| In the competitive world of construction, | | | | efficiency |
| profit margins are tight. Jobs, service | | | | |
| calls, employee productivity, and even your | | | | * Streamlined billing for fast payment |
| business tools must contribute to company | | | | turn-around |
| profitability. This article highlights | | | | |
| several critical capabilities that will help | | | | * Advanced technology such as GPS tracking of |
| you determine whether your current | | | | service trucks or mobile communication with |
| construction software is a profit center or | | | | technicians that allows for real-time data |
| just another overhead expense. | | | | exchange |
| | | | |
| Job Cost | | | | Reporting |
| | | | |
| The core of a profitable contracting business | | | | How well does your software deliver the |
| is job costing. The more accurate your cost | | | | information you need to make critical and |
| information is, the better you will be at | | | | timely business decisions? Catching problems |
| managing your jobs for profitability. | | | | such as cost over-runs early is imperative to |
| | | | maintain profit margins. Reporting should |
| Capabilities checklist: | | | | provide easy access to real-time information |
| | | | and offer the flexibility to customize |
| * Job cost projections are easy to produce on | | | | delivery to meet your unique business |
| a regular basis | | | | objectives. |
| | | | |
| * Provides early warning system for jobs that | | | | Capabilities checklist: |
| are off track | | | | |
| | | | * Comprehensive standard reports and |
| * Real-time access to actual costs is readily | | | | inquiries |
| available | | | | |
| | | | * Custom reporting options to meet specific |
| Project Management | | | | needs |
| | | | |
| Project management is all about detail | | | | * Owner/management overviews available for |
| tracking. Let a few RFIs or change requests | | | | at-a-glance job assessment, with drill down |
| slip through the cracks and you might find | | | | to detail |
| your crew working for free. Software that | | | | |
| automates project management will ensure that | | | | Integration |
| changes to the original contract are | | | | |
| documented, approved, and invoiced for | | | | Solid communication between your accounting, |
| profit. | | | | operations, and service staff is the glue |
| | | | that binds construction to profitability. |
| Capabilities checklist: | | | | Integrating your core technologies makes this |
| | | | communication possible. |
| * Tracks job details in a single, | | | | |
| easy-to-access database | | | | Capabilities checklist: |
| | | | |
| * Change orders are tracked from initial RFI | | | | * Single database equals single data entry, |
| or directive to invoicing | | | | flexible reporting |
| | | | |
| * Forms provide turn-key production of | | | | * Allows for enterprise-wide collaboration |
| submittals, RFIs, change requests, and more | | | | between accounting, service and operations by |
| | | | putting everyone on the same financial page |
| Service Management | | | | |
| | | | * Lowers administrative overhead |
| For contractors that perform service work, | | | | |
| technology is readily available to support | | | | Profit or Expense: You Decide |
| technician performance, enhance customer | | | | |
| service, and automate billings. Taking | | | | Take time to evaluate how well your software |
| advantage of this technology can produce a | | | | streamlines workflow, automates processes, |
| significant ROI while enhancing your | | | | and provides real-time job information for |
| company's reputation as a cutting edge | | | | informed decision-making. If your program |
| service provider. | | | | doesn't provide you with many of the |
| | | | capabilities listed here, it may be time to |
| Capabilities checklist: | | | | consider whether your construction software |
| | | | is a profit center or overhead expense. |
| * Dispatching allows for greater technician | | | | |