TechBrief
 
Dexter + Chaney
Viewpoint Construction Software
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Do you wear your technology on the jobsite? Are you working with 3D laser scanning? Constructor would like to hear from you! Please contact Jeanie Clapp at jclapp@naylor.com today and you could be featured in an upcoming article.
 
Notevault, Inc.
TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY
 
   
In the new world of cloud-based mobile apps, small construction businesses need to look at ways to streamline and improve their workflows. Creating an environment in which information can be exchanged faster and more freely allows teams to operate at a higher efficiency. These new apps can help smaller teams gain a competitive advantage over larger teams.
 
On a busy jobsite, there are subcontractors everywhere — from carpenters and glaziers to bricklayers and ironworkers — all getting along with their own jobs. The carpenters don’t know the ironworkers, and the ironworkers don’t know the bricklayers. It's the general contractor's job to be sure the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. Here are five tips to help general contractors coordinate subcontractors and make sure that their sites are as safe and efficient as possible.
 
Mobile technology is redefining the workday. Field workers increasingly leverage mobile devices for tasks that previously required time-intensive phone calls and paperwork. Today this technology is helping to streamline workflow by mitigating daily challenges that used to derail even the best laid plans. In a recent Aberdeen study, 82 percent of organizations identified mobility as a strategic initiative to gather real-time intelligence for issue resolution. Clearly, this technology offers significant benefits in enhancing end-to-end processes. The following are five ways we see mobility transforming the workday.
 
TECHNOLOGY TIDBITS
 
   
The latest model of the Apple iPhone may look and feel like previous versions, but there are a few improvements which might appeal to would-be buyers.
 
 
   
In September, WASP, an Italian engineering company, unveiled a 40-ft tall 3D printer, dubbed Big Delta. The behemoth is expected to supply quick and inexpensive housing units to areas hit by natural disasters and provide a solution to the rapidly expanding growth population.
 
Procore
CMiC
INTEROPERABILITY UPDATE
One of the more interesting sessions at the 2015 AGC IT Forum Conference was the update on COSA (Construction Open Standards Alliance) organization. The panel consisted of Dennis Stejskal (Sage), John Goecke (StratusVue), Benny Baltrosky (eSUB), and James Benham (JBKnowledge).
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
With architects, engineers, builders, and design-assist trade contractors widely using VDC tools during the design and planning phase, how is this early utilization impacting our ultimate project outcomes?

How are we engaging this newly transparent model based design process? Or are we still missing key interfaces or cross-disciplinary understanding? Are we managing and coping with the iterative design process better, or simply locking in designers earlier? Are we still glorifying the printed set, or have we truly found a new medium of communication (and what does it look like)? Register here.
 
October 22, 2015
2 to 3 p.m.
Member and Non-Member Price: FREE 

At some  point every organization must decide, "Is it time to change our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System?" If you decide to keep your current system you risk falling behind technologically and functionally. On the other hand, if you decide to change your ERP you will be faced with making a large investment, undergo varying degrees of disruption, and risk a failed implementation.

The primary reasons contractors seek new ERP systems include:

· change in management and ownership
· change in company direction
· greater need for business process improvements
· desired improvements in reporting and data mining
· field and office operations are not integrated technology is outdated or will no longer be supported, and more.

Once the decision is made to change to a new ERP system, there are common tasks that each contractor must consider in order to make the switch successful. From data conversions to user training, proper planning and implementation management will help make the effort worthwhile and maximize your return on the investment. Join the upcoming AGC webinar and meet two exceptional CFOs who made this critical decision to change their ERP systems and were very active in leading the implementation process, leveraging their systems today to help their organizations achieve their goals. Register here.
 
November 17, 2015
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Member Price: $79, Non-Member Price: $99
All webinar times are in ET

Becoming a Lean company is no easy task. It is truly a journey that begins with one person, one initiative or one department at a time. Along this journey, it is critical to obtain sustainability in order for the desired goal to not only be met, but to ultimately become a part of the very fabric of all involved with the process. Today we hope to share a few key points that allude to how we do just that as a team and as a company. The end goal is always about the people (the team) believing in the process because they choose to. It is not through coercion or manipulation, but through respect for others, commitment to becoming better and working together relentlessly for the greater goal, which allows for a culture of authentic change to develop over time.This webinar will discuss and explain some of the key components required for establishing a Lean culture within a business. Register here.
 
 

The information contained in these articles represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of AGC of America.

 

 

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