2006 Vision Awards

GC/Commercial/Industrial
$5 million - $25 million

BRONZE (tie)
CARR Construction
Los Alamitos, Calif.
www.carrnow.com

Truly progressive construction companies embrace technology, understanding the unique value these applications bring to the entire project.

This is exactly the approach CARR Construction, www.carrnow.com, Los Alamitos, Calif., applies to win customers and complete projects. The company has coined The SPA Treatment, which is an acronym for Systems, Procedures, and Accountability, focusing on the importance of collaboration in all design and construction projects, spanning tools that assist design, build, and owner organizations.

This falls directly in line with servicing its diverse client base, which spans new and remodel tenant improvements in the commercial, industrial, and retail segments of the market. The company says The SPA Treatment was integral in recently winning a $16 million loft renovation in downtown Los Angeles. CARR helped transform a historic building located in the heart of the city into the new home of retail space and 153 contemporary art loft units.

Germane to The SPA Treatment, The company has developed and maintains a project specific Website, which helps administer various phases of a project. The company refers to it as, “the glue that holds each piece of the puzzle together.”

Designed as a working document management system, the Website supplies current project information, including drawings and specifications, addenda, schedules, shop drawings, RFIs (requests for information), and progress photos. The company says it has proven results in improving coordination and increasing efficiency through the design and construction process.

The company values the role of leading-edge IT (information technology) applications into this process as well. The company’s digitizer and estimating software helps it calculate more accurate takeoffs, resulting in more precise bid proposals for clients. Budget information is imported into Sage Master Builder, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., which manages and executes timely payments while tracking invoices.

Good technology can help drive initiatives and push boundaries within a company. The development of The SPA Treatment, in conjunction with other robust technology integration, is doing just that for CARR Construction.

BRONZE (tie)
Construction Coordinators
Needham, Mass.
www.coordinators.com

For some contractors, good technology can help get down into the details. Commercial general contractor Construction Coordinators (CCI), www.coodinators.com, Needham, Mass., can certainly attest to this fact.

Aside from helping to facilitate better project communication, develop contracts, and track financials, its technology applications have helped this contractor defend a lawsuit with an unsatisfied subcontractor.

Disputing a workers compensation claim, an employee of a subcontracting company sued CCI and the building owner on a project, citing unsafe working conditions. While CCI demanded defense under the subcontract indemnity provisions, a claims adjuster determined the words “to the extent” meant the sub was responsible for defense if the injury was the fault of the sub. After a long process, the suit was eventually dismissed.

Further analysis of the process by CCI discovered that “to the extent” had been removed from CCI’s standard subcontract during a legal review several years earlier. Yet the project manager that hired the sub had modified an older agreement between the two parties, which left the erroneous loophole in the contract.

The company had been logging commitments into its Timberline Office package from Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., and subsequently creating subcontracts in Word documents. It would then update the subcontract log in Excel and the project director in another Word document. As a result, many contractors were using custom printed forms for subcontracts and printing from the forms, essentially eliminating multiple steps.

CCI set out to customize the entire process, ensuring no loophole would go unnoticed. The entire process is now streamlined. Once commitments are logged, all forms, documents, and spreadsheets become custom reports in Timberline.

This eases the process of tracking executed subcontracts with reminders sent automatically using project management. Technology from Adobe Systems, www.adobe.com, San Jose, Calif., and Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., were also critical in this project.

GC/Commercial/Industrial
$26 million - $100 million

GOLD
Coleman-Adams Construction Inc.
Forest, Va.
www.coleman-adams.com

The few companies that thrive into the fourth generation have a knack for applying a bit of ingenuity and innovative thinking throughout each facet of the organization.

Coleman-Adams Construction Inc., www.coleman-adams.com, Forest, Va., is the epitome of this example, crediting emerging technology as a contributing factor to the continual growth of the company since its inception in 1971.

The latest example comes in the form of providing remote users with access to critical construction documents. For years the company struggled with establishing a workable return on investment model with document imaging technology. The solutions available presented common indexing and imaging challenges.

In approaching a new plan for implementing a document imaging solution, Coleman-Adams first determined the results it expected to achieve from the technology and then assessed how to produce.

It was established early on in the process that rather than having workers learn another set of querying tools, the company wanted to provide access to images via the File Links option within its Timberline application, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore. This option provides access to one or more files tied to various individual records within accounting with one click while accessing records through an inquiry.

With these inquires readily available to remote users via a VPN (virtual private network) and Terminal Services, Coleman-Adams wanted to ensure image files were multi-paged PDF (portable document format) files from Adobe Systems, www.adobe.com, San Jose, Calif. This would allow for easy file access and sharing via email.

The design of the Timberline ODBC interface allows the company to write File Link information directly to the record field using an update query based on such index fields as ‘vendor’ or ‘invoice’ within Microsoft Access. Its success with printing purchase order documents on laser printers and laser labels for each invoice allowed it to incorporate barcoding directly onto the documents. This provides an easy way of indexing records.

Users set documents materials on a feeder to scan, identify a barcode as an index, create a PDF using the indexed document, store image files, and create an accessible database table.

When creating a PDF that uses the indexed document, the solution also uses all the images that follow until a new barcode is recognized. This creates a PDF with multiple pages, containing an invoice or a purchase order, as well as all backup data.

SILVER
MCC Construction Corp.
Greenwood Village, Colo.
 www.mccconstruction.com

Expanding operations throughout the country requires technology tools that allow remote users to share critical project information with each other.

MCC Construction Corp., www.mccconstruction.com, Greenwood Village, Colo., has managed thousands of individual job orders throughout the past 20 years, successfully completing projects with scopes ranging from replacing light fixtures to full construction services. The company needed this type of project quality as jobsites continued to expand across the country. Communicating with the home office on critical construction activities was imperative to success.

The initial focus was to improve the process of sharing and managing owner billing, project budgets, contract documents, and past work profiles. Streamlining communication across the project team and easing the bidding process with subs were also key objectives.

A Web-based content management system fit the bill for MCC. Through the use of date-driven email notifications and review lists, personnel within the company can manage and track workloads, notify project partners on new bid items, and manage changes to existing documents. User notification sent via the system alerts of pending action items that have been in review for more than five days.

Through the use of Adobe PDFs, Adobe Systems, www.adobe.com, San Jose, Calif., the company is able to store and share electronic versions of critical documents, such as plans and specs. The use of PDFs has decreased file sizes, which allows field staff working with low bandwidth connections to access volumes of project information with limited restrictions. 

The company has achieved measurable ROI through these procedures. Decreased man-hours, reduced staff, and minimization of printing and shipping cost have saved the firm an estimated $250,000 annually. Overall, this implementation has changed the way the IT staff at the company does business.  

BRONZE
R.E. Crawford Construction
Springdale, Pa.
www.recrawford.com

All construction companies operate under so-called necessary evils, such as the high cost and complexities involved with printing and production. While some contractors simply conform with the challenges, others find a way to use existing resources to their advantage.

With plan production costs totaling more than $130,000 in 2004 and significant time lapses occurring in distribution time, R.E. Crawford, www.recrawford.com, Springdale, Pa., set out to lower costs and ease logistics involved in this process. Compounding the need was the fact the demand for digital prints was rapidly increasing while office space for as-built plans was running thin.

The company knew the pitfalls associated with various solutions in the market. Purchasing a wide format printer and dedicating an employee to handle the task of printing and shipping did not seem conducive as the estimated costs associated with equipment, labor, and supplies was upwards of around $50,000. A Web-based document system for distributing drawings presented similar challenges in the form of increased labor costs to manage its Website.

Ultimately, R.E. Crawford decided to work with its existing reprographic company on a facilities management solution. This solution would allow the company to obtain a wide format printer/scanner/copier at no upfront cost. The company now pays the same amount, including consumables, to produce plans itself as it would to its reprographer for the same services. Its reprographer still conducts the bulk of R.E. Crawford’s plan and spec distribution, therefore eliminating the need for the contractor to allocate an employee to manage this production.

As anyone knows, true quantifiable results are the benchmark for gauging successful projects. R.E. Crawford can store and distribute drawings electronically, thus eliminating shipping costs and physical storage costs. Estimating and project management departments can print a set of plans in minutes as opposed to a day. This allows the estimating department an extra day to begin preparation for a project, which in many instances can make all the difference in the world when looking to win a vital contract.

GC/Commercial/Industrial
$101 million - $250 million

SILVER
M.J. Harris Inc.
Birmingham, Ala.
www.mjharris.com

Discussions about integration have been permeating the construction industry for quite some time. Yet success stories still seem too few and far between, as many contractors struggle to get their arms around the integration initiative.

M.J. Harris, www.mjharris.com, Birmingham, Ala., which specializes in healthcare projects, is one of only a handful of companies that can boast an integration success story. Working with integration firm Event 1 Software, www.event1inc.com, Vancouver, Wash., the company has shown proficiency in linking disparate applications spanning the areas of estimating, accounting, and project management.

The company uses its Timberline Estimating from Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., to develop the budget for each project. Once a contract is awarded, that information is subsequently rolled into Timberline Accounting. Using both applications from one package has made the process of linking these critical processes together simple and efficient.

The next phase of integration is where it begins to get tricky. Once the budget is established in accounting, the next phase is managing the construction process via Prolog Manager from Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif. A critical piece to the Prolog application is writing subcontracts. Before this process begins, the budget setup must be flowed in from accounting.

This integration is established via Event 1, which allows M.J. Harris to assimilate Timberline Accounting and Prolog to coincide with its workflow processes. With this integration, subcontracts are written, executed, and reinserted into accounting.

With contracts written and fieldwork underway, subcontractors begin the pay application process; invoices flow to accounting for expenses. Needing to streamline the approval of pay applications and invoices, M.J. Harris developed a solution in-house. This solution, integrated with accounting, allowed for checks and balances on project invoice and pay application approvals. This helps ensure subcontracts are paid the correct amount.

Software from Sprint Nextel, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va., and Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., were used by M.J. Harris for this project.

BRONZE
Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.
Houston, Texas
www.satpon.com

Driven by performance, Satterfield & Pontikes, www.satpon.com Houston, Texas, takes great pride in delivering its projects on time and under budget. This general contracting and construction manager at-risk company has a strong reputation of making sound decisions that make each and every project run smoothly.

So when the decision for changing its project documentation software came into play, officials at the company had no problem believing it would be accurate. After years of creating a custom in-house application to track project documentation and expenses, Satterfield & Pontikes decided to evaluate off the shelf software in order to further its objectives with this technology. Already leveraging scheduling from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., the company started to evaluate the interoperability of Primavera Expedition project documentation system.

With implementation services from Primavera, along with internal resources, the company was able to install Expedition and transfer projects to full operational status in 30 days.

Benefits came immediately for the company. Processing submittals became quicker due to the product’s ability to directly link project schedules and the submittal line items contained within the application. Project buyout and contract execution processes were also streamlined. Communication and monitoring capabilities increased, as the aforementioned processes are monitored using the scheduling and documentation processes.

A decrease in IT (information technology) overhead is also a direct result of the implementation. The company is able to remove or reassign personnel from upkeep of the in-house system to areas within the organization in need of more direct attention.

One such area was adding more security and stability to the LAN (local area network) and WAN (wide area network). This has lead to a decrease in the average time end users need to wait when requesting support from eight hours to less than two hours.

Integrating scheduling and documentation, reducing IT costs, and freeing up human assets have justified the migration for Statterfield & Pontikes.

GC/Commercial/Industrial
$251 million - $500 million

GOLD
Clayco Inc.
St. Louis, Mo.
www.claycorp.com

Clayco Inc., www.claycocorp.com, St. Louis, Mo., seems to always have a plan. Providing design-build services for corporate, industrial, institutional, and residential markets, the company has successfully developed internal initiatives that streamline key project execution methods. This includes architectural collaboration and safety.

The latest initiative for Clayco correlated with the company’s expansion. Adding employees and offices across the country, it needed a way to connect employees with each other, clients, and team members across disparate locations while continuing to deliver projects in its customary fast-track manner. 

With this mind, the company developed “Think Tank.” This collaborative “room” allows Clayco and its clients to review the building design process for any project across the country from start to finish. Integral to the room is a smart board that records instant changes and four screens with the ability to show four simultaneous views or form a single enhanced view of a project. Each screen can be used for teleconferencing, design drawing viewing, or for presentation. Central to this application is CAD (computer-aided design) and BIM (building information modeling) technology.

Think Tank allows clients the ability to see all aspects of a project with all options available first-hand. The company used the technology in a presentation to the Baltimore Ravens, demonstrating a 3D animated fly-by of its headquarters and training facilities.

Along with Think Tank, the company has developed a unified messaging platform, in which voice mails, emails, and faxes across the company all filter to one central location. All three are then tied into emails. This allows employees to retrieve all message types from the jobsite by simply using a PDA (personal digital assistant), for example.

The company has seen the collaborative timeframe on a project reduce from hours to minutes as it integrates concepts from multiple departments in a single display while centralizing sharing and distribution actions across the project team.

SILVER
Clancy & Theys Construction Co.
Orlando, Fla.
www.clancytheys.com

Since its inception in 1949, Clancy & Theys Construction Co., www.clancytheys.com, Raleigh, N.C., has built a reputation of successfully completing highly demanding projects. The company has made superior craftsmanship and competitive pricing its differentiating points against the competition across all four of its divisions.

Case in point, the Orlando division’s recent project to build a new operations support building for NASA at Cape Canaveral. NASA chose Clancy & Theys based on the team’s ability to prove it could meet the accelerated construction schedule and demanding specifications required for the project.

The project schedule was dictated by NASA’s “Return to Flight” initiative, meaning time was of the essence for completion. In addition, the project could be delayed at any time due to top-secret government initiatives.

Compounding the complications was the fact the first two floors of the project needed to be completed quickly to accommodate an upcoming shuttle launch.

Years of establishing efficiency within business processes helped Clancy & Theys meet these demands with little complication. A supporting factor in the process was its scheduling and project management applications from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

The technology in place allowed the project team to effectively manage subcontractors and field personnel, issue contracts for procurement, manage change orders, and communicate with several parties—including NASA officials. Most importantly, it allowed the team to stay on track with the demanding and inflexible schedule it had to adhere to.

The ability to centralize information, automate paperwork, and create a collaborative platform across the project enabled project managers to utilize the staff more efficiently. This allowed the project team to complete the project under the accelerated schedule outlined by NASA.

BRONZE
Messer Construction
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.messer.com

There are different ways to tackle integration these days. Some firms elect the route of linking disparate systems through various data integration methods. Others, fearing the costs and complexities involved with the aforementioned scenario, find great value in what some technology vendors term as the “one-stop shop” approach.

Messer Construction, www.messer.com, Cincinnati, Ohio, is one such firm. Established in 1932, Messer knows a thing or two about what it takes to thrive in the world of construction. For Messer, this all centers on knowing the demands of its business and understanding what is best for the company.

The company used this type of evaluation when it came time to replace the multiple methods and systems in use for project management. Looking for continuity across the entire organization, Messer was determined to uncover a technology platform that could be applied to all projects while enabling collaboration with all partners.

Messer knew all too well the pitfalls involved with maintaining separate systems for tracking project and financial data. Under its prior technology structure, it kept cost changes in the project management application and conducted forecasting in a separate system, often leading to multiple errors and inaccurate tracking of key data.

Implementing an integrated set of applications from CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., Messer has been able to deploy various enterprise and project management modules in phases dictated by priorities within the business.

The application’s ability to facilitate collaboration with owners, architects, subcontractors, vendors, and designers is key for Messer. Given that accounting is fully integrated into the project environment, Messer is able to incorporate billing and costing information together in a streamlined manner.

Centralized information is also a benefit to all parties. For example, subcontractors are able to pay invoices online, check the status of payments, and view required compliances via the application. They are able to also create their own RFIs (requests for information) and send them to Messer.

From senior project executives to key partners on a project, the benefits of a fully integrated platform are proving to be the right fit for Messer Construction.

GC/Commercial/Industrial
+ $500 million

GOLD
BE&K
Birmingham, Ala.
www.bek.com

There is a fine line when separating companies adopting technology from those that are embracing technology. Beyond applying leading-edge applications to streamline processes on a project, a select group of companies are developing long-term strategies around the capabilities of their applications.

BE&K, www.bek.com, Birmingham, Ala., has taken this approach with its scheduling software. As projects began to grow in scope and volume, the company quickly realized its method of using standalone project management programs at individual sites, which had proven successful for more than 20 years, would not suffice going forward.

 Without a centralized location for scheduling data, standard layout and activity codes were difficult to maintain, re-entry of data was often required, and getting new project managers up-to-speed was a lengthy endeavor.

The company decided to upgrade its solution from a desktop project management to an enterprise system from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Each business unit within the company now has online access to the system, enabling cross-unit collaboration.

Using the Primavera application, the company is able to create customized project management solutions for project managers based solely on individual project needs. Each project has the necessary tools and capabilities to facilitate master scheduling in corporate offices as well.

A centralized database provides BE&K the ability to manage all project schedules from one location. Standardized reporting templates allow the company to save proven successful methodologies on projects, thus helping project start-up times and training of new project managers on future projects.

BE&K anticipates saving up to 27,000 man-hours per year through the solution. Currently in use on 150 projects, centralized scheduling data and standard report templates have produced sizeable reductions in billable hours, thus reducing overhead costs. The creation and updating of schedules enables processes to be reduced by as much as 400 hours annually. The information is reflected in its JD Edwards enterprise application from Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood Shores, Calif.

Simple import/export of Microsoft Project, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., schedules from clients saves the company up to 780 hours a year.

SILVER
The Weitz Co.
Des Moines, Iowa
www.weitz.com

Today’s building owners require projects to be constructed faster, better, and more cost effectively, thus placing greater demands on contractors. Technology continues to play a critical role in enhancing these processes for owners and contractors across multiples phases. 

The Weitz Co., www.weitz.com, Des Moines, Iowa, is at the forefront of this movement, using Web-based technology to capture and manage information at every phase of a project. Going one step further, the company has effectively used technology for one of the most time-consuming processes on the job—project closeout.

Traditional project closeout at the end of a job involves hard copies of critical building information being generated and sent to the building owner with archived copies also produced by the general contractor. This creates a time consuming manual process for owners in the event information needs to be retrieved.

Already using electronic project control technology from Data Builder Inc., www.databuilderinc.com, Des Moines, Iowa, project teams at The Weitz Co. control documentation during construction and use the application as an electronic filing system.

Taking this a step further, the company pioneered a project closeout folder system within an application that allows the project team to flag information critical to closeout. As the project progresses, all closeout documentation is marked for quick retrieval during the closeout phase.

Along with traditional closeout methods, the application presents owners with alternate methods as well. The first is a software product and service that digitizes, condenses, and archives project data onto a searchable CD. The second choice is a Web-based alternative to the aforementioned scenario that also allows users to add documents throughout the lifecycle of the building.

Offering owners a sophisticated method for facility management is yet another way in which The Weitz Co. stays on top of the game.

BRONZE
Turner Construction
Woodcliff Lake, N.J.
www.turnerconstruction.com

Turner Construction, www.turnerconstruction.com, Woodcliff, N.J., has a focus on improving subcontractor relations. This general contractor, operating more than 1,500 projects annually with 46 offices throughout the country, is dedicated to reducing costs and incidents associated with its subs. 

The company quickly realized poor management of subcontractors reduces visibility into the jobsite. This reduces productivity and can lead to increased risk of projects costs and incidents. With the goal of producing injury-free worksites, Turner employed the use of DBO2, www.dbo2.com, Redwood City, Calif., a mobile application that allows project teams to record, view, and distribute field observations with the home office.

Safety directors at the company collect safety information across jobsites and record the data into the SafetyNet program, which is a software-based service running on a PDA (personal digital assistant). The collected information is then synchronized and uploaded onto a Web browser where company officials can compare the data against various pre-established safety parameters.

A contractor summary and analysis report provides a simple graphic overview and comparison of safety performance for all contractors on the jobsite. This helps project managers identify areas in need of assistance and, conversely, highlighting contractors that are performing exceptionally well.

Used in conjunction with key reporting features, the SafetyNet application helps project team members track and manage safety challenges. Safety directors at Turner are able to share information on safety trends with subcontractor foremen during coordination meetings.

Turner has found value in using the application to perform historical safety performance measurements. Upon completion of bidding and the field for subcontractors is narrowed, safety directors call them in for a close down meeting. Based on historical data from previous jobs, safety directors can establish areas in need of improvement and establish safety objectives very early during a project.

According to Turner, the application has increased transparency at the jobsite level and produced a fair means for evaluating and selecting subcontractors.

GC/Heavy/Highway

SILVER
Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.
State College, Pa.
www.goh-inc.com

Glenn O. Hawbaker (GOH), www.goh-inc.com, State College, Pa., has evolved immensely from its humble beginnings as a small housing contractor in 1952 into one of the largest contractors offering heavy/highway services in the eastern United States.

The company certainly knows how to prosper in changing market conditions. Facing a growing market where bidding has become highly competitive, GOH knew it needed to once again change with the times. Along with the need to improve the accuracy and efficiency in its bids, GOH also needed an estimating package capable of operating in an environment that allows applications and databases to be run in a Web-based environment, as its employees were spread across multiple offices.

Lacking sufficient detail on cost and production data, GOH was also facing material, equipment, and man-hour overruns that were primarily identified only after they occurred. The company definitely knew it needed to revamp its bidding process.

Working with HCSS, www.hcss.com, Houston, Texas, the company implemented the HeavyBid estimating system that allows it to share bid information between offices, transfer bid data between estimating and accounting with ease, and provide historical data on cost and production. HeavyBid is one of the most powerful estimating tools in the heavy/highway construction market, helping contractors streamline bid closing and streamline quote management, among other tasks.

GOH was able to increase its revenue per estimating seat—one of the most powerful benchmarks in heavy/highway—from $4.5 million to $8.3 million in the span of five years.

The company prides its growth on the ability to establish accurate estimating methods across jobs. While completely restructuring its estimating department was not the ideal solution, the company knew that in order to continue its storied success it needed to evolve with the times in terms of its technology. Thus far the benefits have been stellar for GOH.

Bank/Financial

GOLD
Bantek West Inc.
Westmont, Ill.
www.bantek.com

As today’s facilities become increasingly complex, comprised of various systems and components, corporate owners find the need to work with a much broader array of specialty contractors than ever before.

Bantek West Inc., www.bantek.com, Westmont, Ill., is one of these unique specialty contractors. The company installs ATMs (automated teller machines) in financial facilities during construction as well as provides maintenance services to these systems throughout the lifecycle of the building. Maintenance services include hardware and software repair, installation and upgrades, maintenance of teller cash dispensers, recyclers, teller/platform automation systems, and other banking equipment.

Realizing its current financial software had limitations that would impede it from accurately tracking added services, Bantek knew it needed a replacement. The search focused on a new service dispatch and contract management solution.

The result was replacing its old system with an integrated package consisting of Microsoft Dynamics GP from Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash., and the WennSoft Service Management series from WennSoft, www.wennsoft.com, New Berlin, Wis.

The solution enables Bantek to automate service call processing, resulting in a better process for creating service requests. Automated technician assignment is performed for 95% of all calls, with field technicians carrying two-way devices from Sprint Nextel, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va., that allow them to instantly respond to and update service calls.

Addressing the need to include service level agreements with required response times, Bantek built an automated service call escalation into the application. This allows it to redispatch and escalate calls that have not been responded to in a timely manner or contain required response times.

It recently expanded service management automation to the Web through a customer portal from WennSoft. This gives customers the ability to open calls and have them dispatched automatically.

Since deployment last year, technician call volume has been reduced by 30% and Bantek’s call center can handle more volume with less manpower. The company’s sales tool can be leveraged to help it expand into new areas of the market. The overall end result is building owner satisfaction across the board.

Architectural/Engineering/Design

GOLD
Black & Veatch
Overland Park, Kan.
www.bv.com

Perhaps no firm knows project complexity greater than Black & Veatch (B&V), www.bv.com, Overland Park, Kan., as it provides engineering, consulting, and construction services across multiple segments of the market. Yet it doesn’t take a complex solution to effectively tackle the challenges associated with these jobs.

A single project within B&V’s Energy business can include up to 10,000 activities, each requiring special resource and schedule management. The company uses a CPM (critical path method) approach to scheduling, which communicates the project plan, documents schedule commitments, and establishes priorities. This enables certain tasks to be completed before others can get the green light to move ahead.

While this proved successful in the past, the company found a need to analyze and communicate critical paths within projects much quicker. Its existing project management application was not a good fit for analyzing challenges directly related to critical path.

Scott Herold, project manager with B&V, believes that communicating the critical path method float paths in an “as scheduled” order allows the company to determine which activities are critical and how they impact other activities in a project much quicker.

To address this issue, B&V developed an algorithm that worked in conjunction with its existing project management solution from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

Communicating with Primavera on the immediate need, the technology provider included the float path algorithm in the latest version of its software, which B&V was able to integrate immediately into its operations.

B&V can now use data fields for multiple float path calculations, quickly identify areas of potential risk, unravel paths based on total float or free float to user-specified key ending activities, and group activities by specific float path, among many other improvements.

Among the many benefits of the scheduling solution includes project managers at B&V now being able to better articulate the impact of schedule changes, simplify project schedules, and identify potential risk areas from almost-critical paths quicker. Overall, the company saves a total of 1,728 hours per year, equaling $51,800.

BRONZE
VECO USA Inc.
Bellingham, Wash.
www.veco.com

Working in some of the harshest and most remote locations in the world requires strong and reliable project controls. Consistency and accuracy within procedures, tools, and data across all offices are of top priority for these contractors.

VECO USA Inc., www.veco.com, Bellingham, Wash., has made its mark within construction by successfully fulfilling this initiative. The company provides project management, engineering, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance services to the energy, resource, and process industries.

Project control at VECO requires the integration of estimating, scheduling, and cost control for earned value. Knowing this, the company leverages cutting edge applications from some of the leading providers in the market. Detailed estimating technology from WinEstimator, www.winest.com, Kent, Wash., coupled with scheduling and cost control applications from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., in an enterprise environment, allows each management level within the company to accurately and efficiently view project status.

The company knows the success of its programs require each of these systems to integrate with each other. It is for this very reason it made certain its integration paths were well established.

For the purposes of multioffice project execution, the integrated technology environment allows for consistency of data and work process, multiple concurrent estimating users on the same project, and archiving of estimates for future project and proposals with data mining. Perhaps most importantly to VECO, the integrated application allows users at remote locations to access the information.

The company says estimates and schedules are now synchronized to provide a dynamic link between project resources and cash flow analysis. This enables effective earned value project execution.

Single Family Builder
$5 million - $25 million

GOLD
Graham Hart Home Builder
Grapevine, Texas
www.grahamharthomebuilder.com

Plain and simple, good technology frees homebuilders from worrying about the little details, enabling these companies to focus on internal growth and building homes. 

Graham Hart Home Builder, www.grahamharthomebuilder.com, Grapevine, Texas, is committed to a strong technology strategy. Presented with the concept of a paperless workflow process, the company jumped at the chance to improve one of its most cumbersome processes.

The work and material inspection/approval process by superintendents involved a great deal of paperwork and data re-entry throughout the organization. The typical procedure involved superintendents submitting a piece of paper with data that needed to be re-entered at the office. Microsoft Excel cells were its answer to schedule tracking, which was not integrated with accounting. In essence, each piece of information during the process was in a silo.

Implementing a workflow management application from BuilderMT, www.buildermt.com, Lakewood, Colo., integrated with accounting technology from Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., was merely the first step in cleaning up this process. BlackBerry devices on the network from Sprint Nextel, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va., allow managers to run a checklist-driven purchase order system from the field in a paperless manner.

The BlackBerry’s are preloaded with schedules and checklists, as well as sub-checklists. At each stage of the job or at job completion, each super signs off and the wireless signal prompts schedule updates, messaging, accounting updates, and payment—all linked to one database.

Graham Hart Builder has reduced cycle times to less than 110 days per home, produced net margins of 23%, including land, and driven net-net margins from 5% to 10% in the first 18 months of full implementation. That 10% is on a $16.7 million gross on 69 starts and 3 models in 2005, which the company anticipates will jump to $20 million on 120 starts and 5 models in 2006.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact paper invoices have essentially disappeared from the company. Costs and work are preauthorized when a bid is accepted and invoices are paid before they even reach the company.

Single Family Builder
$26 million - $100 million

BRONZE
Bradford Building Corp.
Winter Garden, Fla.
www.bradfordbuildingcorp.com

It’s become commonplace for homebuyers to explore property well beyond the geographic area in which they currently live. As more buyers look to build homes hundreds of miles away, they still demand to be in the loop regarding project details as if they were right down the street.

Wade and Cam Bradford, owners of Bradford Building Corp., www.bradfordbuildingcorp.com, Winter Garden, Fla., noticed this trend with its homebuyers. Building approximately 80-100 custom homes each year in Florida, the company was gaining increased attention from buyers not central to the specific state—and 50% of which were not even central to the country.

It was clearly evident that typical means for collaboration—phone calls and faxes—would not suffice the needs of these buyers. Operating in different time zones made collaboration difficult, meaning miscommunication on information could lead to project delays.

While the need for collaborative technology was evident, the company demanded the tool have a graphical interface to ensure all parties on the project were on the same page. Leveraging Web-based collaboration and project-management technology from BuildLinks, www.buildlinks.com, Morrisville, N.C., Bradford is able to integrate scheduling, online selections, and charge order tracking on a single platform. Coupled with accounting from Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberline.com, Beaverton, Ore., this creates an integrated production/financial system. As a Web-based solution, it allows all parties, including buyers, vendors, and partners, the convenience of 24/7 accessibility.

The company finds providing homebuyers with up-to-date information is one of the biggest benefits of the system. With the catalog of options and customizations included in the tool, all parties have record of selections and change orders. This allows Bradford to make additional suggestions to buyers on options resulting in upsell opportunities. The daily schedules, reports, and photos make collaboration a reality for remote buyers.

Multifamily Builder
$251 million - $500 million

GOLD
Clark Realty Builders LLC
Bethesda, Md.
www.clarkrealty.com

As any builder knows, with growth comes challenge. As an organization grows and expands services, greater demand is placed on an existing technology infrastructure, often prompting companies to readdress their strategy.

Clark Realty Builders LLC, www.clarkrealty.com, Bethesda, Md., experienced this firsthand as the organization grew from one major office and limited technology systems to a dozen major offices spread throughout the country, each with its own technology systems and job-related data.

The limited capacity of these systems meant that as amounts of data at each office grew, Clark Realty would incur large expenses associated with hardware and IT staff visits to jobsites. In more than one instance, offices experienced various surges in data amounts, leaving systems at capacity with no room for growth as the IT staff struggled to get the proper hardware in place to accommodate the added data. Adding to these challenges was the notion of backing up the data, a time-consuming task all in itself. Addressing the limited capacity of systems in branch offices, Clark installed network attached storage devices running Windows Storage Server 2003 in each office. This meant it could install large amounts of data capacity at each remote office at a low cost.

Increasing its data storage capacity now meant Clark needed to backup the data. It proceeded to implement software that polls all of the data at remote sites each evening and replicates any data that has changed since the previous night to servers in the company headquarters.

On another front, as Clark’s presence in the military housing market grew, the company knew it needed the best resources in place to produce a winning proposal to clients. Clark decided to develop a presentation video to highlight the extraordinary design and details of its planned communities in this space.

Leveraging video capabilities of SunnyMoon Productions, www.sunnymoon.com, Vienna, Va., software from Adobe Systems, www.adobe.com, San Jose, Calif., and 3D visualization tools, Clark developed a video that combined photos of past projects, additional rendering of the project, and other key information believed to capture exactly how Clark’s property would standout from the competition.

Year after year Clark Realty continues to prove it is on the leading edge across a multitude of technology fronts. It is a multifamily builder that is well ahead of the curve.

Multifamily Builder
+ $500 million

SILVER
K. Hovnanian Homes
Red Bank, N.J.
www.khov.com

Homebuilders are continually faced with the challenge of presenting homebuyers with options in a new and innovative manner. Straying away from the more standard approach of marketing material, builders are employing the aid of innovative technology to assist.

K. Hovnanian, www.khov.com, Red Bank, N.J., is one of the largest and most widely recognized builders across multiple segments of the market. The company recently deployed BIM (building information modeling) technology from Argos Systems, www.argos.com, Bedford, Mass., to help it meet the unique needs of its customers regarding options.

The builder’s product development department created virtual 3D model homes in the product, with base models including multiple elevations, foundations, and options. These parts are drawn in an “exploded” manner, disconnected from the main part of the home. Points within the application assemble the disparate parts and combine them into individual 3D homes, which are framed to customizable rules.

K. Hovnanian produces base models in the application, including all materials. Quantities are produced and used with purchasing systems for providing accurate cost estimates.

To create drawings, home combinations are sent to a point on the builder’s server, where they are automatically assembled into individual 3D homes. Taking snapshots of the floor plans, elevations, and sections of the 3D homes and referencing this information into predefined drawing sheets helps create plans. During the processing of a home, notes and detailed drawings are collected. This information is collected, placed, and formatted on predefined detail drawing sheets by location, e.g., foundation, floor, etc.

The company builds in areas that require lot-specific construction documents for permitting, which is produced by the application. In addition, the base model described is used to generate construction documents, material quantities, and renderings, which are all used in varying degrees during estimating, construction, and selling for K. Hovnanian. 

With BIM penetrating more areas within construction, K. Hovnanian is one builder that saw the benefits of this technology early and is well in the process of reaping the benefits.

Construction Services

SILVER
BMHC Construction
San Francisco, Calif.
www.bmhc.com

A successful construction project requires a range of different services to be accurately carried out. Providing project estimating, structural engineering, shell construction, rough framing assembly, and plumbing installation, among other services BMHC, www.bmhc.com, San Francisco, Calif., prides itself on easing the concerns for homebuilders across a range of different areas.

However, providing accurate services cannot happen without the right tools. So when officials within the BMC Construction division of BMHC calculated losing between $2,500 and $20,000 per month in misplaced tools, they decided to take action.

Compounding the problem was the fact one foreman would check out tools from the warehouse, take them into the field, and proceed to pass them along to another foreman, and that person then to a tradesman, and on down the line. The company was quickly losing control of what tools it had and what tools needed replacing.

Internal tool tracking methods were not sufficient to solve the problem. Each jobsite had its own answer for tracking, including using Excel and Access databases.

The company proceeded to implement technology from ToolWatch, www.toolwatch.com, Englewood, Colo., to add consistency to the organization. This fully customizable enterprise-wide system is tightly integrated with BMC’s existing accounting software from Sage Software, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore. This allows the company to set inventory level flags, which prompts employees to reorder tools, while automatically generating a purchase order for the tool.

Employee accountability was the one surprising benefit derived from the implementation. Because the transfer ticket shows the price of each tool signed out to an employee, it reinforces the need to be more responsible with the tool by employees.

Field managers can easily generate reports of tools out in the field. This is not only for foreman, but also for general managers that need to know the cost of various tools.

Overall, better tool management raises the level of accountability across the company and helps BMC provide the highest level of service possible.

Excavation/Sitework/Contractor
$5 million - $25 million

SILVER
Champion Site Prep LP
Georgetown, Texas
www.idigdirt.com

In the excavation and site-work market, the ability to recognize problems early and make the necessary adjustments can not only prove to be key to the success of an individual project, but it can also make an impact on the long-term prosperity of the company as a whole.

Site excavation contractor Champion Site Prep LLC, www.idigdirt.com, Georgetown, Texas, isn’t afraid to dig deep when it comes to embracing technology. Company owner John Gustainis is a strong believer in the power technology brings to his company against larger players in the space.

Looking to increase the accuracy of its bids, the company implemented HeavyBid from HCSS, www.hcss.com, Houston, Texas. This bidding/estimating package is tailored specifically to meet the needs of heavy/highway contractors.

Champion’s operations departments use the package to help coordinate job information, organize electronic timecards, track material deliveries, and uncover historical bid data, among a range of other tasks critical to the success of its operations.

The company recently installed The Dispatcher, which helps with equipment and crew tracking, job scheduling, and forecasting for equipment rentals and purchases—all key pieces to its operations. GPS (global positioning system) vehicle tracking aids in the entire process as well, helping the company improve the efficiency in tracking material deliveries.

All of these pieces linked together help increase the amount of information available on a job and gets the right data in the hands of the right people throughout the organization. Through the use of a laptop connected to a high-speed wireless broadband connection, each superintendent and project manger has instant remote access to realtime productivity information on any job. 

Champion Site Prep compiles all of these project details for review during weekly staff meetings. This equips staff with the right information to help them make critical decisions at a moment’s notice. With this ingenuity, this small contractor continues to excel in a big way against the competition since 1983.

Government
$5 million - $25 million

SILVER
Marquette County Road Commission
Ishpeming, Mich.
www.micountyroads.org

State road commission organizations must balance financials a bit differently than your average heavy/highway contractor. Receiving the majority of funds from state and federal road funds, these entities must file financial reports annually to residents, township officials, county board members, and treasury and transportation departments within the state.

For the Marquette County Road Commission, www.micountyroads.org, Ishpeming, Mich., must keep an accurate account of its $9 million annual budget used to maintain approximately 1,482 miles of state, county, and local roads in Michigan’s largest county. Reporting requirements include the cost of jobs, types of jobs, cost by activity, time tracking, purchasing, sales, payroll, inventory, and assets.

Needless to say, the DOS-based accounting software in place at the Road Commission made tracking and reporting these tasks a daunting task. Its general ledger functioned as its job cost system, while fixed-asset records were maintained as part of its accounting software. Overall, reports were limited at best and not flexible at all.

Looking to gain greater flexibility across reporting and tasks, the Road Commission implemented job cost and time tracking software from WennSoft, www.wennsoft.com, New Berlin, Wis., integrated with accounting software from Microsoft, www.microsoft.com, Redmond, Wash. While the flexibility of the applications played into the decision to implement this integrated solution, other components were heavily influential as well.

The software would allow the Road Commission to set benchmarks for jobs and the fact its employees were familiar with working in a Microsoft environment set the state for minimal training required.

Complimenting the integrated solution, employees use Crystal Reports and Microsoft FRx to modify and create specific reports. This allows them to provide accurate reports to the township and state government, as well as the public. Drill-down functionality within the job-cost module allow auditors to look for a specific transaction and intergrate it to the general ledger with great ease. A single point of entry for conducting payroll is another added benefit.

Government
$251 million - + $500 million

GOLD
City of Phoenix Water Services Dept.
Phoenix, Ariz.
www.phoenix.gov

Government departments often face the undesirable task of upgrading a city infrastructure in the midst of a rapidly growing population. While steady population growth is definitely a plus for any city, it can often handcuff municipality departments if the finances and resources are strained.

This is exactly the predicament the City of Phoenix Water Services Dept. (WSD) of the city of Phoenix, Ariz., experienced in 2004. Operating in a city that enjoys more than 320 sunny days a year with an average annual rainfall of six inches makes the task of supplying clean, affordable water to roughly 1.5 million people an enormous task. The complex infrastructure of WSD includes 360,000 water connections delivering more than 103 billion gallons of water per year with another 66 billion gallons of wastewater being treated as well. Overall, City of Phoenix WSD is tasked with managing $1.4 billion in capital improvements to the city’s water system.

Compounding the challenge is the fact City of Phoenix WSD had to balance a sudden growth explosion in 2004 in the wake of budget restrictions. Managing the heavy workload became taxing on the project managers. The primary issue became gaining a clear view into past and future costs—a task that proved difficult in the past due to the fact funds were traditionally applied by fiscal year.

The solution consists of an integrated costing and scheduling tool provided by Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., with a central repository for program and project data from Saybrook & Associates, www.saybrook-associates.com, Centerbrook, Conn., integrated under the framework developed by Morpheus Technology Group, www.morpheustechgroup.com, Huntington Beach, Calif.

This has enabled City of Phoenix WSD to develop consistent budgeting and scheduling standards that could be shared across all divisions. A documented change management process was established, providing project managers with a long-term view, which enabled them to allocate resources based on priority. The solution allowed for better benchmarking and executive summary level reporting.

Among the results achieved includes a 7% reduction in project cost overruns in one year, equaling $28 million. The fact City of Phoenix WSD originally estimated a 4% reduction in four years makes this stat even more impressive.

SILVER
South Dakota Dept. of Transportation
Pierre, S.D.
www.sddot.com

It’s no secret that scheduling can be one of the most time-consuming tasks involved on a project. Without complete accuracy in this area, an entire project can fall off track in the blink of an eye.

Carrying out these processes associated with 7,857 miles of state-owned roads and 76,000 miles of local roads, becomes a massive task for the South Dakota Dept. of Transportation (SD DOT), www.sddot.com, Pierre, S.D. Planning for highway projects, which involves as many as 1,200 projects being planned simultaneously, is particularly difficult, taking anywhere from three months to 15 years. Efficiently planning for the vast array of project scopes involved required SD DOT to investigate a reliable project-management system that helped best use resources and facilitate collaboration between chief parties involved.

SD DOT likens its planning process to an assembly line, where each resource relies on the on-time completion of the previous task in order to proceed to the next. Operating on a 25-year old mainframe did nothing for easing the reporting, scheduling, and coordination challenges for the organization. Limited visibility into tasks, cumbersome scheduling procedures, and a lack of financial accuracy also contributed to SD DOT deciding on an upgrade.

Implementing a new construction management solution from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., SD DOT immediately gained new efficiency across all areas of operations. Web-based access and the capability to view realtime updates allows up to 150 team members in disparate locations to update information—which tackles the challenge of simultaneous project coordination. Master scheduling capabilities for all parties eliminates the collaboration issues. Accurate forecasting handles the financial aspect while standardized reporting appeases government entities and other stakeholders requiring accurate reports.

Forecasting capabilities of the solution provide SD DOT with a proactive view of scope, schedule, cost, and change issues. This enables the agency to address these issues before they impact budgets and timelines. The SD DOT has a goal to yield a 10% budget savings due to timely bid lettings via the accurate resource scheduling.

Specialty Contractor
$26 million - $250 million

GOLD
Component Assembly Systems
Pelham, N.Y.
www.componentassembly.com

While some believe specialty contractors are far behind the technology curve, drywall contractor Component Assembly Systems (CAS), www.componentassembly.com, Pelham, N.Y., begs to differ.

The company continues to drive technology initiatives within its operations, using off-the-shelf applications and a bit of custom development to complete its IT infrastructure.

CASim (Component Assembly Systems Information Manager) is an internally built technology platform that allows users to access all information residing within the company, regardless of software application, from a Web-based interface. CASim has 98 different screen designs linked together in a Web-style drilldown format being accessed by more than 160 users in the field and in the office. Written with MS InterDev tools, CASim is a Web interface that uses active data objects from active server pages, which allows for easy access to any information.

Company officials believe users shouldn’t need to know which application to access in order to find the data needed. Rather, all information should be readily accessible at all times. CASim communicates with disparate application databases across the organization and delivers the information to users in a timely manner. 

For example, data residing in the accounting system in mirrored to another server, permitting redundancy of critical systems and allows CASim to access the data without compromising the performance of the accounting system.

The company has incorporated digital takeoff technology from On Center Software, www.oncenter.com, The Woodlands Texas, and digital imaging technology from Construction Imaging Systems, www.construction-imaging.com, Rocky Mount, N.C., into its mix of applications.

CASim helps CAS identify challenges early on in the process, allows management to get a streamlined view of operations, and enables access to all company information to all users from anywhere.

Seeing more email and file transfers of requisitions, correspondence, transmittals, and FTP plan transfers on jobs, CAS has built CASim to interact on this level of communication and to leverage XML (extensible markup language). In other words, when partners in the industry are ready, CAS has the technology to collaborate.

SILVER
L.P.R. Construction Co.
Loveland, Colo.
www.lprconstruction.com

Only a select few companies truly take the time to properly evaluate IT (information technology) systems, ensuring these applications match the long-term needs of the organization.

Steel erection contractor L.P.R. Construction Co., www.lprconstruction.com, Loveland, Colo., is one of these firms. Upon taking a step back from its day-to-day processes to evaluate IT systems against its five-year plan, the company made the assessment that the work scheduled in the coming years would “bring our system to its knees.” It was apparent that a complete overhaul of its technology infrastructure was necessary.

The first step involved upgrading its Citrix Metaframe. With its current version, the company had to configure Citrix Clients on each machine, requiring detailed settings, which took nearly an hour to install. Upon upgrading to Citrix Presentation Server 4, L.P.R. now installs a small client on the user’s machine, giving them access within the matter of minutes from any location.

L.P.R.’s previous accounting and project management systems had limited logging capabilities. With general foreman having disparate ways of tracking daily work, project managers found it difficult to establish standard processes when moving from one job to the next.

An upgrade to the latest version of the accounting and project management applications has created standardization across tracking processes. With logs standardized in one location project managers have quick access to this information and can provide it to customers on an as-needed basis.

The next step was coupling Citrix GoToMeeting with its Microsoft Outlook, allowing the company to setup impromptu and formal meetings with remote customers. Sending an automatically generated appointment to customers with a link to the meeting and specific connection instructions makes the process of establishing conferences more efficient all around.

An invoice router automates scanning, indexing, and routing of invoices to manager for approval, while an application extender allows for document customization. All technology for this process, provided by Construction Imaging Systems, www.construction-imaging.com, Rocky Mount, N.C., allows for a paperless workflow.

With these modifications L.P.R. is confident in its IT infrastructure’s ability to handle the expected growth in the long-term.

Plumbing Contractor
$26 million - $100 million

SILVER
Gem Plumbing & Heating
Lincoln, R.I.
www.gemplumbing.com

Companies that have made it a steady practice of implementing sophisticated technology solutions are in the unique position to leverage the data in a distinctive manner. More and more, contractors are exploring the value of business dashboarding technology in order to pull the most accurate data from across disparate technology applications.

While some observers would think this sort of thing would typically only appeal to large general contracting associations, one specialty contractor throws a wrench into this train of thought. Gem Plumbing & Heating, www.gemplumbing.com, Lincoln, R.I., recently developed a Web-based business dashboard application with a data repository in an Oracle database, www.oracle.com, Redwood Shores, Calif.

This business dashboard extracts and presents key strategic measurements within the organization in a visual format. The application interface collects and processes data relating to the enterprise from a wide variety of applications. The data is then presented in a manner that allows executives at Gem to monitor all phases and programs within the business in realtime.

The dashboard draws data from various software programs running at the company to a data repository in realtime.

The repository filters the information into measurement-based gauges on the dashboard. These are presented to users in full color, with red being a lagging indicator, yellow a moderate indicator, and green signifying business tasks are right on schedule.

Four levels of accessibility, executive; management; supervisory; employee, allow users admission to controlled information based on status level.

Key to the dashboarding advantages is the fact it presents information in a unified fashion, ensuring all users are working with the most accurate data. Gem believes this implementation has taken it to the next level of data collection and report generation throughout the company.

The presentation of data is timely and accurate and is used to monitor operatorefficiency, quickly validate the quality level of the service provided and to generate operational statistics instantly. Large productivity gains have been realized by eliminating them-consuming manual data collection and report generation.

Retail/Chain

GOLD
Wild Oats Markets Inc.
Boulder, Colo.
www.wildoats.com

The nature of the retail industry requires companies to stay fluid with changes in the market and be aggressive when it comes to store rollout. As a result, owners in this space have become more conscious of the role technology plays in helping facilities meet this criterion.

Wild Oats Markets Inc., www.wildoats.com, Boulder, Colo., provides a broad selection of natural foods and healthcare products through 112 stores in 24 states. This market in particular is rapidly evolving in terms of food trends and consumer preference.

Not effectively communicating store layout modifications to architectural and engineering consultants, equipment suppliers, the home office, and other entities, can quickly add up to wasted time and money in a project for Wild Oats. Numerous checks and balances within accounting associated with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance only add to the complexity.

Online project-management technology from USGN, www.usgn.net, Phoenix, Ariz., has played a profound role in alleviating these challenges. In particular, this technology has transformed the request for change procedure from a highly linear process to a radial process that adds great transparency to the practice. A request is posted online with the required backup attachment. Validations and approvals are subsequently posted, which allows multiple parties to view the status. The approved amounts are automatically combined with budget numbers, generating projected totals in realtime.

Perhaps the most vital benefit of the online project management application is its ability to increase the transparency of all processes. This helps to enhance communications, improve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and reduce project delays.

With the workload almost doubling for Wild Oats in 2006, the company was able to realign its existing resources. By proactively addressing reports and other documentation, Wild Oats was able to redirect approximately $120,000 spent annually on administrative support and management reporting. Keeping inline with the organization’s philosophy of reducing the negative impact on the environment, the application has helped it reduce paper consumption by nearly 50%.

Design/Build

SILVER
Krupp Associates Architects, P.C./Krupp CM Inc.
Wheaton, Ill.
http://abodehomeplans.com

In today’s world of multifaceted services, organizations need technology that has the scalability and flexibility required to meet a highly diverse set of demands.

Krupp Associates Architects, P.C./Krupp CM Inc., http://abodehomeplans.com, Wheaton, Ill., designs, develops, and builds custom homes. A small staff handles drafting tasks, jobsite work, customer service, employee management, and financials. Keeping pace with the high volume of design work, coupled with the complex construction processes, requires sophisticated technology applications.

On the construction side, Krupp uses Sage Master Builder, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., to help reduce any reliance on paper-based processes. The company likes to keep what it calls an “open book” policy with clients, letting them come in at any time to view proposals or financial aspects impacting the job.

With this in mind, Krupp takes a bit of extra time preparing a comprehensive proposal, giving the company peace of mind that every detail is covered in a meticulous manner. Working primarily with subcontractors to complete jobs, Krupp needs to consolidate estimates from up to 25 bids on these proposals.

Upon receiving the bids, Krupp easily breaks the proposal down into nine categories, and up to 15 estimates in each category, via the software.

Throughout each job, Krupp uses Master Builder to simplify construction draws, reducing this process down to 30 minutes as opposed to the three to four hours typically spent at the end of each billing cycle in the past.

Not to be outdone on the design side, professionals in this segment have developed custom programs, shortcuts, and tools to help streamline frequently-used keystrokes and workflows with the CAD (computer-aided design) software. From this, more than a half-dozen tool bars with nearly 75 custom buttons have been developed, including layer management tools, a template library of design elements, and tools that allows users to navigate, search, and import these elements into plans in a simplified manner.

Through the use of leading edge technology, Krupp has added tremendous efficiency on both the design and the construction side of the business.

BRONZE
Sun Design Remodeling Specialists Inc.
Burke, Va.
www.sundesigninc.com

Being able to visualize the end product is common for a contractor, yet highly difficult for the client. For years, design companies have struggled with getting clients on the same page regarding details of the finished project.

This is where sophisticated software steps into the process. For design/build firms such as Sun Design Remodeling Inc., www.sundesigninc.com, Burke, Va., the process of getting clients on board early is imperative to moving forward with the construction process.

Robust design software has proven very successful in helping Sun Design’s clients imagine what the end result will look like simply by viewing a basic floorplan. Using features from two prominent CAD (computer aided design) packages for designers allows it to draw fully assembled and customized items, such as walls, windows, beams, etc., Sun Design is able to create floor plans, cross-sections, elevations, framing plans, and site plans.

Overall, these products help Sun Design create 3D elevations and renderings that detail a finished home to clients early on in the design process. This allows clients to communicate likes and dislikes regarding details upfront.

The computer-aided drafting and design enables the staff at Sun Design to make these adjustments on the fly. This in turn keeps clients satisfied that immediate action is taking place.

Sun Design is often juggling multiple projects simultaneously meaning multitask efficiency is the name of the game. With these programs in place, designers can create concepts, working drawings, 3D designs, drafting tools, and auto-generated framing plans in a quick electronic format. Research and retrieval of plans also becomes a much easier process.

With many competitors still using hand drawings to communicate renderings to the customer, Sun Design believes its arsenal of software packages helps provide clients with a clear picture of why they are head and shoulders above the rest.

Construction Management
$101 million - $250 million

GOLD
Menemsha Construction Solutions
Hawthorne, Calif.
www.menemshacos.com

A key to embracing technology involves making the applications work to fit your business model. This strategy is particularly important for contractors providing a broad array of highly diverse services, as few software packages come fit to accommodate.

Menemsha Construction Solutions, www.menemshacos.com, Hawthorne, Calif., handles a range of services for retail clients, including new stores, open-store remodels, rebranding campaigns, and regulatory compliance. From design, budget planning, pricing, site surveys, permitting, and construction, Menemsha provides it all to some of the biggest names in retail.

When it adopted online project management technology from USGN, www.usgn.net, Phoenix, Ariz., Menemsha needed to take the application’s single project model and adapt it to fit its multi-location construction model. Built on a flexible platform, the application was easy to mold, allowing Menemsha to customize forms within the Website at the user level. Coupled with Menemsha’s program management process, the application has enabled the company to manage fast-paced retail rollout programs required by some of its biggest clients.

One in particular was the Limited Brands planned brand renovation within 650 stores using eight contractors. The timeline for completion was 10 weeks and required all work to be done after hours in order to maintain business as usual in its stores.

Replacing a paper-intensive program for managing the process with a customized management solution, the project management application added much efficiency to the process. Single-source management impacted all phases of the rebrand program, such as owner supplied materials logistics, third-party vendor logistics, RFIs (requests for information), and response tracking, among other tasks. 

Menemsha was able to reduce daily team conference calls from five hours to 45 minutes and increase remodel completions from 61 per week to 95.

Construction Management
+$500 million

GOLD
M.A. Mortenson Co.
Elk Grove Village, Ill.
www.mortenson.com

Much has been said regarding the potential of BIM (building information modeling) technology in construction. Yet very few have disclosed true, quantifiable results.

M.A. Mortenson Co., www.mortenson.com, Elk Grove Village, Ill., does not fall into that category. For the past six years the company has leveraged the capabilities of 3D models on multiple projects across the country. BIM technology allowed the company to achieve $2 million savings and significant scheduling improvements to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Calif.

Getting down to the details of one project in particular, the company applied BIM to resolve a subsurface issue at the new public works facility in Oak Park, Ill. The task included coordinating more than 600 soil nails and concrete retention wall anchors with existing site utilities. Soil nails vary in length and angle while site utilities vary in elevation and diameter. The soil nails are driven into the soil at varying angles depending on the depth of the nail.

Mortenson models existing site conditions in its CAD (computer-aided design) application, and then imports the model into a separate 3D design review application, which runs clash detection tests to determine if any nails would interfere with site utilities. This highlights instances that require deviation from the plans to avoid conflicts.

The model helps project managers gain a graphic view of various utilities that may require relocation without the use of exploratory holes, which would impact the schedule.

M.A. Mortenson uses services and support from MasterGraphics, www.masterg.com, Madison, Wis., to ensure its design applications are in line with its business objectives and are operating at optimal performance.

The benefits derived from this project relate directly to an increase in time, knowledge, quality, and safety on a project, making the use of BIM technologya great success for M.A. Mortenson.

Utility Company

SILVER
Wisconsin Public Service Corp.
Green Bay, Wis.
www.wisconsinpublicservice.com

Building the largest, most environmentally sound coal-fired power plant in the state of Wisconsin is one tall task. Building it in the matter of four years is an enormous task.

When plans came down from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to build Weston 4, a $752 million, 500 megawatt coal-fired plant, in 2004, the Wisconsin Public Service Corp., www.wisconsinpublicservice.com, Green Bay, Wis., needed to do a bit of internal process improvement.

To ensure its project management system had updated financial information, WPSC needed to integrate its general ledger software so that all financial information for Weston 4 would be transferred automatically to the project management application.

Addressing collaboration issues, WPSC needed to connect 100 people dispersed among the jobsite, corporate office in Green Bay, and its design-engineering firm. Adding to the challenge was the fact the company’s consulting firm, based in Kansas City, Mo., maintained the engineering and procurement schedules and the site maintained the construction and start-up schedules. 

Integrating project management (PM) software from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., with its general ledger software from Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood Shores, Calif., created an interface that allowed the systems to communicate, thus enabling multiparty collaboration on Weston 4.

The solution enables those on site to access general ledger data, allowing the PM application to calculate costs and progress in a timely manner. Contractors are able to submit RFIs to the PM system from trailers onsite via the Internet. The technology allows all meeting records and action items to be recorded for access at any point, while facilitating a Web-based remote link to an Oracle server for schedule collaboration.

Despite the fact the project started later than expected, WPSC anticipates the integrated technology will save 2,000 man-hours by project’s end, two hours of administration time per RFI entered, and approximately 500 man-hours associated with administering meeting minutes.

Automated Home Technology

GOLD
Chinburg Builders Inc.
Durham, N.H.
www.chinburgbuilders.com

For years, model homes and design centers have been the key to luring buyers on such amenities as cherry cabinets, marble tile, and granite countertops. Today, these areas have become a catalyst for homebuilders looking to sell homebuyers on a much different type of option.

Automated home technology continues to top the list of demand of homebuyers and smart builders are finding unique ways to present them to various buying demographics

For Chinburg Builders, www.chinburgbuilders.com, Durham, N.H., it wasn’t necessarily the younger homebuyers that spurred the advent of automated home technology in its model homes. In fact, the model home for Shepard’s Cove Community, its active adult community in Kittery, Maine, was the first to include such options for the builder.

Setting the tone for a “You Deserve the Best” themed community, the first model home featured automated lighting technology and a built-in prewired audio system. Chinburg quickly realized that while buyers at Shepard’s Cove were not technology-averse, they did enjoy the novelty of the systems and were particularly impressed with the ease of use. A recent buyer, upon seeing the technology firsthand, purchased $25,000 in upgrades.

Installation professionals at DECO Systems Inc., www.decosystemsinc.com, Dover, N.H., ensure the property is equipped the best options on the market. This includes audio from Russound, www.russound.com, Newmarket, N.H., and wiring from UStec, www.ustecnet.com, Victor, N.Y., which leverage A-BUS technology, www.a-bus.com, for transferring audio signal to multiple rooms without disruption.

The success of Shepard’s Cove prompted Chinburg to prewire 45 townhomes in a subsequent project for audio. With this property catering to the upscale buyer in Manchester, N.H., Chinburg was convinced automated home technology would be a grand appeal, which it was indeed.

Working with the right installation professionals and offering the best name brands have paid great dividends for Chinburg Builders in the automated home technology arena.

SILVER
Buschman Homes
Gurnee, Ill.
www.buschmanhomes.com

Successful homebuilders have a knack for changing per the demands within the marketplace. It is this quality that has made some homebuilders thrive for nearly a century.

The name Buschman has been involved in construction since 1911, with its roots in lumber supplying. Involved in both residential and commercial construction since that time, the company established Buschman Homes, www.buschmanhomes.com, Gurnee, Ill., in the 1990s, which today builds custom and semi-custom homes.

In recent years the builder has watched as one trend in particular has seemingly transformed the lifestyle of homebuyers. More clients were requesting such options as audio, video, security, and central vacuum, to enhance their living experiences.

Buschman knew showcasing these products in its design center and model homes, would help it effectively sell these options to more homebuyers. However, company officials knew partnering with an experienced and reputable systems integrator would be essential to making this a success.

Digital Home Technologies, www.adigitalhome.com, Palatine, Ill., has stepped in to help the builder bring these options to life in design centers. Most appealing is its ability to showcase how buyers can control audio and video in any room in the home through a simple keypad or handheld remote control. Thin profile, wall-mounted plasma and LCD TVs are also incorporated into its design center, coupled with speakers that are nearly invisible, all controlled by source components that are neatly tucked away from clear sight.

Buschman Homes works with leading-edge products from such manufacturers such as Russound, www.russound.com, Newmarket, N.H. This ensures reliable and scalable products are in each home.

Buschman knows the automated home technology needs of its homebuyers are highly diverse. This is why it does not shy away from any type of product requested.

The company says the most common requests from homebuyers include computer networking, surveillance, intercom, audio, and central vacuum systems. These automated home technology options provide data, security, and maintenance throughout the home.

Buschman Homes knows it is in a unique position to cater to customers in a unique manner. It is this type of forward thinking innovation that has made Buschman one of the most successful names in the construction market for nearly a century.

Team Award

Generation Homes
Fresno, Calif.
www.generation-homes.com

Nearly every homebuilder has sales, scheduling, production, and service management systems at their disposal. However, not every homebuilder knows how to properly utilize these systems in a cohesive manner.

Generation Homes, www.generation-homes.com, Fresno, Calif., recently linked these key systems together in a manner that allows it to carry out job functions more effectively and extend functionality out into the field.

Restricted access to cash flow, which is regulated by the bank through loan draws, can limit Generation Homes’ ability to begin a new home. Prior methods for tracking a home’s progress encompassed percent complete estimates entered by the field manager. A bank representative then proceeded to visit the site to validate the release of funds. This not only inhibited the progress of jobs, it also resulted in subs and suppliers getting paid only once per month.

Beginning with an 85 home development in Fresno, Calif., it decided to tackle this process differently. As the first in a three-phase project totaling more than 200 homes, the success of The Ridge would be based on speed and efficiency.

Generation Homes proceeded to implement scheduling software from BuilderMT, www.buildermt.com, Lakewood, Colo., and integrate it with accounting and estimating software from Sage Software, www.sagetimeberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore. Using a critical path method style, the scheduling application maintains standardized practices and processes for each model.

Taking this efficiency to the field, each supervisor was given a BlackBerry 7520 from Sprint Nextel, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va. Walking the site, a super can click a work item as completed and the update is instantly reflected on the schedule and advises the next work group to begin. In turn, the accounting system knows to move the pay order forward, giving the bank assurance of what funds to release.

The company has since implemented this process to each of its projects. Average results include a drop in construction time per home from 130-145 days to 110 days and bank loan draws increasing by more than $500,000.

Software from Service Software, www.punchlistmanager.com, Littleton, Colo., and Builder1440, www.builder1440.com, Baltimore, Md., have both since been integrated into the process, creating one cohesive working enterprise for Generation Homes.

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