2008 Constructech Vision Awards
Winners in the ninth annual Constructech Vision Awards continue a tradition of tech excellence set forth by those before them.
AEC/Design-Commercial
OPN Architects Inc.
GOLD
With offices in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, OPN Architects, www.opnarchitects.com, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has worked with private, public, and institutional clients since 1979. A design-oriented practice covering 24 states, OPN is involved in new as well as renovation and restoration projects and has been focusing on sustainable design. To meet the needs of today's "green" trend, OPN Architects employs 22 LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) accredited professionals and is working on 16 LEED registered projects.
Regardless of the type of building OPN Architects works on, its bane has been paper. Shop drawings and other paper submitted for review often generates literally reams of paper, eight-10 copies per page with 75-200 submittals per project. The flow of that paper—from subcontractor to general contractor to architect, consultants, and owners—means copies are marked up numerous times and not always easy to read. Naturally, there are great risks that an error will creep in and not be caught in addition, the effect of having so much paper lowers the environmentally friendly aspects of any project.
In 2006, OPN partnered with Submittal Exchange, www.submittalexchange.com, Des Moines, Iowa, to implement the Submittal Exchange system for electronically exchanging, reviewing, and archiving construction submittals. OPN Architects' use of the Web-based system has resulted in savings of more than 100 hours of staff time on a typical $3 million-$5 million project by having all involved subcontractors work from a single copy of the shop drawings and by having automated tracking of the change processes. In addition, costs such as postage and shipping have been reduced, and client relationships have improved because there is closer control at each stage of the project by each principal. Naturally, there has been a savings in paper: with as many as 3,000 pages involved in a submittal for a $3 million-$5 million project at eight copies per page equaling 24,000 sheets of paper.
AEC/DESIGN-COMMERCIAL
CH2M HILL
SILVER
CH2M Hill, www.ch2mhill.com, San Antonio, Texas, is a full-service engineering, construction, and operations company with more than 25,000 professionals on staff worldwide. In 2007, the company's 13 business sectors generated $5 billion in revenue.
The best-run companies are always looking for ways to improve and CH2M Hill is no different. One area where it saw a need for improvement was in the preparation of cost estimates. Once considered a "black art," the individual estimator was often a long-term employee who had been doing this for ages—and doing it as much from experience as from data. Estimators held their data close to the vest and the company had no formal repository of estimate information. As the workforce aged and the knowledge of the estimators didn't get passed along to the next generation, success often walked out the door with a retiring employee.
CH2M Hill's Energy Services and Operations business unit recognized this problem and set out to find a solution.
It decided to standardize the tools, systems, and procedures used with project management systems. It also captured estimating knowledge from experienced employees in multiple formats and archived estimates in a single, accessible database for the purpose of data mining.
The key to this approach was Modelogix from WinEstimator, www.winest.com, Kent, Wash., a cost modeling software that looks at past published estimates to form a conceptual estimate. Project estimates and reports can now be captured in electronic form and databases can be analyzed for comparison with actual cost data or previous estimates.
Various estimators can use the system simultaneously to ensure all cost data are current. Modelogix and WinEst estimating systems are integrated with project control and management solutions from Primavera, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. The use of Modelogix in this integrated environment has improved CH2M Hill's competitiveness by allowing estimates to be reliable and accurate. With reliable estimates, CH2M Hill has seen time for estimating cut by 25% and labor by as much as 10%.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$6 million - $25 million
The J Companies
GOLD
The three Brot brothers, Allan J., David J., and Robert J., grew up in the construction business. Their father Hy Brot was a successful subcontractor, and the brothers have followed Hy's policy of being involved personally with each project their firm, The J Companies, undertakes. The J Companies, www.thejcompanies.com, New York, N.Y., has provided construction, development, and consulting services for more than 50 years.
The J Companies wanted to implement a program that could adapt to the growth of the company and its customer's needs. One guiding principle it holds is to focus on its core competencies. While no company can avoid dealing with technology today, The J Companies decided it would outsource technology requirements, including hardware, software, and support and consulting services, with The Cram Group, www.thecramgroup.com, New York, N.Y., and adopted the ProjectXnet hosted solution. ProjectXnet is an ASP (application service provider) solution that resides on the Internet and is accessed by accounting, project management, and other departments via the Web, email, and even mobile devices.
The Cram Group hosts applications such as Sage Master Builder, www.sagemasterbuilder.com, Beaverton, Ore., Prolog Manager from Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif., and even Microsoft Office for The J Companies. Services are available 24/7 and The J Companies no longer has to worry about upgrades, technology changes, "orphan" software, and other technology issues. Remote jobsites can access the systems online. By using on-demand technology, employees spend less time waiting for applications to come up.
The J Companies' customers have come to recognize the value of ProjectXnet, as well. New employees can get up to speed quickly and support is available in minutes, not days. All this and the license fees and costs are spread out over time, which ultimately helps improve the bottomline.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$26 million - $100 million
WIMCO Corp.
GOLD
WIMCO Corp., www.wimcocorp.com, Washington, N.C., was a scrap metal business in 1950. It progressed into crane services, steel erection, and metal building construction until, by 1972, it had grown to become a general construction firm.
More than 1,500 projects have been completed throughout WIMCO's history, and its owners, Artie, Jeryl, and Kevin Rawls, recognize their reputation for quality construction done on a timely basis has been built by years of doing things right. Technology has always been front and center in WIMCO's strategy for success.
WIMCO did have some teething problems, however, and recently realized it was plagued by manual processes associated with its multiple databases. Input would be made by various departments into each separate database, tying up employees for hours. The answer was to implement an integrated system from Computer Guidance Corp., www.computerguidance.com, Scottsdale, Ariz. The seamless integration of databases for estimating, accounting, and project management with Computer Guidance's eCMS management system and its project management software, along with Timberline Estimating, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., allows WIMCO to bridge the gap between its various data resources.
The first advantage was that now employees need key data only once it then populates all appropriate databases automatically. The result: one employee can accomplish in minutes what used to take four people as much as two days. Additionally, there is no concern that each data entry might also enter errors into the database. Consistency, accuracy, and reliability have become the norm. Employees can now devote their time to more productive tasks, including client relationship management.
The tools Computer Guidance has supplied WIMCO include document imaging, electronic workflow, and business intelligence. These allow people at multiple locations and in various departments to make decisions. The resulting benefits include an 11% increase in revenue from the previous fiscal year without adding to the staff.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$26 million - $100 million
Deerfield Construction Co. Inc.
BRONZE
Deerfield Construction, www.deerfieldconstruction.com, Loveland, Ohio, is a $60 million general contractor with a staff of more than 60 employees specializing in retail, restaurant, petroleum, and commercial projects in 31 states. This is the second year in a row Deerfield has won a Vision Award, showing it is never complacent when it comes to technology investments.
A hands-on CEO, Joe Bitzer had been responsible for the company's IT (information technology) until 2001 when the expertise and time demands required Deerfield to hire a full time IT professional, Doug Snyder.
Systems and methods include state of the art scheduling software. Project tracking and reporting procedures required by various clients of Deerfield Construction, including digital photography and video taping, completion status, and close-out procedures, are also available.
But the problem of communication among employees, customers, subcontractors, and others remained an issue. Keeping track of telephone, fax, and email even while out of the office is critical to managing projects on schedule. To address this ever growing communications problem, Deerfield implemented a unified messaging (UM) solution. This integrates different communications media so users can send voice, fax, or email messages from a single interface, a phone, or PC (personal computer).
The first step was to setup a Windows Server 2003 Enterprise platform. Microsoft Exchange and Outlook 2003 facilitate email and fax works with Outlook to take care of inbound and outbound faxes electronically. Faxes that come into Deerfield can be then forwarded to the appropriate employee email address for further action.
Electronic faxing has worked so well that it has been extended to field employees, eliminating the need for separate fax lines, setup, and fax machines on jobsites. Superintendents can use their laptops for remote access and Deerfield has equipped them with wireless cards from Sprint, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va., so they can receive and send faxes. When it comes to outbound faxes, this action might require employees physically scanning paper copies into the laptops.
A significant benefit is a fax is now stored electronically in the computer, meaning workers are no longer scrambling to find documents at the last minute. The savings so far are estimated at more than $10,000 annually. Another piece of the UM puzzle was the implementation of an Internet-protocol-based phone system. Voicemail messages are now sent to the user's Outlook inbox and can be heard on the computer's speakers voicemail can be emailed like faxes, and email can be read to users via the phone.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$101 MILLION - $250 MILLION
M.J. Harris Inc.
GOLD (tie)
Many companies have found technology implementation to be the key to improved productivity, with some going to the technology well to constantly improve their situation. M.J. Harris Inc., www.mjharris.com, Birmingham, Ala., a company specializing in design-build, preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, program management, and even disaster relief is one such company. Focusing on healthcare facilities throughout the U.S., M.J. Harris was incorporated in 1995 and has emphasized its technology leadership ever since.
Early on, it had to decide whether it wanted to go with packaged software or custom systems. While it knew a custom system had many advantages because it is tailored to the user company's needs, it also brought a set of challenges. Three years ago, M.J. Harris explored building a custom bid solicitation system after reviewing several packaged solutions. It used a contact management system as the centerpiece as this was the critical piece to organizing contacts.
The new system replaced an existing system that was based on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and a basic bid list on the company's Website. Spreadsheets were used to track potential bidders on a project, but this didn't allow for detailed tracking of different types of solicitations that came in via telephone, fax, or email. In addition, several tasks were done manually.
The custom bid solicitation application was built on top of this contact management system. It is constructed around two ideas: automation and tracking. The automation side allows the capture of hundreds of potential bidders' data and the reuse of that information should multiple jobs be opening in the same location. The new system imports historical data such as bidders, specifications, project inclusions, and bid packages and makes them available at a click of a button.
The centralized contact management aspect means the bidder information is current and bidder's past performance is known so informed decisions can be made on sourcing. M.J. Harris used an ActiveX server component for dynamically creating, reading, and modifying Adobe PDF (portable document format) files, which are the de-facto worldwide standard for creating and exchanging platform-independent printable documents.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$101 MILLION - $250 MILLION
M.J. Harris Inc.
GOLD (tie)
A second technology project at M.J. Harris, www.mjharris.com, Birmingham, Ala., has also been recognized by the Vision Award judges. With its custom bid solicitation solution, M.J. Harris wanted to improve the distribution of construction documents to potential bidders. The decision was to redesign and integrate its current Website bid list into a new bid management system while also building an online plan room.
The online plan room started in December 2006 and had to be user friendly. From experience, M.J. Harris knew users who got frustrated with the technology wouldn't come back so they focused on making it easy to use and transparent. A critical decision was to standardize the format of files as Adobe PDF (portable document format). During development, M.J. Harris used a solution for Website document viewing. This system didn't require a user to download and install applications or controls.
The plan room allows users to view basic information on projects that will be open for bids in the coming months. All information is available for download to the bidder's computer or the bidder can fill in an online order form and get paper documents directly from the reprographic company associated with the individual project.
One of the major reasons M.J. Harris wanted to develop this plan room concept was to present all construction documents in digital form. This has reduced the costs associated with bidding a project—printing and shipping drawings to potential bidders—and as more subcontractors implement digital takeoff solutions, the need for printing plans will decrease even more.
Most of M.J. Harris' subcontractors have been impressed by the new system and the plan room has been getting good reviews. As the company grows and more projects come online, the plan room will grow along and expand as needed.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$101 MILLION - $250 MILLION
GovanBrown Construction Managers
SILVER (tie)
GovanBrown Construction Managers, www.govanbrown.com, Toronto, Ont., was established in 1994 as a two-man shop and by 2005 had grown to $40 million in revenue. In its early days, by examining the best practices of other companies, GovanBrown realized it needed to be a consultative management company more than a general contractor and so developed a software system that allowed projects to be managed as much from the field as from the office.
The company placed its site managers at the center of this activity and found it needed technology to connect field workers to project managers and administrative resources. With an emphasis on its clients, GovanBrown turned to technology for communications between owners and managers.
But there were obstacles. The previous system was in place for seven years, had limited functionality, and was becoming obsolete. It couldn't handle integrated billing and job costing or integrate between project management and business collaboration.
GovanBrown reviewed several packaged systems and decided on CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont. Although it found most of CMiC's clients were construction companies with revenues exceeding $200 million, that didn't stop GovanBrown from implementing CMiC Enterprise and CMiC Project Management.
It immediately gained benefits from the standardization of business processes. With CMiC, every job is run the same way so the company can define processes and job descriptions to take advantage of best practices. Multiple data entry was reduced due to the central data repository, decreasing chances for errors and liability.
Communication has improved between jobsites and the home office. CMiC allows decisions to be made based on data via the Internet. The company has been growing rapidly since 2005 when CMiC was implemented. At that time, revenue was about $40 million, and in 2007 that had gone up to $110 million.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$101 MILLION - $250 MILLION
Winter Park Construction
SILVER (tie)
Winter Park Construction (WPC), www.wpc.com, Maitland, Fla., is a general contractor and construction management firm specializing in resorts, condominiums, timeshare properties, and hotels as well as multifamily buildings. WPC's reputation is for performance and quality and it constantly strives to project that image.
Part of that image was to have all documents conform to a company standard. This became a problem with its initial project management system. The proprietary document control system used multiple databases that required many levels of file saving, and a spreadsheet-based financial reporting system scattered estimates, budget reports, and buyout logs all over.
Management wanted to solve three concerns: document standardization, financial control through increased data visibility, and a single database to streamline document management. In 2004, WPC purchased Prolog Manager from Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif.
After struggling to implement it on its own, WPC turned to HardHat Technologies, www.hardhattechnologies.com, Conyers, Ga. Combined with an internal implementation team, HardHat Technologies designed a plan that included training for WPC's team so they could eventually become "trainers for the trainers" and would know the system completely. WPC employee Kathy Williams was made the Prolog Administrator—"the Prolog Guru"—and implementation was planned in phases.
The plan provided both organization that was sorely needed and a methodical path to success. HardHat pointed out the people and departments that would best profit from early implementation and created two pilot projects to fine tune Prolog. HardHat and WPC customized the company logo, added new fields, changed other fields to match its internal culture, and setup quick text categories to lessen data entry.
Once the pilots were finished, Prolog was released to WPC employees in groups. Within months, WPC had significantly improved employee performance and 70 of the company's 129 employees use Prolog.
Builder/GC-Commercial
$251 MILLION - $500 MILLION
Paric Corp.
GOLD
Founded in 1979 by Paul McKee Jr. and Richard Jordan—who combined the first letters of their first names to form the company name—Paric Corp., www.paric.com, O'Fallon, Mo., has continuously employed technology to improve its reputation and bottomline. Paric was working diligently to go to a fully paperless construction approach through use of its own proprietary software.
Paric took the approach people and processes, working together, were the key to success. It implemented "The Paric Process," "Paric Standard Documents," and "Paric Rules of Engagement" to formalize support for its project management staff. But Paric still lacked the solution that would be the technical support needed. Having used a proprietary system developed in-house until 1999 and then a non-integrated packaged system, Paric was unable to connect the financials and project management.
Paric implemented CMiC Project Management from CMiC, www.cmic.ca Toronto, Ont. CMiC is fully integrated to capture documentation from preconstruction through completion, all without requiring duplicate data entry. By eliminating the need for "off system reports," in Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word, through the use of CMiC's custom reporting options, Paric has reduced its risk and fulfilled specific project reporting requirements with less staff time.
CMiC is also integrated with financials to reduce duplication or manual entry of owner contacts, job costs, subcontracts, and owner or subcontractor change orders. This level of integration has improved the standardization of both processes and forms. Before CMiC came onboard, Paric had used a series of different forms for project management purposes without even realizing. Using CMiC's form Paric was able to complete that standardization project, ensuring every form used is the same.
The benefits are already visible: Paric project management staff productivity is up by 30%, projects are more efficient, and data is more accurate and timely.
Builder/GC-Commercial
+ $500 MILLION
Power Construction Co. LLC
GOLD
With the current focus on globalization and growth, it's refreshing to find a large company that has a policy of local growth. Since 1926, Power Construction Co., www.powerconstruction.net, Schaumburg, Ill., has worked under the assumption that it could benefit from restricting its geographic reach to the Chicago area.
Power Construction wanted to reduce cycletime, increase AP (accounts payable) productivity, reduce overhead as the company continues to grow, have 24/7 access for customer backup and audits, and reduce document storage expenses.
Kofax Imaging Solutions, www.kofax.com, Irvine, Calif., Canon Technology Solutions, www.cts.canon.com, Lake Success, N.Y., and CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., helped Power develop an imaging and workflow system to import invoice data and associated images in the accounts payable module and then automatically route the invoices.
Kofax's engine extracts the invoice number, amount, and date and performs a lookup in CMiC for vendor and job number, all without human intervention. After validation, the system writes an XML (extensible markup language) file with the data and uploads it to the CMiC accounts payable module. The workflow process starts by identifying who needs to approve the invoice payment and notifying that person via email that an invoice is awaiting approval. Once the first approver codes the invoice, the system routes it to the next approver in line. Since an invoice is processed 50% faster, Power has improved cash flow management and cut the cost of processing an invoice by about 30%. Using the rough figure of $35/invoice for manual processing, Power is saving about $200,000 annually.
On the other side of the house, owner invoicing and audits are easier. Because of the electronic storage, an invoice can be located quickly, resulting in a savings of more than $80,000 a year in project accounting time. Another savings is in halting lost document searches. The Kofax system provides 24/7 availability: Invoices are stored electronically offsite, saving Power about $10,000 a year in paper file storage.
Builder/GC-Commercial
+ $500 MILLION
Holder Construction Co.
SILVER
Sometimes you just have to take risks to succeed. Holder Construction Co., www.holderconstruction.com, Atlanta, Ga., knows this to be true from experience. Using collaboration as its keystone, Holder works closely with its clients at every stage of a project.
Recently, Holder had to build a complex hotel on a restricted city site. The team—owner, design team, and contractor—worked together before but wanted this project to be faster, cheaper, and better. Holder agreed to a Construction Manager-at-Risk deal.
To improve the chance of success, it turned to BIM (building information modeling). Technology was applied from Vico Software, www.vicosoftware.com, Boulder, Colo.
The project wasn't originally designed for 3D using a BIM model. Holder integrated all the 2D design and construction documents provided by the architect and subcontractors using ArchiCAD from Graphisoft, www.graphisoft.com, Newton, Mass., for the structure, skin, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems, and interior finishes.
This BIM model was then used by the owner, architect, and preconstruction team during all phases of the project. It integrated with JetStream from Autodesk, www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif., to enable the team to identify 590 collision conflicts. The team was also able to quickly identify and resolve field conflicts, saving more than $800,000 in extras while avoiding months of potential delays.
For example, a potentially schedule-upsetting parking deck and hotel formwork phasing issue was resolved via the model prior to construction. The model enabled better scheduling of the concrete beam and slab pours. It used ArchiCAD to split the model into individual pours and then ran animations to display the workflow sequencing.
Using BIM, Holder's team identified 55 collisions in the pre-RFI (request for information) stage. Conflicts were often resolved before field installation began and the technology saved the project $800,000 while avoiding schedule delays and change orders.
Builder/GC-Commercial
+ $500 MILLION
Messer Construction Co.
BRONZE
A 75-year old, employee-owned commercial construction company that specializes in complex projects, Messer Construction Co., www.messer.com, Cincinnati, Ohio, employs almost 1,000 builders who plan and construct facilities in four states.
Messer knew it should be able to leverage its previous job data. Using accounting and project management systems from CMiC, www.cmic.ca, Toronto, Ont., with Estimating by Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., provided some help but it knew more information could be drawn from the historical cost information.
Messer first had to make some process changes. It analyzed cost codes and had project managers and estimators review the list, eventually removing half of the codes and standardizing on the rest. This helped ensure the data would be accurate—and project managers couldn't change code names and use them, a practice Messer found existed.
With the processes changed, Messer added a new technology, EOS Advisor by EOS Group, www.eosgroup.com, Scottsdale, Ariz. Eos Advisor is a Web-based budget estimating solution developed for the preconstruction and design build markets. It is designed to provide defensible budgets built on minimal information. This product compares accurate estimates from previous jobs while adjusting them for inflation, job size, and location.
By integrating EOS Advisor, CMiC, and Timberline, Messer accomplished its task of creating the Messer Historical Cost Vision. Messer can now access cost code project data in 30 minutes. The integration eliminates manual data entry.
Once estimates are systematically imported, the project team sets up the budget and begins a buyout process. EOS Advisor works with Timberline—EOS Group has worked closely with Timberline for years—so estimates can be imported directly into EOS Advisor.
Builder/GC-Residential
$6 million - $25 million
Cornerstone Home Builders Inc.
GOLD (tie)
Cornerstone Home Builders, www.buildwithcornerstone.com, Lafayette, Ind., is a custom builder, focusing on homes ranging in price from $300,000 to $1 million. It is committed to helping clients through all stages of new home construction, including lot selection, custom plan design, finishes, pricing, financing, building, and move-in.
The builder was having problems getting clients to visualize how their home would look based on the 2D plans. Furthermore, it was finding many structural and non-structural changes were being made after the plans had been approved.
Often what the customer asked for wasn't what turned up on the drawing, or the homeowner wanted to see a specific room or feature with a variety of configuration.
While doing research on other firms in the area, Cornerstone found CG Visions, www.cgvisions.com, Lafayette, Ind. A services firm that uses BIM (building information modeling), CG Visions helped Cornerstone reduce design issues and help clients better visualize their home. CG Visions uses software from Argos Systems, www.argos.com, Bedford, Mass., called VertexBD. VertexBD uses a single source for information in creating the BIM including the interactive building model, architectural plans, options configuration, publishing and sales tools, material estimates, framing plans and details, optimized cutting lists, and systems integration.
Cornerstone can now have a client do a digital walkthrough. It can also make changes during the client meeting to reduce the delays field changes cause. Using CG Visions and VertexBD, Cornerstone has reduced the design process from 12-24 weeks down to three-to-six weeks, improved client satisfaction, and can generate a bill of material to verify materials from vendors. As an outgrowth of this project, Cornerstone is now offering the clients a 3D PDF (portable document format) file—courtesy of Adobe Systems, www.adobe.com, San Rafael, Calif., so clients can take that digital walkthrough.
Builder/GC-Residential
$6 million - $25 million
Garman Homes
GOLD (tie)
When an employee of a well-known firm leaves and starts his own business, a lot of experience comes along. But startups have a learning curve, especially when it comes to technologies. In 2006, Jim Garman left DR Horton Homes and launched Garman Homes, www.garmanhomes.biz, Research Triangle Park, N.C. Two years later, he is expecting to start 30 homes in 2008.
Garman knew the right technology would be critical for his new venture. He was determined to create a digital environment to gain cost savings and to establish a culture of collaboration among his subcontractors and partners. Right from the start, Garman implemented accounting from Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore., and BuilderMT Workflow Management by BuilderMT, www.buildermt.com, Lakewood, Colo. It also uses wireless technology from Sprint, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va.
Among the products Garman deployed was Trade Portal from BuilderMT, a Web-based application that gives builders flexible, interactive, realtime communications with their trades about information like schedules, payments, purchase orders, and notifications. Garman can now issue electronic purchase orders online and these are mapped back to accounting and Workflow Management. It can also assemble bid packages through Trade Portal, increasing the company's move toward a paperless environment.
Before Trade Portal, Garman Homes typically spent 30 minutes preparing documents for a single bid—plans, drawings, elevations, details, and architectural plans—and with 60 bid packages per house, the cost in time was much too great. Using Trade Portal, Garman Homes estimates saving $45,000 a year.
The PO (purchase order) process is cumbersome and can result in errors. Trade Portal eliminates several steps. Garman figures the paper PO costs about $57 to generate, print, and mail. Trade portal eliminates costs—a savings estimated at $30 per PO—and with 30 homes a year each with 100 POs, that is a savings of $90,000. Compared to the cost of Trade Portal, which is $100 per month, these are impressive returns on the investment.
Builder/GC-Residential
$26 million - $100 million
Tim Schaeffer Communities
GOLD
In southern New Jersey, Tim Schaeffer Communities, www.timschaeffer.com, Berlin, N.J., closed 93 homes in 2006 and another 90 homes in 2007 in seven communities.
Although Tim Schaeffer founded the company his son, Jason, has become the technology guru. In determining which applications to implement, they turned to those that have embedded best practices.
BuilderMT Workflow Management Suite (WMS) by BuilderMT, www.buildermt.com, Lakewood. Colo., is the linchpin for integrating these systems as it incorporates best practices and manages the workflow.
Schaeffer found organizing various computer systems, mapping data across processes, and managing custom code has become easier with the introduction of BuilderMT's Business Process Management (BPM) software. This makes custom coding unnecessary by using a graphic process manager where any authorized user can "drag 'n' drop" components that represent activities onto a process flow critical path diagram. This includes systems from Sage Software, www.sagecre.com, Beaverton, Ore., and Sales Simplicity, www.salessimplicity.com, Chandler, Ariz., among others, while also pushing data out to the field with Sprint, www.sprint.com, Reston, Va.
Although the user sees graphics, behind the screen the application is building a detailed back-end process that can generate contracts, reports, information for pricing, schedules, notifications, and purchase orders. One of the hardest processes to master is VPOs (variance purchase orders). Schaeffer has found BPM cuts the processing times for VPOs from one week to one day or less. Since completed tasks often trigger other activities, such as invoicing or payments, the BPM operation saves time and money.
Since the implementation, Tim Schaeffer Communities has processed 520 VPOs at a savings of $31,200, plus it has trimmed one-to-three days in the schedule for each VPO, or a total of 270 days cut out of the cycle in the 90 starts done in 2007.
Builder/GC-Residential
$101 million - $250 million
Veridian Homes
GOLD
The merger in 2003 of Don Simon Homes and Midland Builders created Veridian Homes, www.veridianhomes.com, Madison, Wis. With 100 employees, Veridian starts as many as 500 single-family and condominium homes a year. Although comprised of two of the oldest builders in Wisconsin, Veridian isn't old fashioned when it comes to technology. Considering the number of units it builds, it wanted to ensure it was far ahead of the curve with one of the latest trends: BIM (building information modeling).
Coincidental with the formation of Veridian in 2003 was the development of Revit Architecture by Autodesk, www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif. Revit Architecture enables Veridian designers to create a 3D virtual prototype of a building that is used not only for documentation but also for quantity takeoffs, scheduling, area calculations, and visualizations.
BIM and Revit Architecture came to Veridian Homes in 2006 but it had some initial concerns about not being able to take a drawing from Revit and get material information from it. In response, Veridian implemented visual estimating software to make a link between Revit and estimating software from Sage Timberline, www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore. The visual estimating software generates object quantities directly from a design model in a matter of seconds. The quantities are extracted based on object types and their dimensions.
Veridian worked with the visual estimating software as it came online, learning as it went. By May 2007, Veridian's Home Building Services department went live with the visual estimating software and Revit together and saw benefits in the form of clearer, more accurate takeoffs. Today the whole staff in Home Building Services works on Revit and the visual estimating software.
The goal is to have 3D renderings available to clients on the company Website so they can get a feeling for what their new home will be like. As components are changed in the customizing process, the change is represented in the elevation view, allowing the client to see what a modification will look like while producing an estimate.
Builder/GC-Residential
$251 million - $500 million
Clark Builders Group
GOLD
Specializing in multifamily apartment buildings, military family housing, senior living facilities, and hotels, Clark Builders Group (CBG), www.clarkbuildersgroup.com, Arlington, Va., averages more than 6,000 homes annually across the country. CBG was recently awarded a privatization contract for the Pacific Beacon housing project at the San Diego Navy Base, the first large-scale privatization project for single sailors.
From a single office with a dozen employees in 1992, CBG has grown to eight offices completing hundreds of jobs nationwide. As it grew, problems became apparent employees needed access to company and project information. Without a single database source, searching for information was often sketchy at best and inaccurate at worst.
CBG uses photography extensively to demonstrate its work. All offices scheduled photo shoots to document the work on projects but the lack of a centralized photo management system made access and use of the images difficult. Images were stored in hundreds of computer folders on the company's shared drives but were often mislabeled or stored haphazardly.
Additionally, CBG had, throughout the years, implemented a variety of file sharing systems which required lengthy upload times and lacked security for sharing sensitive files. CBG wanted a way to have a unified system for information and photography storage and exchange it found a solution to leverage CBG's existing database and Web Server and provide dual-level security.
CBG has started using the solution as part of the bidding process for new jobs. The marketing department creates a data sheet template within the solution, allowing authorized users to generate a PDF (portable document format) file of any data sheet. The user can generate a list of all CBG projects with a keyword search. The database populates the CBG Website so changes are handled in-house instead of relying on third parties. As new projects are added to the CBG portfolio, the Website shows additions.
Builder/GC-Residential
$251 million - $500 million
C.P. Morgan Communities
BRONZE
Founded almost 25 years ago, C.P. Morgan, www.cpmorgan.com, Indianapolis, Ind., serves two regions, Indianapolis/Lafayette Indiana and the Charlotte/Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina with homes that stress space and price. Its markets include first-time buyers and first-time move-up buyers and it has a record of building more than 24,000 homes since 1983.
The convergence of two factors resulted in C.P. Morgan changing its approach to technology. The first is the sluggish housing market and the second is the increased use of digital technology by homebuyers. C.P. Morgan realized it needed to improve its online presence. Although the first-time buyer may not know much about houses and what they really need until they know what is available, this demographic is usually the prime user of the Internet.
Research showed C.P. Morgan that 82% of its buyers started their purchase process online. It has been actively reworking its Website to provide more information and now registers 7,500 unique visitors each week. Internally, it has updated an intranet to make financial information available to associates and provide historical data and company goals so employees can align their personal goals with those of the company.
It also became part of the Bank of America Preferred New Home Builder Network, www.bankofamerica.com, Charlotte, N.C., and uses the bank's Real Estate Center to reach a broad client base while linking its Website to Bank of America's Website.
According to Bank of America, as many as one in two households in America have at least one Bank of America customer, more than 56 million households, total. Given this data, C.P. Morgan expects its new affiliation with Bank of America and its Real Estate Center services to reap rewards. The Real Estate Center provides easy to use features and information needed by buyers and prospects alike. C.P. Morgan has already experienced increased traffic on its Website and more leads have been generated. Its efforts have also resulted in the ability to reach out-of-state buyers, which is helping promote its communities in new ways.
Builder/GC-Residential
+ $500 MILLION
SelectBuild Construction Inc.
GOLD
By turning to the concept of being a single source for all construction management activities, instead of subcontracting individual trades, SelectBuild, www.selectbuild.com, San Francisco, Calif., is capable of taking homes from foundation through completed shell or providing services at any stage of the construction process.
Because the SelectBuild brand is so important to the company, it sought a way to enable a wide variety of trades to come together and work as a single solution under that brand. Almost immediately, it found itself faced with a number of challenges: How can multiple trades work together to manage a single job? How can you improve material and labor dispatch from one trade to another? How can efficiencies, when converted into reduced cycle times, be recorded and presented to the customer?
Following a lengthy search, Hyphen Solutions, www.hyphensolutions.com, Addison, Texas, was selected. Its BuildPro and SupplyPro product will give SelectBuild's trades the flexibility needed to manage their work. BuildPro allows SelectBuild to create integrated, multitrade schedules, which then communicate directly with internal suppliers and external subcontractors using SupplyPro.
SelectBuild can now report individual lot starts and construction status by product, builder, community, or trade.
Another benefit has been the trade integration facilitated by the system. Traditionally, trades were impacted by the inefficiencies and damage caused by other trades that came before them. The new system allows trades to see where they have caused problems for others and it has developed a process and policy to improve the quality of the work.
BuildPro and SupplyPro have improved cycle time at SelectBuild. One example is the integration of plumbing and concrete schedules that has deceased 'Mean Time to Pour' by one day, an increase in productivity of 11%, equal to 86 slabs a year. There has also been a noticeable decrease in warranty and rework and a reduction in training.
Builder/GC-Residential
+ $500 MILLION
David Weekley Homes
BRONZE (tie)
David Weekley Homes, www.davidweekleyhomes.com, Houston, Texas, focuses on the customer by offering a myriad of options, floorplans, upgrades, and care at each stage of the project. With 32 years in business, it is now the third largest privately owned builder in the U.S. In order to offer customization, it works with hundreds of trade partners on a daily basis, a fact that causes the purchasing agents to spend a great deal of time processing POs (purchase orders).
When a trade issues an invoice the purchasing agent issues a PO for that invoice. Multiple requests on a single PO are common and so is the fact that POs get lost or overlooked. Having to resend a PO multiple times slows the process and productivity of both the builder and the subcontractors. David Weekley Homes sought a technology answer and found Buzzsaw from Autodesk, www.autodesk.com, San Rafael, Calif. Buzzsaw is an online, on-demand solution that is simple to deploy, maintains, and use and has proven to keep information safe. In all, this solution helps create a true solution for collaborative project management for David Weekley Homes.
The company uses both the Buzzsaw collaboration solution and the bidding distribution and tracking facilities. It implemented a digital PO system so the accounting system, from Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood Shores, Calif., generates a PO in the form of a PDF (portable document format) and posts it to the Buzzsaw site, then notifies the affected trade via email. According to the builder, Buzzsaw was so easy to learn, the training of trade partners was minimal, and, as a result, the trades have experienced benefits from reducing both cycletimes and paper POs and invoices.
Purchasing agents are more efficient now because they don't have to supply replacement PO or invoice copies and the trades have access to the complete library of POs on the Buzzsaw site. If one does go missing, they can replace it quickly with the click of the mouse. Considering David Weekley processed more than 100,000 POs in 2007, the improvement in cost and labor savings have totaled up to $860,000 annually.
Builder/GC-Residential
+ $500 MILLION
Toll Brothers
BRONZE (tie)
Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers, www.tollbrothers.com, Horsham, Pa., serves the "move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second buyer" markets and operates more than 300 communities throughout the U.S.
Due to its size and diversity, the company has struggled with a wide variety of sales management systems. With more than 300,000 in-person and online leads annually, some will invariably "fall through the cracks." The walk-in leads were traditional and could be handled, but finding a way to manage the online leads was a challenge.
Toll Brothers knew it needed a full CRM (customer-relationship management) system regardless of the condition of the economy. In fact, Toll Brothers believed it made more sense in this down market because now is when critical information can make the difference in capturing a larger piece of a smaller market. It wanted a system that provided a 360-degree view of prospects at every point of contact, allowing them to share information across all departments.
The solution came from Pivotal CRM for Homebuilding, a system from CDC Software, www.pivotalcrm.com, Chicago, Ill. Now Toll Brothers can apply lead ratings to all leads and follow up with an automated program to develop leads or implement a follow up. The goal is to increase productivity of the sales staffs while increasing the sales revenue. Side benefits include the improvement of both capture rates and the effectiveness of the marketing and sales efforts. By capturing and retaining walk-in and online lead information, Toll Brothers is able to prevent the loss of those leads while aggregating them for future activity.
After seeing the effectiveness of Pivotal CRM, Toll Brothers expanded its use from sales and marketing to customer care and warranty operations. In doing so, it integrated the Website customer portal with Pivotal CRM Customer Care, so as soon as clients submit a service request or warranty claim, the system automatically generates an appropriate work order.
Building Development/Management
Burns & McDonnell
GOLD
Specializing in heavy construction projects such as airports, refiners, water treatment plants, and military bases, Burns & McDonnell, www.burnsmcd.com, Kansas City, Mo., was awarded a contract for the design and construction of the $1.3 billion Middletown-Norwalk high-voltage transmission project in Connecticut in 2004.
This 69-mile-long project presented the company with difficulties in communication to and from the office and field workers. With many systems in place, Burns & McDonnell lacked visibility into project status, performance, and costs and experienced difficulty in reporting.
It turned to Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., to customize the database, forms, and reports and train the team on how to use it. Custom procedures were developed by Burns & McDonnell and Primavera, creating a project manual to be used by team members.
Burns & McDonnell was able to integrate this solution with Google Earth GIS (geographic information system), a 3D visualization of the earth that integrates, organizes, and publishes enterprise location data. This allows Primavera to report its data geographically into Google GIS so Burns & McDonnell can flag critical issues and track on-site progress as the project continued.
The Middletown-Norwalk project impacts about 7,000 residents and businesses adjacent to the route. To field concerns, Burns & McDonnell established a hotline and found one of the largest risks was the public's ability to interfere with—or even to shut down—construction if their concerns were not quickly met. As it obtained messages from the hotline, Burns & McDonnell was able to enter the data into Primavera, establishing the proper action, and then use Google Earth GIS to pinpoint the location of trouble and transmit that information to the correct department of resolution.
Reaction time to public complaints and miscommunications has improved and Burns & McDonnell was able to improve productivity in the field by 10%-20%, while saving an estimated 12 staff-months, reducing the schedule two-to-four months.
Building Development/Management
Northern Gateway Alliance
SILVER
It's not only the U.S. that fields large projects. The Northern Gateway Alliance (NGA), www.northerngateway.co.nz, Orewa, New Zealand, is a consortium of companies allied together to design and build New Zealand's Northern Motorway extension.
NGA had a goal to deliver a "visual showcase of engineering and environmental excellence." It needed a project management solution that assisted in cost, schedule, and risk management. The technology chosen was Primavera Enterprise by Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
This then became the core project management office's hub with complimentary products integrated with it such as Primavera's Pertmaster. This product is a full lifecycle risk analytics solution that integrates cost and schedule risk management.
Another program it integrated was software for managing linear construction projects such as roads, rail lines, pipelines, and tunnels. By connecting the geographical information with the schedule, the software visually displays project plans in terms of both time and distance.
With the addition of Active Risk Manager by Strategic Thought, www.strategicthought.com, London, England, the Alliance was able to deliver against its functional requirements and also against non-functional requirements, especially regarding production efficiencies. It gained at least a 50% increase in efficiency from having the ability to issue reports exactly meeting criteria.
This also improved scheduling capabilities so that as the project moves forward, the construction is under control. With the added dimension of understanding the time constraints and the physical constraints, NGA is able to better maintain schedules. This is particularly true with tunnels in integrating Primavera with the software for managing linear construction projects, the NGA can develop and maintain its master plan within Primavera. It reports what normally would take one week to plot can now be compiled in less than one hour.
Corporate Owner
Hotel
Flag Luxury Properties
GOLD
Since 1946, Flag Luxury Properties, www.flagluxury.com, New York, N.Y., has focused on owning and developing branded world-class hotels, residential properties, and gaming assets. The firm currently has more than $5 billion worth of design, development, or operation.
In 2003, it broke ground on a multiphase, 280-acre destination resort, golf course, and residential community on the tiny Caribbean island of Anguilla the first Flag Luxury development outside the United States. The company hired a construction management firm to handle project management and construction, but by early 2006 the company realized outsourcing construction management, with delivery on a cost plus basis, wasn't the way to get things done on an island with just 12,000 people. Flag Luxury decided in order to meet international challenges it needed its own project management team to execute construction on a conventional fixed cost, at-risk basis.
Flag Luxury purchased Prolog, a project management system from Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif., in January 2007 through Intuitive Systems, www.intuitivesystems.com, Miami, Fla., a Meridian Global Reseller. Databases from the previous construction management firm were imported into Prolog and populated the administrative functions with data such as RFIs (requests for information), submittals, document control files, and drawing logs.
The revised project budgets, however, were being managed in Microsoft Excel and took more work to import. In response, Intuitive created a customized method within Prolog to help control case flow, a top priority. A tab was added to the Budget screen in Prolog that displays actual and accrued budget and cost fields for quick assessment of job status. Using integration software, a link was created between Prolog and the company's accounting system from Sage Timberline www.sagetimberlineoffice.com, Beaverton, Ore. This link continuously populates the 150+ custom fields with information to create projections.
It is also using the Prolog Website to aid in communications with its island project, 1,400 miles from the home office.
Corporate Owner
Industrial/Manufacturing
Mannkind Corp.
BRONZE
MannKind Corp., www.mannkindcorp.com, Valencia, Calif., is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutic products for diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
A facility construction program is tracking with the development of its latest product. With strict schedule milestones, the program is running smoothly due in large part to the technology used to support the project. Looking over their shoulders is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Union, each with stringent document requirements. The company needed a way to integrate the planning and execution of various groups.
To do so, MannKind turned to Primavera P6 and Contract Manager from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. This allowed MannKind to combine the planning of many teams into a single database. Everyone must be informed when anyone's schedule is modified to avoid surprises that can impact the schedule. The solutions implemented to achieve this were resource management, benchmarking, collaboration, cost control, and "what-if" analysis.
A key differentiator is Primavera's MyPrimavera Web-based interface. It provides a cross-functional view of all project data, pointing out the interrelationships that affect project performance.
The firm responsible for managing the construction, Torcon, Inc., www.torcon.com, Red Bank, N.J., uses Primavera to schedule construction work. By using the built-in software permissions to protect the database, Torcon has the security and control needed.
Orcas Project Control, www.orcasnetwork.com, Jenner, Calif., designed and implemented the Primavera system for MannKind. Engineering documents are managed with a Project Information Management System (PIMS) from Engineering Software Solutions, www.engsoftsolutions.com, Wilmington, N.C. The PIMS centralizes project information and allows MannKind to use it as a library.
Heavy/Highway/GC
$26 million - $100 million
Blois Construction Inc.
SILVER
A family-owned company, Blois Construction, www.bloisconstruction.com, Oxnard, Calif., started in 1965 with a backhoe and a laborer. Today it employs more than 100 employees, from project managers and superintendents to leadmen, many following in the footsteps of their fathers.
Successful projects have included the backbone trunk lines for storm drain, sewer, and water systems at Camarillo's Spanish Hills Country Club and, most recently, the wet utilities for the hangar that will house Ronald Reagan's Air Force One at the Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The combination of lean operations and an experienced crew of trades requires all employees to shoulder a lot of the responsibility for a project.
In 2002, it won a Vision Award for integrating Hard Dollar, www.harddollar.com, Scottsdale, Ariz., estimating and project management from Primavera Systems, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.. Never one to stand still, Blois is now using Hard Dollar Bid*Build Enterprise as its estimating and cost management tool. Bid*Build Enterprise gives Blois project superintendents access to information from the field, allows estimators to highlight potential problems on a job, or to put together budgets and bids in a short time. Upper management can analyze performance across many construction jobs quickly and easily.
By using integrated technology, Blois has improved the utilization of resources on the job through daily electronic work reports, which save superintendents time while giving them access to daily cost data. Project managers can track jobs more accurately through daily work reports, too, without spending a lot of time on the telephone or in the field. Managers can filter and highlight job cost data so problems are easily identified.
Recently, a project manager identified a field condition that was affecting productivity and was able to provide complete information to the owner justifying the changes that had to be made to keep the job profitable. The cross-job reporting feature of Bid*Build gives management a tool to analyze jobs and/or manager's profitability so they can focus on areas that need attention.
Heavy/Highway/GC
$26 million - $100 million
Don Chapin Co.
BRONZE
In 1978, Don Chapin started his company with seven employees and focused on residential septic work. Today, Don Chapin Co., www.donchapin.com, Salinas, Calif., has more than 500 employees and multiple units from engineering and construction to landscape supplies. It has built many road projects, airport facilities, septic and sewage disposal systems, and other civil engineering projects.
CEO Don Chapin believes in empowering his employees with the best tools to help them bring clients the highest quality project delivery. But in this competitive environment, Chapin must strive to complete projects faster. To do this, it implemented a technology approach by working in partnership with its technology suppliers.
Chapin chose vendors with a similar vision for integration and that understand a strong link between the office and the field allows for more agile decision making. What Chapin came up with is an integrated system comprised of an enterprise system from Hard Dollar, www.harddollar.com, Scottsdale, Ariz., the Cheetah StreetSmarts accounting system from Maxwell Systems, www.maxwellsystems.com, King of Prussia, Pa., and Primavera scheduling, www.primavera.com, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
By integrating project management systems, Chapin has gained a number of benefits. The company is invited to bid more frequently because owners know it can bid on emergency jobs more quickly and gets cost information more readily once the job starts. One owner, expecting a 30-45 day waiting period to get the preliminary budget on a project was pleased to find Chapin delivered the budget in one day. Chapin then showed the owner how the ability to track costs could help identify where they could save money and get the job done quicker.
Because a hard-to-use system doesn't get used properly—if at all—Chapin wanted to be sure his employees had a system to use that was integrated but not complex. Employees can more easily see and process the effects of costs and review spent versus available budget each day.
Chapin expects higher margins because it is able to model costs and can use that cost model as a template for future projects.
Heavy/Highway/GC
$101 million - $250 million
McGuire and Hester
SILVER
Started in 1926, McGuire and Hester, www.mcguireandhester.com, Oakland, Calif., is a heavy civil construction general contractor with expertise in underground, grading, paving, landscaping, and materials for both private and governmental projects.
Within the past few years, it has doubled in size. It opened two satellite offices with five dispatchers in charge of more than 400 employees and many items of equipment. Each office used a magnet board posted with a week's worth of jobs but, because they were isolated from each other, no one knew what the other offices were doing.
This lack of communications hampered efficiency significantly. The main office had difficulty maintaining location information for equipment a piece of gear would be marked as being on a certain jobsite but if it wasn't returned, they had no way of knowing what happened to it or when it disappeared.
The company's growth shot up when it joined forces with a local landscaping company that brought in more than 50 employees to McGuire and Hester's payroll. It had to enter each employee's time manually, taking four days, including overtime, to complete this task in time for weekly payroll. That situation caused management to consider a new approach. The company found an answer in The Dispatcher from HCSS, www.hcss.com, Houston, Texas.
McGuire and Hester can now accurately track all equipment through preloaded timecards. This has helped recover lost equipment. In addition, the ability of The Dispatcher to upload into another HCSS program, Heavy Job, allows it to get all time entries into the accounting database to eliminate duplicate data entry. The Dispatcher has allowed McGuire and Hester to efficiently communicate among offices as well as with the field operations—doing away with the magnet boards because The Dispatcher can incorporate all scheduling into one common screen called the Magnet Board View. Overall, it has experience a 15-20% decrease in outside rentals.
Design-Build/Development Management
Ryan Companies US Inc.
GOLD
James Henry Ryan founded Ryan Lumber and Coal in 1938 today, the company is a leading design/build, development, and real estate management company, a far cry from Ryan's original idea. Throughout the decades, the personal principles that he set forth—integrity, honesty, civic pride, and a sincere regard for people—have guided Ryan Companies, www.ryancompanies.com, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ryan Companies has focused on delivering a fully integrated solution that matches the client's needs. It has expanded to eight offices nationwide. This growth added to the challenge Ryan Companies had of putting in place a solid technology infrastructure. It needed to support increased productivity and efficiency for the company, its customers, employees, and partners.
Ryan's main challenge was finding a solution to replace existing custom-developed and paper-based business systems with integrated construction, real estate, and human capital management systems and a financial reporting enterprise-level solution.
Ryan installed in two phases the first was implementing Proliance office and field management modules from Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif. and the second phase added the EnterpriseOne financial application from the JD Edwards division of Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood City, Calif., and Oracle imaging and process management.
During Phase Two, Ryan also worked with Morpheus Technology Group (MTG), www.morpheustechgroup.com, Huntington Beach, Calif., a Meridian systems integrator that connected the budget and cost management modules of Proliance with the rest of the system.
The final stage was a "big bang" company-wide roll-out and intensive user training. Overall, the key objectives were met or exceeded including providing enhanced execution of projects through the integrated ERP (enterprise resource planning) system, EnterpriseOne. Ryan Companies has seen improved efficiency and enhanced organization with greater standard and centralized data that has increased visibility.
Industrial Contractor
Turner Industries Group LLC
GOLD
Since 1961, Turner Industries Group, www.turner-industries.com, Baton Rouge, La., has provided services needed to complete various industrial projects. It is the largest privately held construction and maintenance organization in Louisiana with nearly 15,000 employees working at 200 sites.
Satisfying the demand for and retaining qualified personnel is one of the highest priorities in Turner's business. Turner created the Turner On-Board project to address this issue and set the company as the gold standard for employee hiring and retention. The Salary Open Enrollment (SOE) phase tested this philosophy. It consists of a three tiered, SOA (service oriented architecture) system integrated with the company's ERP (enterprise resource planning) system—from JD Edwards, a division of Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood City, Calif.
To make the SOE system more accessible, the company hosted it on an external server for Internet access as well as internally. The Website was built with applications such as ASP.NET to enhance the user's experience. Turner used Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services to allow the Websites to sit outside the network and used the business logic layer (BLL) implemented on a WCF service hosted inside the company's network using Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS). The final data is exported to a text file and then imported into JD Edwards.
In the past, employees had to read through many often technical papers outlining their benefit plans. Now they can easily find the information they need to make Open Enrollment decisions every year.
Nearly 50% of eligible employees visited the Website and 25% made some benefit changes. This was an increase of 300% in changes over the previous year. The project also eliminated the approximately $3 per eligible employee in costs for preparing and mailing benefit information while reducing the Benefits Departments overtime by 75% compared to previous years.
Industrial Contractor
Turner Industries Group LLC
SILVER
Turner Industries Group, www.turner-industries.com, Baton Rouge, La., responds to its customer's needs in a variety of segments including construction, contract maintenance, turnarounds, environmental, procurement, systems integration, and professional employer services, among others.
Last year, Turner noticed while there was still work to be performed, there were fewer people qualified to safely do the jobs. Management felt this was the result of a combination of demand building in the energy sector, one of Turner's areas of expertise, along with the increased use of power, the required rebuilding after numerous hurricanes, and a major shift in demographics—the impending retirement of 77 million "baby boomers" with only 35 million people to replace them.
Turner knew it had to improve its communications with clients, employees, and field offices. One approach was the creation of CraftTrax, a Web-based application intended to speed the hiring/rehiring process and give a comprehensive report on each craftsperson's status. It was developed to assist communications between jobsites and personnel offices.
CraftTrax addresses staffing bottlenecks by giving Turner the ability to select from more than 160,000 skilled craft workers. CraftTrax has helped Turner land millions of dollars in new business in addition to providing improved customer service. Major benefits include a centralized database and reduction in telephone calls: Personnel offices can see staffing requirements from all offices and assist in filling needs from any location in the company jobsites can check the status of labor requests on demand.
CraftTrax also helps process previous employees for rehire by auto-populating forms for review and signing from existing data. The documentation for rehires is ready when the person shows up on the jobsite. The technologies used to develop CraftTrax were ASP.NET framework and ASP.NET Ajax toolkit with a SQL database and data in Turner's ERP (enterprise resource planning) system from the JD Edwards division of Oracle, www.oracle.com, Redwood City, Calif.
Retail Developer
NV Retail
BRONZE
NV Retail, www.nvretail.com, Vienna, Va., is the owner, operator, and developer of numerous commercial sites in the Mid-Atlantic area. Its latest project, Rutherford Crossing Regional Shopping Center in Winchester, Va., consists of two large national retailers as anchors and approximately 480,000-sq.ft. of lifestyle retailers and services.
Because the site is 65 miles from the main office, NV Retail wanted a way for onsite personnel to communicate progress of the project to the home office as well as to the future tenants and to market the center to potential tenants. NV Retail decided to use a jobsite camera system, the OnSite camera by iBeam Systems, www.ibeamsystems.com, Boise, Idaho. This allows viewers to access live images of the jobsite via the Internet so they can see the status directly. The camera can be remotely controlled by NV Retail or the tenant. Along with a live image stream, the camera also captures still images every 15 minutes and automatically uploads them to the iBeam server. NV Retail receives a CD of images each month taken from this archive and a monthly time-lapse movie, both at no extra cost.
By using the iBeam technology, NV Retail and its clients—and potential tenants—can monitor the progress of Rutherford Crossing while giving NV Retail a way of proving its professionalism and workmanship in realtime. Managers can see potential problems and address them quickly without the need to be onsite. Potential tenants can understand the scope of the development and discuss possible retail locations. The camera allows them to get a bird's-eye view of the entire site. Lenders can also watch progress and monitor their investment.
NV Retail intended the iBeam camera for monitoring the progress themselves and found it has saved significantly in travel time and costs. It figures the amount of travel saved by using the camera is equal to one day a week in the first 20 weeks since the camera was installed it has saved 20 days of travel between the office and the jobsite.
Specialty Contractor
Roofing, Siding, Sheet Metal
Minnesota Exteriors
SILVER
Minnesota Exteriors Inc., (MEI), www.minnesotaexteriors.com, Osseo, Minn., was founded in 1947 by Martin Bennis Sr. and Martin "Marty" Bennis Jr.
Marty and his wife Zenalou grew the company throughout the next several decades until they turned the business over to their four sons—Greg, Jeff, Dan, and Tom—making it a third-generation, family-owned company. Steady growth and expansion has been common for MEI, going from using a semi-trailer as its warehouse to today's 100,000-sq.ft. warehouse and showroom.
In 2004, MEI started implementing a new software system but realized after a year's work, the solution was not fulfilling its needs. Looking for a better way to keep pace with growth and the growing customer base, MEI recognized the need for sharing information. All in all, too much work had to be done on paper.
Minnesota Exteriors operates two other companies—Midwest Commercial Exteriors and North County Distributors—and needed a system that could process information between companies as well. The decision was to go with technology from WennSoft, www.wennsoft.com, New Berlin, Wis.
MEI turned their main conference room into a training room so everyone involved could be trained before launch—accounting, production (including remodel, new construction, gutters, roofing), service departments, warehouse, and distribution. MEI trained one "super user" in each group to act as the trainer for the others, a "train the trainer" approach still in use at the company.
Functionality is already improving. An estimating feature has been added so estimates are imported directly to eliminate manual entry in the office. Among other benefits, WennSoft has freed up space on the company's email server because "Where is that file? I lost it" queries, common with a paper-only system, were reduced to zero. Whereas before, each department used personal spreadsheets with the information, and nothing was combined until the job was completed, now all information is combined and job status can be tracked with the click of a mouse, saving hours.
Team Award
Skanska USA Building Inc.
WINNER
The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., will break some traditions. As the future home of two National Football League teams, the New York Jets and New York Giants, it will anchor the Meadowlands Sports Complex and be used for concerts, entertainment, and other sporting events. The 1.9 million-sq.ft., stadium involves the construction of a technologically advanced open-air stadium with seats for 82,000 spectators, including 217 luxury suite boxes. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2010. Skanska USA Building Inc., www.skanskausa.com, Parsippany, N.J., is the construction manager having received the $998 million contract, its largest ever.
A major component of the Meadowlands project is approximately 3,000 pre-cast concrete units manufactured by High Concrete and its subcontractors in New Jersey. Managing and controlling the pre-cast concrete supply chain is critical for the project to be delivered on time, on budget, and to specified quality.
The solution was to enable realtime supply-side visibility, quality control and assurance, just-in-time project delivery, and coordinated scheduling across the total value chain. This required Skanska USA, High Concrete, and its subcontractors to take an innovative leap, and implement a BIM (building information modeling) system, Tekla Structures, from Tekla, www.tekla.com, Kennesaw, Ga., integrated with an RFID (radio frequency identification) material management system from Vela Systems, www.velasystems.com, Burlington, Mass.
BIM uses a data or information model generated and maintained throughout the lifecycle of a building, from design to construction to operations. The Tekla and Vela partnership is changing the value-proposition of BIM with what is being termed "Field BIM." Through the use of Vela's patent-pending RFID technology to tag and track materials, Skanska has used the joint Tekla/Vela solution to capture important information about building materials from vendors and merge it in the 3D model.
Although early in the project, the estimated financial benefits are a gain of ten days on project schedule, approximately a $1 million savings. Other benefits are expected, such as enabling realtime supply-side visibility into the status of the pre-cast work, critical communications links between suppliers and contractors, improved accuracy by eliminating paper-based processes, and an accelerated project delivery process through the application of just-in-time methods.
By assuring and controlling quality at every step in the supply chain and eliminating the need to maintain and manage a material laydown area on the jobsite for staging the pre-cast, additional savings are anticipated. With a secure audit and history log for each component at each stage of the process, risk management is enhanced.