Tech Lab
BY PAMELA BIR
New Software Programs for the Design-Build Professional
 Frequently, when people are complaining about how confusing computers are, how unreliable computers are, and how imperfect software is, I remind them of how new computers are:
1972 Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP-35 as "a fast, extremely accurate electronic slide rule."
1974 Xerox designed the first work station with a built-in mouse.
1976 Steve Wozniak designed the Apple I.
1977 The Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) came fully assembled.
1977 Radio Shack's Tandy TRS-80 debuted — their first desktop computer.
1981 IBM introduced its PC with an Intel microprocessor and Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system.
1981 The Osborne I, which weighed 24 pounds and cost $1,795, was the first portable computer.
1982 Commodore 64 is released at $595 to become the highest-selling single computer of all time, with more than 22 million units.
1984 Apple launched the Macintosh with a $1.5 million commercial during the Super Bowl.
1990 The World Wide Web was developed.
1990 Microsoft sold the first Windows software.
I affectionately refer to this present period as "the terrible twos," since that's how my computer's behavior looks to me: irrational, illogical and random.
But there are some software programs debuting — perfect for the design-build industry — that deliver on the dream of what computers will be.
A common nightmare revolves around the home remodeling project gone wild. The contractor spent the lumber money on basketball playoff tickets. The homeowner had an unexpected car repair, which means she's short on cash. The perfect kitchen everyone pictured isn't what the final results look like. And on and on like that, the snowball that keeps gathering momentum. At first glance, Buildproof seems to be a secure payment system; but upon closer inspection, you discover a communication tool to help the novice homeowner and the contractor speak the same language so they manage the project to everyone's satisfaction.
Here's how it works: Homeowners post their projects for free on the Buildproof site. They are guided through the setup process with questions to help them think through the project. Data about similar projects will soon be available to the homeowners to offer options and advice. Only licensed and bonded contractors are allowed to participate in Buildproof projects. A contractor can select a project he or she is interested in and contact the homeowner. Together, the two finish the project setup. Both have access to the project-management aspects of the online system. Everyone's using the same terms, the same standards. The contractor pays Buildproof a small percentage of the project total for the service.
Deposits are held by a secure, insured banking facility and released via electronic transfer per the agreement specified up front in the Buildproof system. The contractor knows that payment is available. The homeowner knows the work will be completed. On large projects, you can even set up progress payments or material payments.
"Fit and finish" standards are agreed to up front. Are you expecting Registrar of Contractors, Manufacturer or some other quality measurement for the work? Even the method to settle disputes is agreed upon.
The software can be used for a one-payment project or a multi-phase, multi-payment project. Any changes in the project generate an automatic e-mail to all parties so everyone stays informed and up to date.
Okay, you have a list of jobs and even a backlog. But are you going to make any profit on the jobs? Was it worthwhile to spend your weekend on your feet at the trade show? By The Numbers is a marketing and sales performance program that answers these and other critical questions about costs and profits for your firm.
Users enter their project data into the online software. You can review projects by Customer or Project Type, and analyze whether you made a profit on that particular job or that type of project. It's even possible to analyze projects by Supervisor/Team to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Customer service follow-up calls can be noted in the system, and warranty follow-up can be handled from the reminder letter to the inspection to the new work.
Data is entered into the software about each advertising vehicle, from the trade show to the Yellow Pages ad. When compared to the details of jobs closed from that lead source, you can tell which advertising was profitable, providing input to help budget marketing dollars more wisely.
The software also helps manage sales staff. How many jobs did Salesperson A close? At what profit margin? Is he better with trade show leads or radio ad leads? How does A compare to B? If you know B has trouble with Yellow Pages leads, you can work on training her to answer queries or overcome objections.
By The Numbers has some CRM (customer relations management) capabilities, but it really isn't a CRM program. It's a very strong analytic program to ensure that you're making money with the right kind of work and the right staff.
Multivista Construction Documentation (www.multivista.com)
You can't be everywhere at once, but Multivista can — at least at all the critical times. Specially trained photographers take a series of external and internal photos of your project — as many as 6,500 a day on a recent multistory condo project. With their training, they take the same photo over and over for the duration of the project so you have detailed documentation of the job's progress. The photos are high resolution, which allows you to zoom in to view electrical wiring or HVAC work in a wall. The photos are so detailed that recently an electrical contractor used the photos to go back into a wall to cut the hole for an electrical connection that had been skipped earlier.
The photos are time-indexed with Multivista's special software and linked interactively to the architectural drawings. One project arranged its team meetings after each photo shoot in order to have the documentation available when discussing subcontractor scheduling, inspections and quality control.
When the project is completed, the photos serve as a highly accurate set of "exact-builts" to use for future warranty questions, maintenance or even remodeling.
Though the company is relatively new to the United States, it has a strong history in Canada and has been used on more than 20,000 projects by many of that country's top developers, architects, general contractors and insurance firms.
Yes, there is a strong legal aspect of the service. A recent project in a parking garage included photos of all walls and decks before work began. The contractor wanted irrefutable documentation of existing concrete cracks and structural leaks before the work began to be sure no one "discovered" a problem later on. In our litigious society, a set of Multivista photos might be worth not only a thousand words, but also a few thousand dollars in legal fees.
Pamela Bir is principal of Your Computer Lady, a Phoenix, Arizona–based firm that handles PowerPoint presentations, Spanish translations, Web site development and maintenance, marketing literature and more. For more information, visit www.YourComputerLady.com or reach her at Pamela@YourComputerLady.com.
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