Construction Management Software Insights

Getting Started with BIM

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:03:26 PDT

This is Part 4 of 5 in a series of posts that will provide practical information for facility owners looking to explore Building Information Modeling as part of their project delivery strategy. These posts will provide some background on what types of owners/industries are using BIM, some of the risks involved with adopting this emerging technology and process, and what owners can do to reduce

Gain Value from BIM and Reduce Risk

saranda@e-builder.net — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:48:11 PDT

This is Part 3 of 5 in a series of posts that will provide practical information for facility owners looking to explore Building Information Modeling as part of their project delivery strategy. These posts will provide some background on what types of owners/industries are using BIM, some of the risks involved with adopting this emerging technology and process, and what owners can do to reduce

Why BIM Can Lead to More Risk for Owners

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:56:17 PDT

This is Part 2 of 5 in a series of posts that will provide practical information for facility owners looking to explore Building Information Modeling as part of their project delivery strategy. These posts will provide some background on what types of owners/industries are using BIM, some of the risks involved with adopting this emerging technology and process, and what owners can do to reduce

Building Information Modeling - Maximizing the Benefits of BIM for the Project Owner

saranda@e-builder.net — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:03:14 PDT

In the following series of posts, we will provide practical information for facility owners looking to explore Building Information Modeling as part of their project delivery strategy. This information is based on conversations with Mr. Sam Neider, Co-Founder and President of Proactive Controls Group. Sam specializes in the collaborative application of cutting-edge, technology-based project

BIM for Owners - Podcast Series

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:48:36 PDT

Owners Working with BIMWe've recently launched a couple of podcasts (2) that answer some of the questions that owners who are getting started with BIM should know. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, or thoughts on future topics. Stay tuned for more posts on the topic of owners addresing the risks associated with BIM.

Integrated or Stand-alone Mobile Applications

saranda@e-builder.net — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:49:17 PDT

As mentioned in our two previous posts, many different mobile applications for the architecture/ engineering/ onstruction (AEC) industry are available. Some have very specialized purposes, such as 3D model viewing, field inspections or document viewing and redlining. However, others that are completely integrated to your construction program management system, while providing similar

Choosing Mobile Applications for Construction Management (part 2)

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:34:01 PDT

In this post, the second part in this series, we will talk about the difference between stand-alone mobile applications, and those that are integrated with other, more robust construction management applications. Mobile applications specifically for Project and Construction Management bring the information of the program office to the job site. While a few mobile applications are stand-alone

Choosing Mobile Applications for Construction Management (part 1 of 3)

saranda@e-builder.net — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:36:05 PDT

This blog post was submitted by Jim Godsey, e-Builder Director of Marketing When thinking about mobile enabling your team, the hardware choice seems to be an important consideration. With the overwhelming popularity of the Apple® iPad®, most go in that direction, but several very good Android™ devices are available as well. Just like all hardware devices are not the same, neither are mobile

Design economics: Construction Management Software

saranda@e-builder.net — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:46:31 PST

We wanted to share a great article on construction management software. In light of recent news in the State of Florida about state school construction funds drying up (and I'm sure in other states as well), it seems appropriate to continue to stress how much of an impact capital program/construction management software can have to ensure projects are delivered in the most cost-effective,

The 3 Biggest Challenges of Sharing Construction Project Documents

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:44:02 PST

Organizing construction project documents can be difficult and time consuming. For capital project owners with frequent or multiple simultaneous projects, the management of plans, specifications and drawings can be a big headache. Providing access and presenting these documents to external project team members is a must, but how best to go about it can be a real conundrum. The three biggest

Chicago Transit Authority Selects e-Builder as Their Web-based Capital Project Management System

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:35:19 PDT

Chicago Transit Authority Selects e-Builder as Their Web-based Capital Project Management System

Surviving an Internal Audit (part 3)

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:46:10 PDT

Navigating through an Internal audit is an important part of any facility and construction manager’s job. In the previous posts, I described how auditors quickly form an opinion and then work to validate it. We covered some best practices that will increase the odds of a positive internal audit. We at e-Builder have had several experiences with internal audit because many times our clients

Surviving an Internal Audit - Part 2

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:45:29 PDT

Facility Managers and Construction Managers The auditors will form perceptions of you and your operation very early in your relationship. If they perceive that you are doing things right or wrong – the outcome of the audit will most likely follow that early perception. So how do you cause your internal auditors to form a good perception of you right from the get go? Here are 3 best practices:

Surviving an Internal Audit - Part 1 of 3

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:28:27 PDT

Facility Managers and Construction Managers Internal audit is part of the governance system in a large organization. Whether public or private, non-profit or for-profit, there has to be a mechanism to ensure that policies and procedures are followed. For facility managers and construction managers responsible for managing a capital program, internal audit is as much a part of the process as

Expanding on e-Builder - a Recent Update from Blogger Paul Wilkinson

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:53:10 PDT

I wanted to share a link to one of the few bloggers I follow, Mr. Paul Wilkinson (PR, Media, and Marketing professional based in the UK), who has been writing his "Extranet Evolution" blog now for over 5 years. http://www.extranetevolution.com/2011/08/expanding-on-e-builder/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ExtranetEvolution+%28Extranet+Evolution%29&utm_content=Google+

Managing Project Contingency Funds (Part 3): 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

saranda@e-builder.net — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:35:57 PDT

I hope the last few posts on contingency management have got you thinking. If you’re not sure how well you are planning for and managing your project contingency, the following questions should offer some insight. 1. How do you come up with the budget for contingency? Are you using historical data? Are you benchmarking? Does the contingency vary based on the risks unique to each project? Do

Managing Project Contingency Funds (Part 2)

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:48:08 PDT

The old adage “a penny saved is a penny earned” is just as true when it comes to construction projects as it is your personal finances. Once you’ve properly defined your project contingency budget, it’s critical that you manage that money wisely and that it’s spent just as judiciously. That is the facility owner’s responsibility – not the contractor’s or designer’s. Contingency funds can be

Managing Project Contingency Funds (Part 1): Avoiding Risk without Overcomitting

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:10:09 PDT

A “safety valve” is how California Polytechnic State University’s Associate Director of Facilities Planning & Capital Projects, Joel Neel described contingency funding on construction projects performed at the school’s San Luis Obispo, CA campus in January 2011.Most owners would agree with Neel. After all, contingency is budgeting for the unknown and unexpected. Planning for it, hope fully, means

Enabling an Integrated Project Delivery Approach and the Role of Construction Management Software

saranda@e-builder.net — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:36:19 PDT

Part 3 of 3 - a discussion on how e-Builder and construction management software enable an integrated project delivery approach. Jon: Ok. I think you bring up a few points, and, you know, technology aside, [it's been] my experience that it really is about the people; I mean, they have to make all these different tools and processes work. I kind of thought of this question that, you know, I

Construction Management Software, BIM, and and Integrated Project Team Approach

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 10 May 2011 08:05:07 PDT

In this next post (part 2 of 3) Bob expands on how technology, including construction management software, has helped him remove traditional barriers to enable a more integrated team approach. Jon: Ok. You know, I mentioned when you had taken me around the office, someone from Hathaway Dinwiddie showed me how within e-Builder he was filling out this quality form and it becomes your bible. Can

Enabling an Integrated Project Delivery Approach and the Role of Construction Management Software

saranda@e-builder.net — Tue, 03 May 2011 06:38:37 PDT

Integrated Project Delivery has been making headlines for the past 2 years. Industry thought leaders like Chuck Thomsen have written extensively on this project delivery approach (link). CMAA and COAA/AGC/AIA have also published a couple of comprehensive white papers: Integrated Project Delivery for the Public and Private Owner Managing Integrated Project Delivery Both documents provide a lot

Benefits of Construction Management Software – Visibility and Project Forecasting

saranda@e-builder.net — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:11:02 PDT

If you remember, in my last blog post Kip Edwards talked about how it’s hard to get a ‘full picture, and a timely picture’ of your capital construction program without the use of construction management software. This is what we refer to as lack of visibility. Visibility is important for several reasons, among them the ability to accurately forecast your projects’ cost to complete, and your cash

Benefits of Construction Management Software - Cost Forecasting

saranda@e-builder.net — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:22:18 PDT

The following series of posts are based on recent conversations we’ve had with executives from North America’s largest facility owners. During these interviews we discuss how they’ve overcome the challenges associated with capital project delivery, and the measurable benefits they’ve achieved through the use of construction management software. This post is based on an interview with Mr. Kip

The Importance of Capital Project Planning

saranda@e-builder.net — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:05:31 PDT

There is an old saying in the real estate business – you can’t “operate your way to success” if you make a bad deal. The long term success of a project has everything to do with the initial deal – If you bought real estate in a bad location or you paid too much – you will feel the impact of it for many years and there is little you can do operationally to overcome the issues.That’s why project

It’s all Funny When You’re Making Money

saranda@e-builder.net — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:33:43 PDT

(The importance of planning in a down economy – part 2)The title is my friend Chris’ favorite saying. When you are flush with cash, you don’t have to plan a whole lot. But when money is tight, you have to have a rigorous process in place – I talked about this in my last post. For capital projects – how do you convince your organization to follow an organized capital project planning approach?