Entries by Herb Brownett

How to Synergize Your Construction Fleet Management Efforts

Within the context of process improvement, “synergy” is defined as the interaction of two or more processes to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. I can think of no greater example of this than B2W Software’s ONE Platform.
I have written previously about the value and high ROI that individual B2W Schedule, Track and Maintain elements bring to heavy construction contractors. However, the interaction of all three within the unique ONE database platform creates tremendous synergy and multiplies the value for fleet management.

Make post-project reviews a more effective tool for managing construction projects

Best-in-class heavy civil construction contractors not only excel at estimating, project management and field supervision. They also learn from experience and apply the gained knowledge to future projects. Post-project review meetings are important to accomplishing this, and using an e-forms and reporting tool, like B2W Inform, to document the results of these meetings in a structured manner and make that information easily searchable is a smart move.

Get Accurate Labor and Equipment Hours to Improve Construction Cost Management

Accurate job cost reporting is essential for successful financial management but, in my experience, many companies not using electronic field logs in construction are plagued by their inability to capture two essential data points from the field. Labor hours and equipment hours, key building block of what are typically the two highest job cost items, are frequently inaccurate. This is because many contractors still rely on paper for construction time tracking and to record equipment hours.

Stopping the Hidden Profit Killer

The profit killer lurking for many contractors is unplanned downtime. This is the time, outside of scheduled maintenance, when breakdowns or emergency repairs knock a machine out of service. However, contractors with best-in-class maintenance processes supported by software like B2W Maintain can change the equation by taking unplanned downtime rates to five percent or lower.

Costing Construction Equipment Accurately with B2W Software

Best-in-class heavy construction contractors accurately cost their equipment. Doing this requires two things: an efficient method for tracking equipment utilization time on the job and an accurate calculation of what it costs to operate that equipment. The B2W Software ONE Platform can help with both.