Light emitting diode (LED) fluorescent tubes are all the rage in the lighting market. The technology promises to be more energy efficient, less environmentally harmful and more economical than traditional fluorescent tube lighting. Regardless, there is a lot of debate over whether they are ready for widespread commercial use. We came across this debate being held in a LinkedIn construction group. More …

In the next ten to twenty years, “electrical contractor” will no longer be a suitable job title for electricians. They will transition into “energy contractors” to support the fast-growing green construction market. We see this as a coming renaissance in electrical contracting. There has been a revival of interest in the electrical trade as homeowners and adopt alternative methods to power homes. More …

We’re big advocates of “going paperless.” Our desks are free of folders, pens, printers and sticky notes. There’s not a single TPS report to be found. We’re also big advocates of software. So, when a visitor to our website shared their concern about the paper waste from printing blueprints, we were intrigued. Can estimating and takeoff software end the destruction of forests (or at least save a few thousand More …

This is the first in a series of “state of the industry” reports in which we will share our observations on construction software industry trends. While reporting the recessive state of the industry is not breaking news, there are some interesting trends that we can share. Not everything is gloomy, and significant technological shifts are underway. Our observations are based on roughly 6,000 conversations with construction software buyers More …

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) had big plans for the construction industry – $131 billion big.

That stimulus money is supposed to help an industry that is still hemorrhaging jobs today. So far, the ARRA has sent money to all corners of the construction industry, from residential More …

Given the recent deadline for registering LEED v2.2 projects, we were reminded of a post we wanted to write: how construction project management software can be used to track LEED credits.

Tracking LEED credits requires software functionality similar to that required for more traditional construction project management. Consequently, a few leading vendors have re-purposed their technology to make this More …

While too few builders have appropriate measures and processes in place to track and manage the cost side of their business, too many of those who do put the appropriate measures in place, are focusing on just one of the two key operational dimensions of the building business.

All too often tract home builders put a 6-month building period, when planning for their project carrying More …

So you’ve decided to consider getting the proper financial accounting and reporting package for your construction business. It’s a daunting task on the one hand and exciting on the other. The general idea is to bring into your organization a tool that will better allow you to understand what is making money, what is costing money, and to provide information allowing you and your in-house accounting team to keep up with the paperwork requirements that go along with being in the construction More …

This time of year, we talk with many construction companies considering a new accounting software purchase. Maybe it’s the change in seasons, the closing of the calendar year or the tax season looming on the horizon; what ever the psychological trigger, there are rational reasons to replace generic accounting software with a construction-specific accounting and job costing system. Here are the 5 top reasons we hear from companies thinking about a More …

Project management software for construction helps contracting firms stay on-budget and on-schedule by tracking key items during the building process. Given the complexity of construction projects, project management software comes with a variety of features and functions to meet the demands of commercial and residential jobs. Advanced construction project management software systems include modules for scheduling, accounting, bid procurement, document management and More …

Recently, we’ve noticed a big change in construction firms’ views on the web-based, or Software as a Service (SaaS), model of using project management software. Among AEC companies evaluating new construction management systems, we’ve More …

Regardless of how responsibility is shared in a project, building owners bear the ultimate risk. They write the checks for overruns. They feel the pain of delays in the form of lost revenue opportunity. Finally, they pay the additional costs of a facility built for project profitability rather than long-term operating efficiency. Everyone but the lawyers will agree that litigation won’t recover these More …

Before your job got rolling, you built a detailed schedule you thought would help you manage the project to completion. Now you’re waiting on permits, two of your subs haven’t showed and your available resources are strained. You’ve got a stack of daily reports that are too overwhelming to sort through before your next OAC meeting. That faded project schedule on the wall is looking pretty More …

Project managers and accounting staff are often a world apart. They differ in personality, computer skills and the type of work they do. While many contractors are content to let these two worlds remain separate, the best companies are integrating what’s managed in the field with what’s accounted for in the office. Importantly, these industry leaders are finding that opposites do More …

The last thing most construction executives want to worry about is their accounting software. But as your company grows, accounting becomes more complex and more integrated with operations. While a generic accounting package like QuickBooks or Peachtree got your business off the ground, it may be time to deploy accounting software designed specifically for the construction More …