Six industry experts share perspectives on implementing, integrating and supporting technology in recorded B2W webcasts

From heavy construction estimating to operational workflows, software is playing a larger and larger role. To help contractors take on challenges and opportunities presented by technology, including how they can move from point solutions to cohesive, connected systems, B2W Software called on six industry experts to share insights. Three construction IT pros from heavy construction companies, and three former construction IT leaders who are now executives at B2W and its parent company, Trimble, were featured in two B2W webcasts in December. Recordings are available here.

Platform strategies

In the first session, “From point solutions to platform strategies”, managers leading technology adoption efforts for three heavy civil contractors shared insights into how their companies develop technology platform strategies, including how they assess and prioritize needs and choose suppliers they can work with.

Chris Malafa (Griffith Company), Scott Martin (Sherwood Companies) and Eric Schubert (Casella Construction) concurred that integration of new and existing applications was an overriding consideration. Their companies, with a combination of more than 2,000 employees, place a premium on how data enters and is extracted from various applications via import/export capabilities or APIs.

The three IT leaders also discussed getting buy-in for technology initiatives and how that technology can integrate teams across the enterprise, their workflows and the data that can take them to higher efficiency, quality and profitability.

Establishing cross-department teams to review technology opportunities, using formal scoring systems in the evaluation process and various training strategies were among the topics covered. The three panelists concluded by looking into the future, identifying technologies and trends they have their eyes on.

Dual perspectives

“Seeing IT from both sides”, the second B2W webcast, featured a panel that presented unique, dual perspectives on technology selection and adoption.

Doug Seyler (Vice President of Customer Success for B2W), Kevin Garcia (General Manager, Civil Specialty Solutions, Trimble) and Mike Morneau (Product Manager for B2W Schedule) now support contractors from the supplier side. However, they previously managed technology for heavy civil contractors Summit Materials, LaFarge and Pike Industries.

The trio shared insights on sorting through an expanding array of applications and internal requests to achieve cohesive, strategic solutions. They also focused on successful contractor-supplier relationships, the ingredients of successful technology initiatives and what role IT, operations and other personnel should play in the process.

In both B2W webcasts, speakers debated whether construction companies considering new technologies and process changes should move incrementally or take a more aggressive “all-at-once” approach.