Since the earliest days of business computing, there have been countless changes to the technology solutions available to those in construction. However, three major waves have significantly changed how contractors do business.
Not long ago, creating a mobile project team simply meant setting everyone up with a cell phone. As phones became smarter, wireless networks improved, and data plans came down in price, contractors began to make mobility more meaningful. A new marketplace developed that offered construction-specific mobile apps for a variety of tasks, such as remote time entry, punch lists and even basic cost estimating. This quickly evolving technology has significant implications for how construction professionals communicate and perform their jobs. Additionally, the increasingly widespread use of smart devices is changing the playing field for mobile app and software providers alike.
By John Chaney, co-founder, Dexter + Chaney
As a contractor, if you have even a modest investment in heavy equipment, then you have a significant stake in making sure that you are realizing a return on that investment. However, knowing your true costs and returns on construction equipment is not as simple a task as it appears on the surface. The good news is that there are reporting methods and tools available that help you drill down into the details of equipment management and provide you with information that drives money saving decisions.
By John Chaney, co-founder, Dexter + Chaney
Once collaboration becomes reality, construction productivity will significantly improve, as project information will be easily available to all participants.
Two things can be said of economic downturns in the construction industry. First, a recovery that follows has roughly the same duration as the downturn itself, and brings the industry close to the level of growth it experienced prior to the downturn.
Second, the pressures of more competition for less business change how contractors do business. Previously, contractors that embraced new technologies and ways of getting work done emerged stronger from recessions.
For example, during the recession and recovery of the early 1980s, new approaches emerged in preconstruction (e.g., value engineering) and live construction (e.g., slip forming).
What these and other process and productivity improvements have in common is that they were caused in large part by the pressures of difficult environments.
So, how is construction productivity changing in response to the recent recession, and what new processes and technologies are the agents of change?
How the right tools and processes create positive cash flow in your business.
By John Chaney, co-founder, Dexter + Chaney
It’s an old saying: “Cash is king.” More than ever, this saying is relevant to contractors as margins continue to tighten and the amount of work generated by new construction continues to remain relatively flat. Negative cash flow is the No. 1 reason why contractor businesses become insolvent, and so a primary business objective must be to keep operations in the black.
By John Chaney, co-founder, Dexter + Chaney
Business management software is one of the most difficult investments to make for your business. Difficult because it's hard to know when it makes financial sense to upgrade to more capable-and likely more expensive-systems. Difficult because implementing new software requires a commitment to change. And difficult because your business expertise is probably not in software-it's in construction and service contracting.
Find accounting software that can be implemented quickly, facilitates project management processes and increases efficiency of key accounting processes.
Implemented Spectrum® Construction Software with fully integrated Document Imaging across Accounts Payable and Project Management modules.
Elimination of paper files and increased control over project management with the ability to track change orders and job costs.
