Construction firms turn cyber technology into money

Springfield area construction companies are finding powerful project-management tools in the newest communication technology.

Mike Waters, executive vice president of the Killian Group of Companies, said his firm is using the Internet and a Web site to coordinate construction projects with owners, architects, contractors, and subcontractors, wherever they are located.

"Ninety percent of what goes on is Internet-based," Waters said. "We have the ability to check projects after-hours and regardless of location. In the past we used mail or fax, where now items can be posted on the Web. Redlined, or posted, documents, are open to overlay of commentary by readers or contributors, which does more than seeing a person face-to-face."

The Web site isn't accessible to the public but only by password to the principals involved in the projects. The information available includes project schedules, status reports, and photos of the project-in-progress.

The technology employs project management and control software called Prolog Manager 6.0, a database that integrates with Microsoft Word, according to Waters. The program may be customized by different users to specific needs. It works in conjunction with the project Web site, a Prolog site that Waters described as "a nexus of connections between projects in conference, using a webcam with a two- to three-hour lag time. For example, an architect has specific logon clearance according to his position. This really cuts down on paperwork."

Waters said he began learning about computers 20 years ago. "It was clear that they would affect the world we live in," he said, "so I absorbed as much information as possible." He added that he knew that in the later stages of his career, "the stuff would have penetrated the profession, and I wanted to ensure my place. Now I know as much if not more than many of the young guys."

Willingness to incorporate new tools and ideas notwithstanding, Waters emphasized the need for caution and careful research before investing in technology. "We're willing to investigate new technology systems, but there are a lot more available than work properly. Sometimes ... in the race to the marketplace, people don't adequately test the tools, and that can be a major problem. It's often best to be just behind the cutting edge."

He cited as an example videoconferencing, which many companies use to advantage but which did not prove effective for his company. "The cost curve didn't meet the expectation curve," he said. Instead, the Killian firm turned to "project collaborative Web sites."

Waters offered a warning familiar to most who work with computers: "I can't say this enough: don't let the electronic copy be your only document. Print a copy for your file. Give yourself a safety net for electronic media. Where it's good to avail yourself of speed ... backups are always necessary."

For Rob Phillips, chief estimator for Image Builders & Associates Inc. in Nixa, new technology fits well with his company's approach to its jobs. Specializing in nationwide commercial and industrial remodeling, Image Builders does business in all 50 states on a 24-hour, 7-day basis, which covers all customer business hours to prevent losing any revenue.

The company maintains close contact with job supervisors on all projects. "All of our project managers have laptops and digital cameras," Phillips said. "Because we're nationwide, we hold weekly meetings to get updates from those job supervisors. There's a video connector between the computer and a large-screen TV, so if there's anything wrong we can view the job from different angles."

The hardware Image Builders uses includes a Dell 450-megahertz computer with 256 megs of RAM, an18-gigabyte hard drive, a Sony Trinitron 21-inch viewable screen monitor, a digitizer and a Sony Mavica digital camera.

According to Phillips, computer technology directly impacts the total time a remodeling job can take. "Today on a $3/4-million job, I can do the paperwork in two days. Twenty years ago? One week." He added, "By avoiding a trip to the site, $1,500-2,000 can be saved. A 3.5-inch disk costs what? Maybe a couple of bucks? Now we eliminate a couple of days' wait and all travel costs."

Carefully choosing the right tools has also proved beneficial for Image Builders, Phillips said. "We're switching to Dell computers, which have a better track record in my opinion. Dell has 24-hour technical service and full two-year warranty. The estimating programs do too. Digital cameras can be taken to repair shops, but they're durable."

Phillips said commercial grade equipment can handle 12-14 hours of use daily. "You get what you pay for, and if you're relying on these for a livelihood, you need something dependable."

Waters echoed the need for care in shopping for technology. Mindful especially of the need to prepare for potential changes, he recommended that businesses thoroughly investigate every aspect of new technology. "In exploring new horizons with new technology, we look closely at budgeting and estimating cost. The key factor is, does it work? How open is it to the user? Training can definitely become more of an issue the more technology develops. We're careful with selection and deployment of tools, seeking to balance overall productivity and what they do. Purchase is a fraction of the total cost."

Ed Textor, president of Advanced Concrete Technology Inc., said, "Our whole purpose is to use the latest technology to get a top-quality product." ACT was the first contractor in the area to buy a laser screed, which combines laser and computer technology to pour extremely large, almost-perfectly-level expanses of concrete. Textor said that with the screed the company can lay a contoured 40,000-50,000- square-foot parking lot 300- to 400-percent flatter than by any other method.The system uses a geodimeter with a 3D profiler, he said, both linked by modem.

ACT's current jobs include Capitol Plaza in Kansas City, a Residence Inn in Springfield and an Embassy Suites for John Q. Hammons in Franklin, Tennessee, both in collaboration with the Killian Group.