When R&J Construction was looking for a way to reduce labor costs they became early adopters of an emerging, cost saving technology that would soon be requested by their peer organizations nationwide -  “mobile data collection”.

Employees of R&J Construction recorded their time on paper timesheets that were unverifiable and required manual data entry into back office time/labor, payroll and accounting packages. Controller Paula Wiens decided to “tighten the ship” by eliminating the costly paper processes. She implemented a solution that allows employees to clock in and out of job sites using their mobile phones.

With the new mobile “apps”, R&J gained better insight into billable versus non-billable time and improved their management of mobile workers with real time GPS, time and job tracking. The solution allowed R&J to process payroll and bill clients more quickly and more accurately. It also turned the gathering of critical data for time and billing into a “paperless” process, reducing errors  and saving time.

After a few weeks, Wiens began using the application’s reporting features to look for trends and to identify ways to manage job costs. If an employee took six hours to complete a job which should normally take three hours, Wiens checked in with the project superintendent to find out what happened to increase the labor hours.

An area where R&J saw immediate savings was in fuel costs. The mobile data collection application automatically captures GPS data and calculates miles driven.  A mileage report allows Weins to audit and compare the employees’ fuel expenses with actual use to uncover any abuse or mistakes. R&J saved $6,000 the first month, when employees were notified that the GPS system was in place, and about $10,000 a month since.

Adding up the savings from paperless time reporting, jobs trends analysis and automatic mileage reporting, mobile data collection helps R&J save about $200,000 per year! The company also does more accurate job costing for clients. In addition, the data collected on mobile apps is seamlessly integrated into R&J’s Sage accounting application and their ADP payroll solution.

R&J Construction understands the power of mobile data collection to save time and money. It is. It does. It saves.

Ledgerwood Associates has aligned with two of the leaders in mobile data collection, True Wireless and About Time, to provide our clients with cutting edge technology at discounted prices.

Contact us to see how you can integrate mobile technologies with your existing Sage Timberline applications.

What are you using your iPad, iPhone or Android device for at the job site?

According to Joseph Contomo, author of an American Payroll Association study on timekeeping – “The Incredible Time Machines: Taking Time Clocks Out of the Dark Ages, “ payroll clerks, timekeepers, department managers and millions of employees have viewed the recording of time as a constant source of error and problems almost since the beginning  of the Industrial Revolution.”

These problems equate to elevated labor costs as a result of manual timekeeping  due to:

1. The time it takes to manually compute hours worked per employee.
2. Errors made in manually computing time.
3. Lost time – also known as time theft.
   Note: Robert Half Associates conducts an annual survey of theft of
   time and estimates that the average worker “steals” four hours and 18
   minutes of time – or more than one half a day’s pay –  per week.

Advancements in mobile technology allow employees to record time either in real time or via after the fact allocation all-the-while tracking employee whereabouts with GPS. From standard feature phones to PDAs, iPads and Netbooks, these devices may be enabled as GPS enabled tamperproof timeclocks to collect data from the field such as employee arrival at  job sites to job transfers, phases, codes, quantities and  even equipment time tracking.

Furthermore, data may be automatically exchanged via  TimberCloud or a pre-built server connector which allows administrators to enter data once – into Timberline – and make it viewable and accessible without dual entry via the mobile app.

Ledgerwood Associates has aligned with two of the leaders in mobile timeclock solutions,
True Wireless and About Time, to provide our clients with cutting edge technology at discounted prices.

Contact us to see how you can integrate mobile technologies with your existing Sage Timberlline applications.

Adapted from an article published at www.constuctech.com  March 28, 2012

Mobile technology is a game changer for the construction industry, which relies on communication and collaboration among many invested parties within the lifecycle of a build. As the industry continues to adopt technology solutions, going mobile is a natural extension for many construction professionals looking to take their investment to the next level.

For that reason, a number of construction-technology providers are expanding their product portfolios to include mobile capabilities.

One solution for AEC (architectural, engineering, and construction) firms offers a complete system for capturing and managing project information from the field to the back office. By keeping project team members accountable for cost, scope, and schedule, the solution helps adopters deliver
projects successfully.

Construction professionals can access construction field-management functionalities from mobile devices such as the iPad and those that run the Microsoft Windows mobile platform. The app allows field staffs to view and manage project information such as punch lists, inspections, and daily
construction reports in real-time. Data collected in the field is automatically synced with data back in the office.

Another company also offers a mobile component to its software solution as part of the company’s enhancement to its cloud-based construction program-management software. The app extends the functionalities of its enterprise software into the field, therefore increasing project teams’ productivity and improving project delivery quality. The solution gives access to project data in real-time, giving project managers more freedom to act on issues immediately. All actions are synced for project members to see and the app can be used on Apple devices such as the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

As smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices become more ubiquitous in today’s society, these devices are following professionals to work. On the construction jobsite, mobile components of
construction project-management solutions offer the ability to improve communication and collaboration among team members, while reducing costs and contributing to faster project delivery.

How are you using mobile technology in your business?

Ledgerwood Associates Consultants can help you sort out the technology options and help you improve all of your business processes.

Here’s some interesting news to file under the heading “Everybody’s doing it”.

March 20, 2012

The Engineering News Record recently polled its readership to determine which construction software and technology they are using now and which solutions they want to adopt in the future to improve results. Despite the trend of shifting to industry-specific programs, the top technology is consumer electronics – namely, Apple products.

Apple’s iCloud, iPad, iPad 2, iPhone and iPhone 4 were all in the top 10 technology and software contractors are most interested in using. In particular, mobility seemed to be a high-level priority, with tablet devices from other electronics manufacturers – such as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab – also appearing in the top 100 products.

Many contractors are using these mobile devices to improve communication. For example, contractors can use them to ask questions to architects and share digital design plans. They could also access data stored in the cloud through mobile applications.

Apple is looking to further enhance the capabilities of contractors by developing new products. For example, the Cupertino, California-based company recently launched the iPad 3, which sold more than 3 million units in the first three days of availability.

Ledgerwood Associates’ Consultants can help you integrate mobile technologies with your existing Sage Timberline applications.

What are you using your iPad for at the job site?

Apple announced its iPad 3 (or just “New iPad”) today. In construction we like our trucks and our tech toys so it’s natural to want this new and improved gadget. But, what can it do for me every day in the office and at the job site? Here are some thoughts.

The new iPad’s Retina display is 2048 X 1536 pixels, twice the resolution of the iPad 2 and more pixels than your HDTV at home. I see all kinds of ways to use the iPad that just got better.

• Jobsite photos look much sharper making details harder to miss.
• The same goes for blueprints and specs. Digital, customizable plans that can be
  changed on the job site and stored on the cloud with iPad blueprint apps will be easier to read.
• Pulling a report from the back-office accounting system? You’ll see more columns at once and will find yourself guessing less often at numbers and descriptions.
• Contracts and other documents will be easier to read.
• Presentations to clients will be more impressive.

If you happen to have your software on the cloud, the higher screen resolution makes the iPad a more practical replacement for your laptop. (Some companies, like Ledgerwood Associates, can put your existing Sage Timberline and third party applications on the cloud today. They already support Timberline on Macs on the Cloud so the iPad is a logical next step.)

The new iPad’s faster processor supports the higher screen resolution and makes web apps run faster so you get more done.

Another new feature found on the new iPad is 4G LTE network capability. This is essential to do what we’re talking about above without getting frustrated. With 4G network speed, accessing high resolution media and home office applications can be more than a novelty. You’ve got the speed and the power to do some heavy lifting.

Two other improvements can prove useful to you on the jobsite. The upgraded camera now has 1080p video. High def. video on your iPad can be a useful tool when reviewing jobsite problems or details.

And finally, with the right option from your wireless carrier, you can also use the new iPad as a wireless hotspot for up to five other users just like with some smartphones. Three guys in a truck or five guys in a conference room can share your internet.

The new iPad is not revolutionary but its improvements make it a more useful, convenient and powerful tool for construction companies. Industry experts say tablets will transform the construction industry. Enhanced communication, “paperless” workers and increased efficiency are some of the anticipated results. And then there’s the cool factor of the iPad. Like a cool truck, who’s not going to want one.

How do you use your iPad in the office or on the jobsite?

Mobile devices are on everybody’s minds these days. Here’s an interesting case study about how one construction company is profiting from the technology.

“Thanks to mobile data collection devices and services provided by True Wireless, we know where our workers are and what they are doing at all times, enabling us to pay and invoice more accurately, route and dispatch more efficiently, and to more successfully control costs. Simply put, True Wireless gives us a tremendous competitive advantage.” Paula Wiens, Controller at R&J Construction

R&J Construction realizes significant cost savings while improving productivity and customer service by deploying integrated mobile data collection and payroll technologies from True Wireless.

Situation
R&J Construction is an award-winning custom building company, well known for providing superior service and high-quality craftsmanship at a competitive price. Key to maintaining this reputation is R&J’s ability to automate critical business processes, such as mobile worker management and payroll administration.

Challenge
Improve the time-intensive and inexact process of recording worker timesheet, project status and vehicle mileage information. Also, gain the ability to respond to emergency situations by knowing the whereabouts of field workers at all times.

Solution
R&J deployed a GPS mobile workforce management solution from True Wireless, along with the ezLaborManager payroll solution from ADP. GPS time and tracking information is transmitted wirelessly and automatically to the ADP ezLaborManager system.

As a result, R&J knows in real-time precisely how many hours each worker is on a job and what projects he is performing. Workers choose a customer job number, then select the type of work they are doing such as framing a wall or interior trim work and can also enter job details. Both the GPS and ezLabor-Manager are web-based hosted solutions providing anywhere anytime access and minimizing maintenance costs. The GPS application and ezLaborManager work together “out-of-the-box,” so deploying the solutions was fast and easy for R&J.

Benefits

Billable Time Increased by 12 Hours per Week
Elimination of paper-based timesheet and project status recording along with improved accuracy and worker accountability creates an impressive 12 hours of additional billable time each week per worker.

Mileage Reimbursement Costs Cut $6,000 per Month
Improved vehicle mileage tracking, job-costing and worker performance reporting has reduced R&J’s vehicle mileage reimbursement costs by $6,000 per month.

More Precise Job Estimates
More accurate Job-costing allows for more precise job estimates.

Improved Customer Service
Enhanced mobile worker location tracking has improved customer service.

What has been your experience with mobile data collection devices?

For more information on construction technology visit www.ledgerwoodassociatesusa.com