Does Your Construction Company Need New Equipment?
Since the onset of the Great Recession in 2008 construction companies have made efforts to manage the costs of their companies as backlog slowly decreased. In an effort to do this many companies cut costs related to their investments in new equipment, amongst many other things. As the construction industry continues to crawl forward out of the recession many companies have found that they have an aging fleet of equipment and that the day has come where putting off these types of investments can no longer be done. When evaluating the needs of your construction company you should also evaluate the options available to your business when making that decision to acquire a new piece of equipment. The following outlines the most common options when obtaining new equipment, and the underlying basic pros and cons of each option. Continue reading »
Your punchlist system is pathetic…Wake up!
On April 24, ABC-VA held a Lunch and Learn meeting about punchlists and new technology, presented by Jim Klapmust, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty Construction. If you’ve ever managed the punchlist of even a small project, you know that it can take a lot of walking, writing, typing, calls, emails, and paperwork to document, communicate, and remediate deficiencies of final work. Is it ever a smooth process?
Well it can be a lot easier for GC’s who utilize technology and have a punchlist system that starts as soon as work areas are substantially completed. Using iPads along with Vela Systems’ field management software, Balfour Beatty is driving their punchlist and issue tracking system from start to finish.
The improvements on the old way of doing things are extraordinary. This includes having a single location (website) where all parties can access punchlist items and issues categorically sorted and filtered for their own purposes. Of course the walk-throughs still need to be done, but leave all those plans, submittals, and even your camera back at the office. Your digital documents and camera can all be on your iPad.
Using the iPad you can log and label all punchlist items and issues right into the Vela Mobile page. Once back at the office your device syncs to Vela Web with the push of a button and all parties can now access their authorized information. The GC has control over who sees what and can also set up the project well in advance so all areas and parties are defined in Vela. Now all parties have one location to interact with punchlists and issues without anything getting lost. That’s a winning system if you ask me. Further capabilities include reports that can be set up to auto-generate, quality control lists and templates for issue tracking, trend tracking of issues and safety concerns, and integration with BIM software.
So if you’re a smaller GC the question may be, “is it worth it to change?” I can’t answer that for you, but I will say that the time is here to start looking at how technology can improve your punchlist system. I encourage you to look hard at your own system and look into what solutions may be right for your business. The punchlist represents money on the table, so the better you manage it the better your position.
For more information on the software visit www.velasystems.com.
Also please visit www.abcva.org.
Please leave any questions or comments below or feel free to contact me directly at amaffey@aronsonsystems.com.
Aronson Systems 2012 Brown Bag Bytes
Aronson Systems is pleased to launch our 2012 Brown Bag Bytes Series, which will occur the third Thursday of each month. These free 30-minute sessions will offer expert insight, tips and tricks for using various Sage software products, and best practices.
Still spending most of your time “in the weeds” when you should be monitoring the business. It’s time to put MyAssistant to work for you to deliver information to the people that need it when they need it. Please join us on May 17, for “Put MyAssistant to work for you in Sage Timberline Office.” To register for this session, please register here.
Clash Detection: MEP Coordination Using BIM
The Associated Building Contractors’ Virginia branch hosted a fantastic Lunch and Learn seminar recently. Given by Jesse Whalen of Balfour Beatty Construction, the session highlighted how BIM technology is transforming clash detection coordination. Jesse demonstrated how to set up the project and key players for effective clash detection, how to use Autodesk Navisworks to coordinate and build proper models, how to use the results of the program, and how to schedule a clash detection program.
For anyone new to the concept and possibilities with clash detection technology, clash detection is a pre-construction (or pre-work-in-place) tactic to model and identify exactly where designed components of construction systems may actually clash in physical space. This is of particular importance with mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades. Therefore, identifying these clashes before material fabrication and installation brings immense savings in production continuity.
We are excited to see how Balfour Beatty is taking a lead role in implementing BIM processes and look forward to continued progress in the field.
For info about the software see http://usa.autodesk.com/navisworks/features/.
Please leave any questions or comments below, or feel free to contact Andrew Maffey at amaffey@aronsonsystems.com.
What’s the Real Value of a Benefit Plan Audit?
That depends on who you ask. If you ask an employer that takes their fiduciary obligations seriously, or one that has had problems with their plan in the past, then the audit is very valuable. However, if you ask an employer that is not so in-tune with their fiduciary obligations and views the audit as a commodity that goes to the lowest bidder, then the audit is a hassle and of little or no value.
For many, a benefit plan audit is not an option:
Once a retirement plan falls into the large plan category, an audited financial statement is Continue reading »
Employee or Independent Contractor? That’s the Question in California and Everywhere Else
A business owner’s hiring of a worker as an employee has real costs beyond the wages paid to the employee. Such costs range from hard costs (e.g., payroll taxes, unemployment, health and disability insurance, etc.) to costs such as compliance with the regulatory requirements of having an employee, along with the added administrative burdens of payroll and a human resource department. In a perceived cost savings measure, some business owners have been tempted to hire workers and treat them as independent contractors. Nonetheless, the decision to designate a worker an “independent contractor” as opposed to an “employee” is not one without consequences that demand careful Continue reading »
What are your chances of being selected for an IRS tax audit?
The 2011 IRS Data Book, a compilation of statistical data and IRS activities, is out. You can read the whole book here: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/11databk.pdf or just skip to page 22 of the publication for the important stuff.
In summary, the average audit rate for individual tax returns is 1.1%. But what’s in your return can push you above the average. At the high end, those making more than $1 million have an audit instance of 12.5%. At the other end, returns for those making under $200,000 and without any business or rental activities have Continue reading »
What will the fall release of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate bring?
After attending a recent Sage futures webcast on the fall release of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (formerly Sage Timberline Office), it’s apparent that Sage is fully committed to making a big splash with this next release. Some of the enhancements currently underway include the ability to pay vendors electronically, a robust subcontractor compliance workflow, and a significant user interface (UI) uplift. Other changes that have a “reasonable chance” of making it into the software include the ability to mark records inactive – like a vendor or GL account, better integration between inquiries and Excel, and even Google map integration. While priorities could shift between now and the fall, the next release of Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate is sure to be one of the most significant update in years.
To expense or not to expense – that is the question.
Capitalization or repair expense? IRS issues field memorandum to agents.
In December 2011, the IRS issued temporary regulations that offer guidance on capitalizing or expensing costs incurred in the acquisition, production, or improvement of tangible property. Recently, the IRS’ Large Business and International (LB&I) Division issued a memorandum to field agents concerning their examination of whether such costs have been properly treated Continue reading »
Join Aronson Systems at This Year’s 2012 TUG Conference
Join Aronson Systems’ Lenni Witt and hundreds of her friends at the 2012 Timberline User Group (TUG) Conference. This promises to be a jam-packed four days full of networking and education. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best and most experienced STO users in the industry, along with some of the top certified consultants in the country. Brainstorm over lunch. Take your list of problems to the One-on-One Booth and have all your questions answered. Attend executive level roundtables that address issues that concern management today. Learn all about the new features that STO has to offer and hear Sage executives speak to the exciting, upcoming developments. Oh, and did we mention that it’s being held at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida? Just in case you want to add a few days of R&R after you fill your brain, Disney is offering discounts to its venues. You can find out all about the conference and session information at www.tugweb.com.
