Construction Management Software
can be vital for the success of any project. While many believe the construction industry is reticent to adopting technology as a key competitive differentiator – those which have adopted technology have been rewarded with more profitable construction businesses. And in these economic times - these words are music to their ears.
With advanced software and technology, gone are the days of having to tweak general accounting software packages or the sharing of spreadsheets and blueprints to support the unique project-driven environment of the construction industry. With the right construction management software – companies can:
- Eliminate multiple systems
- Improve process efficiency
- Maximize productivity
- Track key business criteria and metrics
- Manage overall organizational costs
- Increase competitiveness to win more bids
One of the single biggest returns on investment is in the real time awareness of job costs. With the right construction management software there are no more cost overrun surprises at the end of a job. Throughout the entire project, costs are being updated and actions are taken, in real time, to adjust to any cost overruns. This enhanced visibility, transparency and accountability more than makes up for the initial cost of a new construction management software solution.
Add to this, a multitude of features including real time reports, payroll support, progress billing, document management, workflow and issue management, CRM, and a slew of other features, and it’s no wonder construction companies are making the switch from generic accounting packages (or spreadsheets) to software built specifically for their industry.
So as your construction business is looking to maximize efficiencies and increase profitability – it may be time you turn to technology for a solution. Other industries have been doing it for years – now it’s time for the construction industry to benefit from these advances.
The construction management software solution
Maestro* billing management allows for the quick creation of free-form invoices and allocation of project receivables. Invoices can be printed, faxed or emailed quickly and directly within maestro*. Controllers and accountants can access data in real time. Maestro* automatically creates certified PDF documents for emailed invoices.
Maestro is compatible with all billing procedures specific to the construction: lump sum, progress billing, cost plus billing, time and equipment management, work orders, service calls, order desk, point of sale and tickets billing.
Maestro* billing management offers you:
- Contract details and statistics
- Extras management
- Management of contract holdbacks and withholding taxes
- WIP management
- Personalized invoice format by customer
For even more efficient management, the maestro* billing management module integrates seamlessly with the following modules:
Time & Material Billing
This module allows you to automatically create invoices based on labor, material and equipment expenses. A catalog of billable items and rates is created and used during the design of the invoices. Forms may be customized to meet the requirements of each contract, client or invoice type. This module is completely integrated with the other Maestro* modules, in particular the work order and equipment management modules.
Progress Billing by %
Maestro*’s progress billing module allows you to create custom billing schedules for each project contract. Billing schedules can be designed independent of the cost activity structure of your project. Progress can be tracked on a percentage complete or a units installed basis. Creating progress invoices is as simple as applying current progress complete amounts to the applicable items in the billing schedule, and automatically generating a payment request or progress invoice. The payment request feature allows you to secure payment approval before committing to financial transactions. Payment requests and progress billing invoices can be sent via email or fax directly from maestro*. Emailed and faxed invoices are automatically tracked in maestro*’s transmittal log. This module is also integrated to the change management module, ensuring that you never miss billing for changes to projects.
Cost Plus Billing
Maestro*’s cost plus invoicing is an essential tool to manage projects based on a contract providing for administration fees and profit mark-ups, according to the type of cost. A project cost budget breakdown can demonstrate to the customer how the project has evolved. This module captures all material, subcontractor, employee, equipment and other resource expenses related to a project. Those expenses are then automatically copied to the contract invoice waiting to be sent to the customer. For each expense, you can quickly set a status of billable, non-billable or hold. All expenses with a hold status will remain available for future billings.
Turnkey Billing
Turnkey billing focuses on maintenance of industrial complexes or industrial equipment, such as electrical, communications, oil and gas networks. By simply recording the time spent on projects by employees and specifying their activities, you automatically obtain real-time project cost management, cumulative payroll hours and automatic billing according to specific contract conditions. This module considerably minimizes the time to bill and ensure rigorous management of this agreement.
Change Order Management
Maestro*’s change order management module is completely integrated with our estimating module, allowing you to create formal bid requests and change order proposals as required. Design your own proposal forms that will be produced automatically, complete with details of individual change orders. Change orders are also completely integrated with issue management. Maestro*’s one-button update allows you to automatically update the related budget, subcontracts and billing contracts. This improves productivity, eliminates re-keying errors and ensures that no details are missed.
The subcontractor change notice feature allows for the tracking of the change order details related to each subcontract on each project. A subcontract change order form can be produced for each change to a subcontract. These forms are customizable and the module is completely integrated with maestro*’s estimating module. Maestro*’s change order management features create detailed budget changes. Using maestro*’s advanced drill-down project inquiry; you will quickly see a summarized change to the original budget and then drill-down into the details to see why the budget changed.
Document Management
Finally, a document management and scheduling solution to help you coordinate the many documents produced for each job. Exclusive to maestro*, our electronic document management module is fully integrated throughout all other modules. Drawings, site directives, meeting minutes, daily diaries and many other documents can be stored and organized within maestro*, creating a virtual job book that can be accessed from anywhere you can access maestro*. For example, a shop drawing linked to a requisition could be sent with an order. It will then be accessible from the requisition, order, project and even the related suppliers’ file. You can define custom document categories (using your own terminology) for projects, customers, suppliers, contracts, employees, etc. Help shield yourself against future claims by being able to reproduce all communications (e-mail, fax, etc.) and documents for your projects, even if the project manager is no longer with your team. Maestro* is the only software to offer this level of project management and collaboration in a fully integrated ERP software solution.
Contact Management
Maestro*’s contact manager is also integrated throughout all of our modules. The contact manager is a convenient place to store all of your connections and their related information. You can automatically import and synchronize contacts with Microsoft Outlook or Exchange. You can also import and synchronize with internal contacts from maestro*’s customer, supplier and employee files. When you edit a customer’s address, the contact manager is automatically updated and all users have access to current and accurate information. Your project managers will no longer have to manage individual custom contact databases.
The construction management software solution
Designed specifically for the construction industry, the maestro*
payroll module is capable of virtually unlimited union calculations. Hours worked on job sites can be recorded daily or weekly and subsequently adjusted by your payroll department. Where available, maestro* supports electronic and Internet based versions. Interfaces are available for electronic deposit with all the major banks. Maestro*’s
construction payroll also supports calculations for pieceworkers, whether the worker is an employee or subcontractor. Maestro*’s
construction payroll is tightly integrated with both the accounting and project management modules.
Maestro*’s material catalog, labor cost and easy access to previous project results help to simplify your estimators job while significantly improving the accuracy of your bids. Maestro*’s estimating software leverages the estimators’ knowledge of Excel to reduce the learning curve.
Maestro* construction payroll offers you:
- Print union statements customized for each specific union
- Automatically generate and print union disbursements
- Calculate and print T4’s, Releve’s and ROE’s
For even more efficient management, the maestro* construction payroll module integrates seamlessly with the following modules:
Direct Deposit
Now an essential requirement for many businesses, electronic payments are available through all banks. A payment acknowledgement is sent to the supplier by fax or email according to the suppliers’ setup within maestro*. This feature ensures that you receive the maximum available discounts while holding payments until the prearranged date.
Document Management
Finally, a document management and scheduling solution to help you coordinate the many documents produced for each job. Exclusive to maestro*, our electronic document management module is fully integrated throughout all other modules. Drawings, site directives, meeting minutes, daily diaries and many other documents can be stored and organized within maestro*, creating a virtual job book that can be accessed from anywhere you can access maestro*. For example, a shop drawing linked to a requisition could be sent with an order. It will then be accessible from the requisition, order, project and even the related suppliers’ file. You can define custom document categories (using your own terminology) for projects, customers, suppliers, contracts, employees, etc. Help shield yourself against future claims by being able to reproduce all communications (e-mail, fax, etc.) and documents for your projects, even if the project manager is no longer with your team. Maestro* is the only software to offer this level of project management and collaboration in a fully integrated ERP software solution.
Time (banked hours) Management
This feature allows for the tracking of banked hours, where allowed. Banked hours are accessible directly through the hours entry feature.
Electronic Record of Employment
You can upgrade the maestro* Payroll module with this functionality: electronic transfers of year-end Records of Employment via Internet.
Human Resources Management
The human resources module is designed to aid the management of various issues and events related to employees, such as training, certifications, permits, deficiencies, notices, correspondence, and many more. A flexible benefits management module is also available.
Electronic Time Clock Interface
Maestro* supports several different electronic time-clock solutions. The maestro* interface can import time directly into hours entry, making it immediately available for payroll and project management modules. The electronic time clock interface can save time and improve accuracy by removing the manual entry of timesheets.
The construction management software solution
ALLEN WARREN
The $100 million Mosaic Tower in Regina, Saskatchewan is rising to take it's place in the capital city's skyline.
Regina-based Cindercrete is using various concrete additives throughout Saskatchewan's varied seasons to make the concrete for the $100 million Mosaic Tower.
The firm is a fourth-generation-run concrete supply company and is the supplier of concrete on the Harvard Developments’ project in the provincial capital.
Bill McMillan, district manager with the company, said the key to working with large volumes of concrete in the winter is pretty straightforward: You start by heating your water and then, if need be, you also heat your sand.
In unusually hot weather, you can replace water with ice in the mix.
“Water holds the most BTUs (British Thermal Units), so you can sometimes just get by heating your water. You can actually heat sand four days in advance and have it stockpiled, it holds heat so well,” he said.
But ultimately, mixing a reliable batch of concrete that is going to hold up in all conditions comes down to quality control.
In an average square metre of concrete, which McMillan said weighs about 2,300 kilograms, 350 kg is cementitious materials, 150 kg is water, and the remaining 1,800 kg is split 58 per cent rock and 42 per cent sand. Often times, additives are added to the mix to speed or slow the setting and curing time.
Work started in January 2011 and progressed through a hot Regina summer.
It continued into a mild winter, which included sudden drops and rebounds in temperature.
However, McMillan said there were really no issues with the concrete.
“We are able, through quality control, to put out concrete in the middle of winter that is the same quality as the summer,” he said.
Cindercrete poured a slab about every seven to 10 days, and the company stuck with the same half-dozen, experienced drivers during those runs to ensure reliability and consistency, McMillan said.
On the Mosaic Tower job, Cindercrete also added a “super-plasticizer”, also known as high range water-reducers, to the mix on every slab.
“It’s a chemically-induced slump,” he explained.
The super-plasticizer works to disperse particles within the concrete mixture to improve the flow of the concrete, while reducing the ratio of water to cement needed.
Less water also means harder concrete.
Upper slabs were poured at a strength of 30 megapascals (MPa), while lower floors measured 40 MPa.
Columns, at their base, were as strong at 50 MPa.
When the cold weather hit, they added a calcium chloride-free accelerator as well.
It is widely used to accelerate both the setting and strengthening time of the concrete in cold weather, as chloride-based accelerators have been known to corrode rebar and thus weaken structures.
As soon as the concrete left the chute, however, that is where Cindercrete’s job ended, McMillan said.
The engineering firm of Clifton Associates Ltd. did the slump testing and Ledcor handled the actual concrete work after it was poured.
While concrete usually makes strength at 28 days, the Cindercrete product was making strength at around seven days.
Ken Roy at Ledcor, said the most unique thing about the job was the varying sizes of the column widths in the 18-storey building.
“They’re pretty big at the base of the building, and narrower as you go up,” he said.
Due to the shape of the building on the north and south sides, those columns are set back a little from where they would normally be.
The footprint of the Mosaic Tower, from glass to glass, is 33.1 metres north to south, and 37.6 metres east-west.
With an estimated 97 per cent of the concrete work now done, Roy said the building should be completed by June 2012.
http://www.joconl.com/article/id48853/concrete
The construction management software solution
The City of Montreal has awarded new work to Pure Technologies Ltd. worth up to $4.9 million over a three-year period.
In a press release, Calgary-based Pure Technologies said it will provide inspection, condition assessment, integrity monitoring and risk analysis services for a portion of the City's high-value and critical watermains which include approximately 40 kilometres of pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipelines. Pure's technologies to be deployed under the contract will include electromagnetic inspection and a permanent optical fiber acoustic monitoring system.
Pure Technologies is an asset management technology and services company which has developed patented technologies for inspection, monitoring and management of critical infrastructure.
The potable water distribution network for the City of Montreal supplies more than 650,000,000 cubic metres of potable water per year. The main distribution network extends over 680 kilometres and is composed of pipes varying in diameters from 400mm to 2700mm.
http://www.dcnonl.com/article/id49074?search_term=concrete
The construction management software solution
Prospects for the construction industry in 2012 and beyond - Jon Walton (2/16/2012
Last year was a tumultuous one for the building industry. While 2011 began optimistically, with many experts and industry leaders pointing to recovery in the field, the year saw tens of thousands in job losses and severe drops in building permits.
The last few months have seen a few signs of life for the industry – November saw a 1.2 percent increase in construction spending, while December saw 17,000 jobs added. The Construction Industry Confidence index has risen steadily over the last 3 months, up 7 points to 41. However, these few positive signals do little to drown out unemployment figures – still as high as 16 percent at the end of the year – and low monetary estimates. Spending towards the end of November was $807 million for the industry – a fraction of 2006 levels, and still over half shy of what economists would consider healthy levels.
Most projections for 2012 are appropriately cautious, predicting little or no growth until as late as 2014. Several factors are converging to stall the industry’s recovery, one of which is the lack of business expansion. Though the economic recovery is picking up steam, profits are nowhere near their pre-crash levels, which is keeping businesses from building new offices or moving into new regions. Residential housing has also yet to fully stabilize as an influx of foreclosures and short-sales inundate the market, cutting incentives for new building. And finally, a perfect storm of local and federal budget crises are reducing or eliminating funding for construction projects around the globe as government officials try to rein in spending and balance the books.
Channels for Growth
Not all areas are experiencing contraction, though. Australia and some Canadian regions, for example, are experiencing relative booms – mostly from large government investments in infrastructure and renovation projects. Where there is money to spend, governing bodies are looking to the large numbers of unemployed building crews to work. The London Olympics, for example, have been a major boon to the UK’s struggling construction industry, but major steps remain to make these improvements sustainable for after the crowds have come and gone.
Where can the industry look for growth in 2012 and beyond? The solution will not likely come in the form of government programs, especially in Europe and the United States, who are still sorting through a damaging financial crisis. Though job growth is touted as a top priority by government officials, little money is being made available to fund the kinds of projects that would bring unemployment down. With Greece and Italy headed towards default and the future of the Euro in question, there is little hope for a positive change in the financial situation anywhere in the near future.
Relief won’t come in the form of a rejuvenated business sector, either. Most building in the last quarter was located firmly in the residential section, as multi-family units grow in demand from families looking to lower housing payments. Non-residential building, in contrast, has remained relatively flat, and experts predict minimal change over the next year.
Untapped Potential
But while new projects may remain few and far between, retrofits are on the rise, and offer one route forward for the beleaguered industry. According the USBGC, LEED retrofits overtook new projects in 2011, showing a trend towards energy efficiency upgrades by existing structures and businesses.
To take full advantage of this trend, construction companies will have to better adapt to the green building movement and boldly embrace the ethos of sustainability that is making headway in the building industry. Constant innovations and a still-emerging standardization system keep the field challengingly dynamic, but also bring untapped potential as the field remains youthful and open to experimentation. Another way for building companies to better align themselves with the changing market place is to adapt emerging technologies, such as BIM, which allow for greater cooperation between the various aspects of the design and construction elements and ensuring more efficient collaboration.
Perhaps the greatest promise for the industry, though, lies in the coming wave of infrastructure projects that are sure to follow increasingly sobering reports of delinquency in the United States and other developed countries. Infrastructure banks in the works across America and Europe promise to make billions of dollars available to projects aimed at upgrading crumbling water and transportation infrastructure in many of the world’s largest cities, and add capacity for future economic expansion. This bipartisan issue will continue to gain steam, as seen by the growing number of official reports highlighting the dangers of inaction.
Though the future remains uncertain for the industry as a whole, there are several areas of opportunity for growth within the building sector. Retrofits, green building, and infrastructure will be the buzz words in 2012 and beyond as the remaining players look to adapt to a dynamic marketplace, and ride out the final end of the recessional storm.
http://www.constructiondigital.com/under_construction/special-report-state-of-the-industry
The construction management software solution
MaestroBid is a free web service that allows you to manage efficiently your bidding processes with real-time information.
MaestroBid centralizes project information into a simple bid form and targets invitations to qualified bidders.
http://www.maestrobid.com/
Designed for general contractors and subcontractors, MaestroBid is a web-based bidding tool that links your projects with your business community.
MaestroBid centralizes project information into a simple bid form. It automatically targets invitations to qualified bidders. Create a virtual database of your subcontractors with contacts, territorial and skill information for central reference. Manage bid proposals with up-to-date information on an easy-to-use dashboard.
Create your online bidding network
- Manage subcontractors and proposals
- Distribute invitations to pre-selected subcontractors
- Open your bid to the community
- Manage project drawings and specs
- Protect the environment with paperless bidding
Bidding made easy. A - MaestroBid construction software allows you to create a central database of your subcontractors with up-to-date information for 24/7 reference. MaestroBid centralizes project information into a simple bid form and targets invitations to qualified bidders. MaestroBid attaches files electronically and distributes bidding invitations by e-mail or fax for immediate cost effectiveness.
B - MaestroBid keeps your bid invitations, addenda and plans in one secure, online location that you can access from anywhere 24/7. When subcontractors receive bid invitations, they can instantly submit proposals with all relevant information to your secure online space. MaestroBid construction software links projects with bids and documentation, giving you full control and reporting over your project data. Bid proposals are manageable with ease and simplicity with up-to-date information.
C - With MaestroBid, you can easily compare bid proposals and respond instantly with certified confidentiality. MaestroBid construction software allows you to view the complete bid history of each project and helps contractors manage the bidding qualification process for optimal results.
The construction management software solution
Nova Scotia crown corporation Innovacorp announced Tuesday it has secured $1.1 million in venture capital funding for CarbonCure Technologies Inc., whose product is designed to help concrete plants use carbon dioxide to make stronger, greener and less expensive concrete products.
The CarbonCure Block System, which the firm hopes to bring to market in the next 18 months, is described as its “first product application in its steps toward developing affordable carbon-negative concrete on a large scale.”
“CarbonCure is working with concrete producers who are keen to be early adopters of the technology, as well as builders looking to use the green blocks,” Innovacorp stated in a press release.
The investment “helps us deliver on our ambitious renewable energy and environmental targets," acting Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister John MacDonell stated in the release.
Innovacorp says the technology will be installed at concrete plants owned by Atlas Block of Midland, Ontario, The Shaw Group of Lantz, Nova Scotia and Basalite Concrete Products of Dixon, California.
“The new CarbonCure blocks are slated to be installed at commercial buildings in Halifax, San Francisco and Toronto,” Innovacorp stated.
Innovacorp invests in early-stage technology firms in Nova Scotia. It evaluates them based on several factors, including business plan credibility, management experience, unique technology, defendable intellectual property and/or a high barrier to competitive entry, a large national or international addressable market and the probability of obtaining fully-funded business plan.
The construction management software solution
Founded in 1987, Cotton Inc. is an Ontario-based construction company that has tripled its size, activities and staff over the past 10 years. This expansion has been well-managed by wisely integrating general construction, home building, trucking, forming, ready-mix concrete and property management into six distinct companies. Cotton employs more than 150 people and operates a substantial fleet of trucks and machinery.
To respond to its rapid growth, Cotton was looking for a flexible, versatile and easy-to-use construction management solution that ran on Windows. They needed construction software that could address the unique needs of all six companies a solution that was well-priced and that included excellent service and reliable follow-up.
Cotton has a very complicated trucking system. They purchase their stone from roughly 15 different suppliers, but they are unable to download data directly from the suppliers’ individual databases. They had to find a system that was capable of tracking transactions with precision, from the supplier to the customer, and to invoice them accurately. This data - the number of tickets entered into the system and subsequently tracked from suppliers to hired truckers and finally to customers - is the highest volume of data produced by Cotton. Cotton also needed to track actual time, costs and working conditions against initial budgets to allow for more competitiveness on future contracts.
“Our first objective was related to accounting,” explained Gerald Penney, general manager at Cotton. “The trucking business involves thousands of daily transactions. We needed a system that could account for each transaction or each piece of data (like the type of stone sold, the customer, the accounts receivable and payable).”
As a second phase, Cotton also wanted to implement a garage management system to track the scheduling of vehicle maintenance. “We need to track every kilometre, every drop of fuel and all other maintenance costs,” explained Penney.
Success Stories l Cotton Inc.
After trying different construction software technologies that didn’t offer modules for billing concrete or managing garage activities, Cotton began using maestro*. With more than 50 modules that work together flawlessly as a single system, maestro* offers direct access from each separate division to all six companies.
“Maestro* is very versatile; the system adapts easily to other software languages and handles import or export data smoothly,” said Penney. “We work with two applications right now: Winfuel and MPAQ. These two software applications provide highly specialized features for our fuel management and concrete production. Maestro* construction software interfaces very well with these applications, providing us with a single, easy-to-use, economical solution that eliminates duplication.”
Now as the accounting department performs its weekly invoicing, everything bought and sold is recorded in its proper place simply by entering a single ticket for each transaction. These tickets have individual numbers and they can be reconciled with invoices issued by the suppliers, hired truckers and those that are issued to the customers. Supplier tickets are entered only once, with the system designed to track them directly to customers. Every time a stone is loaded onto a truck, it is invoiced to the customer. With maestro*, accounts receivable and payable are entered at the same time; there is no duplication, no loss of time, no loss of profit.
Client Benefits
Tracking actual time, costs and working conditions against initial budgets allows Cotton to bid more competitively on future contracts. “We know that with maestro* we are more accurate in our pricing than our competitors can be,” said Penney. “We can bid on a job with more precision. As we proceed with larger projects, we can very easily process and retrieve data through maestro*. Maestro* can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. It’s up to you. Either way, the result is the same: tracking your job costs and your project management. That’s what it’s all about.”
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One solution for six different sub-companies
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Improved competitiveness
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Increased quality of services and more reliable follow-up
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No more data loss, better results!
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User-friendly, versatile, flexible
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Adaptable and expandable
The construction management software solution
Founded in May 1987, Plombaction is a leading Canadian general contracting company with business units in air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, heating (solar and geothermal), plumbing, process mechanics and industrial piping services. Dynamic and innovative, Plombaction is an ISO 9001:2000 approved company that has worked on many large-scale projects such as power plants, hospitals and universities.
To accommodate the unique processes and accounting methods required by its various services, Plombaction was forced to use an in-house computer system that did not allow for centralized, real-time intelligence/data gathering. In 2003, Roger Courtois, director of operations at Plombaction, set out to find a system that would accommodate the diverse accounting processes of its various services and link all the information into a central accounting center that allowed for real-time accounting processes and reporting – from invoicing and accounts payable to executive reports that highlight business progress. Plombaction was searching for a dynamic partner that was willing to listen to their specific needs and deliver a solution that would easily adapt to their constant rapid growth.
Plombaction has been using maestro* construction project management and accounting software since 2003. Maestro has worked closely with Plombaction to develop modules specifically adapted to their needs. Maestro* allows Plombaction to link information from all divisions and network everything through one system. This includes customized modules that support a unique system of cataloguing tools and inventory that allows them to proactively plan material resources. The maestro* Executive Dashboard also allows the Plombaction management team to view and interpret results in real-time, giving them valuable intelligence on budgets and job progress to make informed, proactive business decisions.
“In the construction business, each lost day corresponds with enormous amounts of money,” said Roger Courtois. “If there is an unprofitable day on the job site, we must be able to know about it quickly and to react at once. Maestro* gives us this information. Now we are much more proactive. We can see problems right away and correct them. We can track each truck on each trip and include this information in our billing. We are demanding, but it’s the only way to work with clients like Hydro Quebec, who are very demanding themselves and require rigorous follow-up. We also do periodic inventories. With a monthly follow-up, it’s much easier to track problems and correct them. Maestro* allows us to save histories and track problems.”
Client Benefits
“We are quite demanding and we count on constant technical support,” continued Coutois. “The people of Maestro are our external team. At this point, the system has become so precious that we don’t want to be without it even for an hour!”
- A single accounting department for all companies
- Potential for expansion and development
- Consolidation of all data in one place on a regular basis
- Simple effective reporting of financial results
- Real-time consolidated financials with drill-down
- Quick and proactive analysis of problems
- Minimize errors due to elimination of duplication
- Elimination of losses due to improved information management
- Continual support
The construction management software solution