Projectmates Construction Software Blog

Client Success Story: Panduit Corp & Global Project Management

Name: Jeff Skimel, Senior Project Manager Global Real Estate
Company: Panduit Corp
Projectmates User Since: 2009
Project Location: Zapopan, Jalisco, MEXICO

Project Facts: Office Renovation (29,000 Sq Ft), conversion of indoor warehouse to indoor parking (44,000 Sq Ft), + exterior site & civil improvements

What was the duration of this project?

Jeff: Approx. 8 months (08/11 thru 04/12) including design. Project was design-build to meet deadline.

What are some of the challenges you are able to overcome using Projectmates for a global project like this?

Jeff: Interestingly, there is a benefit to multilingual challenges. For example, a Spanish-only speaking contractor will submit literature for approval to a bilingual intermediary who will translate and approve through Projectmates. The site photo module is also helpful in managing from a distance.

In what way has Projectmates improved the collaboration between the project players?

Jeff: Greatly, both for domestic and international projects and for all of the major project management processes, such as submittals, RFIs, photos, financials, etc.

About how many RFIs and Submittals did you process in Projectmates for this project? Talk about the time and cost savings of using Projectmates.

Jeff: Roughly 100. Many like items were combined hence the small number. Not only does this module save time, but it would not be possible to single-handedly manage the project without the automated submittal module. In the past, we needed to print, review, stamp, sign, scan, and send approved submittals. Submittals that were not approved required the same process again.

In what ways did Projectmates help with tracking project finances?

Jeff: Projectmates allowed us to see the budget, process invoices, etc. We would like to bridge to Oracle, our main corporate financial system, for more extensive use.

Anything else you'd like to share with readers?

Jeff: Our group likes the new changes to the Projectmates software.

Image: 29,000 Sq Ft Office Renovation in Jalisco, MEXICO. Courtesy of Panduit Corp.

What's Your Pleasure? Projectmates and Browser Compatibility

For many enterprise web applications such as Projectmates, Internet Explorer has long been the web browser of necessity. Unlike basic web pages, enterprise web applications are associated with data creation, storage, and accessibility. For example, as a Projectmates user, you can update and track your budgets online, respond to that urgent RFI, and approve invoices electronically so contractors get paid.

Today, however, Projectmates is the Old Country Buffet in terms of browser choice. While it was a massive effort to make our construction management software compatible on multiple browsers, it was worth it: We don't force our users to eat Internet Explorer.

Projectmates is compatible with the most popular browsers today, namely Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer. If you're considering construction management software, know what's on the menu. User adoption is tantamount to successful implementation of any software. When users can access the software on the web browser of their choice, implementing the software is that much easier.

We’ve expanded our menu: Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer. With Projectmates, choose your favorite and be sure to come back for seconds.

Crate & Barrel Speaks at COAA Conference on how Projectmates Technology and Lean Principles Reduce Project Time by 50%

Each Crate & Barrel store is a one-of-a-kind design. Don't expect a cookie-cutter box when you visit any one of the company's 168 stores. Each store is a brand ambassador with a unique, complex design of clean lines, expansive glass walls, and open interiors in the neo-modernistic style.

John Moebes, AIA, Director of Construction at Crate & Barrel, spoke at COAA's Fall Leadership Conference this past week on his team's "Survival Mandate" to reduce capital investment 30-50% and reduce facility opening cycles 45%. Despite the difficult economy, the company has continued to build because it has adopted new strategies to cut capital investment and build time.

During his keynote session, titled "Lean It or Leave It! How Crate & Barrel Reduces Transaction Costs," Moebes outlined how Projectmates and BIM technology drastically reduce cost and project duration. Between 2006-2008, a typical building took 70 weeks to design and construct and cost millions to construct. Today, the same building takes 35 weeks to design and construct and costs about 55% of what it used to.

Moebes, who describes the construction industry's relationship with technology as generally dysfunctional, places a strong focus on the owner's need to reduce transaction costs of the AEC workflow, or the processes used to produce a building. If the processes are inefficient, the project costs more to build. In traditional construction processes that rely heavily on hardcopies, mail, and faxes, a lot of time and money is spent on redundant logs, forms, transmittals, storage, and archive costs for example.

Projectmates provides a centralized place for owners, architects, contractors, and other project stakeholders to collaborate online and gives owners strong oversight and project control. As Crate & Barrel demonstrates, Projectmates reduces project costs by eliminating many of the fees a company pays out. Moebes added, "All of these were charges to us in order to prove who had done what in a hardcopy world, but where was the value to the project?"

"What we noticed was within 12 months we had eliminated all the printing and shipping costs, except for permit sets, within our processes. A typical project was spending about $45 thousand dollars just to print and ship documents," said Moebes on using Projectmates to manage documents electronically.

Moebes discussed in detail three overarching benefits of using Projectmates to reduce the cost of handling data: 1) Increased transparency in project communications; 2) Streamlined workflow; 3) Reduced project expenses. He mentioned other value-added benefits including multiple project tracking, executive project reports, cross-project performance reports, ball-in-court reminders, extremely secure, easy to backup and archive, and integrated email functionality. 

"We have a very high sensitivity to the look of the facility…Each building we build is as important to us as the first building we ever built," said Moebes. Like Crate & Barrel, each new version of Projectmates reflects a high sensitivity to the needs of the owner in developing the best construction project management software.

Projectmates iPad Utility App for Online Construction Management Software

Since late 2010, Projectmates has been iPad friendly and fully accessible on the iPad. The app was developed to overcome an iPad limitation and provides an easy and convenient way to upload photos to Projectmates. The app integrates seamlessly with Projectmates to break the dichotomy between field and office work.

With Projectmates on the iPad, complete a punch list, update a field report, or create an RFI right from the field with the added perk of attaching photos on the fly. Plans and drawings, schedules, and even change orders can be viewed and updated in real time. Field work has never been more productive than with Projectmates and the iPad.

Click the link to watch a YouTube video demonstrating Projectmates on the iPad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnXqPwhrbIE

Brad Brown, Field Capital Project Manager for the largest home improvement retailer, walks his stores with iPad in hand to review schedules, verify drawings, create punch lists, and send notifications, all within Projectmates construction management software. When asked what he is most excited about with the new Projectmates iPad compatibility, Brown responds, “There’s no need to take my laptop with me on shorter trips. This makes me more efficient traveling from place to place in addition to the efficiencies gained while on the job."

The Projectmates mobile utility app is free and can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/app/projectmates/id463230284?mt=8

To read this full article on PRWeb click on the following link.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8917568.htm

Projectmates Launches Version 11.2

Systemates, Inc., the leader in web-based construction 
management software, recently launched its latest
version: Projectmates version 11.2. After more than a decade, Projectmates continues to be the trusted software for online collaboration and construction project management. In the latest version, Projectmates underwent a total application overhaul to upgrade the behind-the-scenes technology; business processes from change management to construction workflow have been upgraded to improve speed, workflow, usability, and increase the scope of what you can do.

"Every new version of Projectmates brings a number of enhancements. These enhancements represent our continued commitment to helping make your job a little easier," said Varsha Bhave, lead developer at Systemates.

 

Here is what you can expect from Projectmates V11.2:

• Powerful Draft Feature – The draft feature enables you to begin work on an item then save it as a draft while you continue to gather all information or double check facts.
• User Interface Improvements – With tabbed logged pages, you can immediately see what items are pending, overdue or complete. With this new streamlined layout of the log pages everything is more conveniently visible and easily accessed.
•  Image Thumbnails – With this new feature, viewing file attachments has become easier than ever. For example, photos attached with an RFI or a punch list task are displayed in thumbnails so that you can preview the image without having to open each file.
• Markup Attachments – Projectmates has always provided tools to make markups to drawings in the document management area. With version 11.2, now you have the ability to do markup elsewhere, such as in RFIs and submittals.

The New Projectmates

After years of consulting with clients on how to manage projects, the team here at Systemates has learned so much and grown by leaps and bounds. Always on the cutting edge of technology our goal is to stay in the forefront. We recently took on a project ourselves; to learn from you and how you have evolved in the new digital world.

We are happy to unveil and present to you the first step toward adapting to the new way of business at Systemates. We would like to greet you to all things digital. New business workflows enable you to access your information from anywhere any time on any device. Jot down a thought, task, or send a message to team members at the speed of light. Save as draft or finalize it. Simplified screen layouts make your decision-making process uncomplicated and the user interface makes it easy to find specific information.

Come see the new way of easier, simpler, and faster.  Let us walk together to a new destination where less is more, uncomplicated is the norm and sophistication is in vogue.  Stay tuned for a demo of all the new and exciting features in Projectmates 11.2.

Technology Review: Construction Finances

As more companies seek systems to simplify workflow, eliminate double entry, improve productivity and cut costs, Online Project Management Software is becoming the go-to solution. So, how are these solutions positively impacting the bottom line? In May of this year, Construction Executive Magazine ran a special section titled "Construction Finance" and asked leaders in construction technology to share their insights on this question. Our own Hemant Bhave, VP of Systemates, registered architect working in the industry for over 25 years and AIA member, was asked to share his insights on project management solutions.

I want to highlight some key points he made that really emphasize why construction project 
management software is a must in today's business and how Projectmates meets those needs.
 

1. Trim the Fat!
   In the construction industry, fat is paperwork, double data entry, misinformation and delayed responses. Projectmates online project management solutions trim the fat from day-to-day construction processes by bringing everyone together on a common platform.
    
2. Reduce Project Delays.
   Project delays mean less profitability. Projectmates gives you better oversight, shortened workflow processes for change orders and RFI's, automation of routine tasks, streamlined document distribution and increased accountability. With a substantially improved workflow, there is little chance to realize anything but improved productivity.
    
3. On-the-go Access.
   The need to be productive remotely is critical. Owners benefit from anytime, anywhere access to real-time information on Projectmates. Rather than waiting to get to the office, executives and project managers can act on issues from anywhere—the field, airport, or home—using a mobile device, PDA, smart phones and even the iPad.
    
4. Information at your Fingertips.
   It's time consuming to capture up-to-date financial information when it is being manually tracked in spreadsheets. Not to mention compiling reports for each project, let alone for the entire capital program. With Projectmates online solution you can get real-time reports and the latest project information is at your fingertips.
    
5. Substantial Cost Benefits.
   Construction is a paper intensive industry that spends large amounts of money and time printing and shipping. Projectmates clients experience significant savings with electronic bid distribution, and online submittals. For example, on an $8 million project, managing submittals online eliminates an average of 22,649 sheets of paper. That translates to savings of $32,000 in printing and shipping costs for submittals alone. Plus, there's an added benefit: With shop drawings that used to take three weeks are turned around in seven days. With those kinds of stats, can you really afford not to have a web-based capital project management solution?

For the full article published in Construction Executive Magazine follow the link below. http://www.constructionexec.com/Issues/May_2011/Special_Section2.aspx?pageNum=2

I Spell, You Spell, ieSpell!

Throughout your project, lots of information is being input and sent out through Projectmates. Imagine you just wrote a very thought out meeting minute, or a detailed response to an RFI and, with all the other things going on around you, you accidently typed consruction, vechile, or "the supplies were left by the toad"! While it's good for a laugh, you probably don't want to make spelling mishaps a regular occurrence. Proofreading is always good but, let's face it, we don't always have time and we can easily miss things.

I did a little research on spellchecking tools to try and find the best to work within a browser. And the winner is: ieSpell! If you're looking for a good spellchecker for Projectmates and personal use, this is my recommendation. It's free, simple to download, takes up minimal storage space and has some cool features. The real deal clincher for me is that it works great with HTML formatted boxes, which is in several modules within Projectmates like Meeting Minutes and Discussions. Various other spellcheckers like Google's spellchecker will not work with HTML formatting. Another added benefit to installing ieSpell is that it does not add another tool bar and passes our compatibility testing with flying colors. So if you're ready to make life a little easier, check out the following site to review and download ieSpell: http://iespell.com/

If you can guess how many times I used spell checker writing this, I will send you a free Blogger T-shirt! Just leave a comment with your guess!

Disclaimer: This is a 3^rd party shareware not related to Projectmates in any way.  This is intended for personal use not commercial and should be taken as such.

The iPad - Bringing Another Cool Factor to Projectmates

In business today, and particularly in the construction industry, accessibility and usability are key for a business to be productive. With our new version release we have expanded the platforms on which clients can access Projectmates to include the iPad. Projectmates clients couple the portability of the iPad with the accessibility of Projectmates to save time and bring efficiencies to work done outside the office. No need to lug your laptop around with you: review your schedules, create RFIs, verify drawings and send notifications, all within Projectmates right from your iPad. No need to download any apps just launch Projectmates in Safari, the iPad's default browser and, voila, your off and running. With the accessibility and ease of Projectmates and the cool factor of the iPad, daily tasks can be simple and fun!

Here at Systemates we strive to stay on top of trends and client requests in order to continue making Projectmates the leader in web-based construction management software. With expanding our client's choice on how and where to access Projects we give them the tools to use Projectmates to its fullest potential.

Custom Forms in Projectmates

Impress your project team with Projectmates Web Forms

With Projectmates 10.2, you now have the ability to build custom forms yourself without any programming knowledge. Quickly and easily integrate electronic versions of forms unique to your project or company.

Why create forms in Projectmates instead of MS Word?
Integrating project forms into Projectmates lets you quickly view and sort multiple form entries, create an online approval process, attach files, and control access to form information. Forms are centralized and can be accessed 24/7 in Projectmates. 

 
 Common Project Forms:

• LEED Tracking
• Inspection Report
• Safety Report
• Project Survey
• Close-Out Report
• New Store Setup
• Test Report
• Infection Control (Healthcare)
• Travel Request

This new feature is both flexible and easy to use, so go ahead and get started today!! Call Projectmates Support if you would like to setup a personalized training session on creating custom forms.