Articles
Use…or Lose
Check out new technologies. They can save your business.
Do you have a telephone? A cell phone? A pickup? A remote control for your TV? Once they were all new technologies and millions of people knew they would never work. What about hydrostatic transmission? Things change constantly in our personal and business worlds, and we try to make everything work better: less greedily for fuel while more quiet and comfortable for operators. We would do ourselves a grave injustice if we did not investigate the merits of new technologies for our machines and our business management, because their goal is to improve our business (and our enjoyment of it) and to make our work more efficient and more profitable.
Technology is no longer a luxury for contractors-it is a necessity. This is how Maxwell Systems, a world leader in construction-related technologies, puts it. From creating on-target bids to efficiently managing projects to ensuring that jobs are billed accurately, technology is an essential element to be competitive in a market where there is little wiggle room for inefficiencies or errors. For the most part, contractors have adopted various technologies to operate more efficiently in one area of their business or another, but that is not enough anymore. Construction organizations must streamline their processes across the board-from takeoff through project execution to the completion and billing of the project. An all-in one construction business management solution like Maxwell Systems' ProContractorMX is the answer for contractors looking to improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and increase profits. Providing end-to-end control of critical business operations, ProContractorMX handles the complexities of the entire project life cycle and provides versatile features that meet the business requirements of every role within a construction organization.
ProContractorMX can help contractors see a day's profit potential at a glance, identify and prevent potential financial losses, spot discrepancies and errors, and manage projects with accurate information in real time. Having quick and easy access to critical information as well as wide and deep visibility for every project, owners can hone business strategy, improve control of cash flow, and keep financials in the black with accurate ROI. Steven Pope, administrative manager for Mid-State Paving &Excavation sums it up: "We really like that everything is tied into one solution with Maxwell Systems ProContractorMX. The flow between the estimating, accounting, and other components is tremendous, and the navigation is smooth. All the tools of the trade are there. We can start small and gradually use more features as we need to and as we become more familiar with the solution. ProContractorMX is comprehensive, and we can grow with it."
Fifteen years ago, getting detailed cost information to the field in time for decision-making was virtually impossible. Management was more hierarchical, with decisions flowing primarily from the top down. Today, via technical devices, information is available almost instantaneously. Organizations can become more flat (and more efficient) with decisions based on high quality, accurate and timely information flowing through and efficient set of software communication and analysis tools. A foreman or project manager who can change the composition of a crew or address production rate issue at the end of the day rather than at the end of the week will be more effective. The result is lower cost more efficient companies with a competitive advantage. Companies expect software to connect the job site, safety officers, equipment managers and other key areas to the main office in almost real time.
Contributing writer Paul Hull writes on construction topics for several Forester Media magazines. The full content of this article can be found in the April 2011 issue of Grading & Excavation Contractor magazine.
