowa
www.databuilderinc.com
In
the wake of increased litigation in construction, contractors are looking to
improve risk management across their projects. Technology from Data Builder
Inc., www.databuilderinc.com, Des
Moines, Iowa, is helping alleviate this issue, while providing comprehensive
document management software in the process.
Founded in 2003, Data Builder Inc. already has large contractors, such as The
Walsh Group, www.walshgroup.com,
Chicago, Ill., and The Weitz Co., www.weitz.com, Des Moines, Iowa, using its
technology.
Its Electronic Construction Closeout (ECC) product allows contractors to
provide owners with documentation during closeout of a project in the form of an
electronic searchable database. This product allows users to create, distribute,
archive, and retrieve documents, which produces better risk management
procedures. Its Electronic Project Control System (e-PCS) is a Web-based data
management system.