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Backend Category: Construction Technology Initiative
New Report Indicates 55% of Service Contractors Use Software for More Than 10 Years
While nobody likes constant change, there usually comes a time for your company when you feel like you have to make a decision to stay with the same software or make a break. It is never an easy decision or one that should be taken lightly. If you visited the tradeshow at the MSCA Conference or the MCAA Virtual Tradeshow, you see new features in service software that grab your attention and you think about how nicely your company could operate with that newer, shinier software package.
Then you think about how much time and effort you have invested in what you are using. You think about the hard road ahead to shake up your operations and train staff to use it effectively. You think about how much time and money you have invested in the system you are using now, and if it is worth starting over with something else.
Let’s be clear, you are not married to your software. Nobody gets bonus points for loyalty to a line of code. It’s important to keep your eyes open if you want to stay competitive.
Still, most service contractors rarely act on those impulses to leave the software they know, and the company that produced it.
According to the new MSCA Field Service Software Report, released at the MSCA Conference as part of the ongoing MCAA Technology Series, researchers from JB Knowledge found that more than 55% of MSCA contractors have been using their current service software for more than 10 years. That’s an admirable level of dedication that exceeds most Hollywood marriages. What’s more amazing is that if you dig deeper in the numbers, you find that nearly 10% of those surveyed have been using their service software for more than 20 years!
But is this a bad thing? At first glance, you might say to yourself, ‘That is too long to be sticking with the same solution.’ This may or may not be true. Many functions of the software evaluated are very similar to each other. Most integrate with apps for tablets. Most tie into accounting software. The key is in the details. There are different levels of integration that require a varying amount of manipulation and oversight.
For example, if your software requires you to perform a daily export and then to import your field tickets into your accounting package, those are two extra steps. That not only means extra work, it means an extra chance for errors. Seamless integration into your accounting software saves steps, errors and headaches.
So, it might be well worth your time to take a look around. Read the report and see what each option has to offer. The report is a complimentary part of MSCA and MCAA membership. If your current software is ticking all the boxes, you’ll have reinforced your decision with due diligence. But if you can save your company and your employees hours of frustration, you’ll be glad you did before another 10 years roll around.
MSCA Releases Field Service Software Report
MSCA announces the release of the Field Service Software Report, fourth in the MCAA Technology Research Series, as developed by JBKnowledge. This report analyzes the current state of service software deployment and helps demystify the process for evaluating and implementing service software in an organization.
The report is based on data collected through a technology survey of MSCA members undertaken earlier this year. James Benham, president of JBKnowledge discussed the report results at a special session during the MSCA annual educational conference held in Scottsdale, AZ. The report explains features and functions members should expect to find in service software and evaluates currently available service software.
Members can download their free copy of the MSCA Field Service Software Report here.
Are Tablets Replacing Phones on Jobsites?
Six years ago, when I looked at my friend’s brand new first generation iPad, I was skeptical. I thought that this new tablet was going to be a big version of the iPhone that came out a year or two earlier. At that point, I still hadn’t bought into the usefulness of the iPhone that everyone was so crazy about and I was still plugging my way through a two-year contract on my existing “smart phone” from Verizon. I wasn’t about to pay a few hundred dollars to get out of my cell phone contract just to hop on this new fad.
When he handed it to me to just try out, my skepticism vanished immediately. Unlike the touchscreen on my “smart phone”, it was responsive. I could touch and zoom and interact with a computer in ways that I could never do before. I could see the immediate potential. After getting my first iPad, I realized it could do about 85% of what my computer did in something that was drastically lighter and more portable. It changed the way I worked. I ditched the laptop when I traveled and always spent some time on the couch at night checking on work.
I also thought about how contractors could immediately find the benefit. This new device had the potential to extend computers to the jobsite like never before. It would be able to store project files, drawings, and document conditions. Information from the office could reach the field and empower field supervisors.
It just couldn’t do it yet. In 2010, most field foremen, safety supervisors, and project managers were heavily reliant on cell phones and most didn’t have a smart phone yet. Some were still annoying their coworkers and family with the infamous Nextel chirp. It took some time for the software to catch up with the hardware potential of tablets, but we are far beyond that point now.
Six years later, mobile phones are more or less texting devices while tablets are able to do so much more. In a recently released research study, the research team from JB Knowledge took an extensive look at the software that has is connecting the office to the field. They evaluated over 20 mobile tools that contractors are already using and put simply, the software that they looked at is doing things that was unimaginable six years ago.
In the companion webinar, the study’s lead researcher, Josh Bone, said, “We are entering a really exciting time here. Getting BIM in more hands and more people, and carrying that communication all the way out to the field is helping to democratize BIM.”
It is also changing the skillset and the mindset of field personnel. For many foremen, getting a tablet is almost considered a perk. It is not anywhere near a “buck and a truck”, but more like a prestige item. This is due to the design and positive perception created around the product. A lot of this has to do with Apple’s marketing and design efforts. People begin loving their tablets even before they know how to use them.
What most field supervisors don’t realize is that a new tablet should be thought of as the latest tool. It is a phone and computer all wrapped up in one with more features and potential than any power tool. Tablets hide the conceit of productivity in the glitz and polish of a new toy. When fully enabled, field supervisors can use tablets in ways that they could never use their phones.
Some of the software evaluated in the BIM to Field Research report unlocks the potential of mobile devices in ways that were never thought of six years ago with the first tablet came out. There are programs that can overlay BIM designs in an augmented reality. Programs can track work in the fab shop. Apps that can let field foremen reshuffle the fabrication queue. Software that can get the latest designs, revisions, RFI’s, specs, and labor hours to the field and back so that design and communication is two-ways without picking up a phone.
The days of the mobile phone on the jobsite are not over yet, but what is becoming clear is that their importance is diminishing. Today, if contractors had to choose between providing either mobile phones or tablets to their field supervisors, the choice is not as clear-cut as it used to be. One argument is that nobody would bring his or her personal tablet to the job site while everyone would bring their personal phone. The other main argument is that making the investment in tablets has greater value right now. With a six-month payback period, some contractors are choosing to deploy tablets while subsidizing personal phones. They are making that choice because tablets can increase their productivity in ways that mobile phones just can’t. In a few years, you might stop seeing phones on construction sites at all. R.I.P. chirp.
Sean McGuire is the Director of Construction Technology at the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. Follow him on twitter at @mcaageek for regular tech updates.
Related Resources:
Please check out the Research Report and our recorded webinar, free as a benefit of MCAA/MSCA membership.
MCAA Construction Technology Research Series Report on BIM Software
Companion webinar featuring Josh Bone, lead author of the report with JB Knowledge.
Did You Miss Our Webinar on BIM to Field Software?
In August, MCAA released its third installment of the Construction Technology Research Series with a report on BIM to Field Software. The research, provided by our technology partners at JB Knowledge, evaluated over 24 different types of software that leverage the data from the BIM model and use it in other parts of your operations like the field or in the fabrication shop.
On Tuesday, August 23, the lead researcher on the project, Josh Bone, joined Sean McGuire, MCAA’s Director of Construction Technology for a companion webinar that provided more explanation and detail into the project. If you missed it, the webinar can be viewed by clicking the image below.
As more installments of the Construction Technology Research Series are released, additional companion webinars will be developed. Upcoming reports will focus on Mechanical Service Software, Robotic Total Stations and Safety Hardware and Software.
Podcast Features MCAA Member Andy Egan Co.
MCAA Member Chris Weaver from Andy Egan Co. Interviewed on latest Con Tech Trio Podcast
James Benham, Josh Bone and Rob McKinney, otherwise known as the Con Tech Trio, interviewed Chris Weaver, Andy Egan Company’s Director of Technology on Friday, August 12.
The podcast, which always includes the latest news on construction technology, also dove into the perspective of a mechanical contractor on virtual design and coordination (VDC) and the evolution of BIM adoption in the construction industry.
All three members of the ConTech Trio participated in this year’s MCAA Convention, spoke at the 2016 MCAA Construction Technology Conference, and James Benham is scheduled to join us again at the 2017 MCAA Convention in San Diego.
Listen to the podcast here and follow them on twitter at @ConTechTrio.
Don’t Miss our First MCAA Tech Update Video, powered by BuiltWorlds!
To better serve our membership, the MCAA Construction Technology Initiative is launching a new feature, a video series on updates in the world of construction tech. The videos are powered by BuiltWorlds, so you won’t want to miss these regular updates.
Check out the first, and future editions, of this valuable tool on our Construction Technology Initiative page. Play the video now!
BIM to Field Software Research Released — Part 3 of the Construction Technology Research Series
MCAA has now released its third installment of the Construction Technology Research Series with a report produced by JB Knowledge Labs on BIM to Field Software.
This report analyzes and compares software that links information from the office to the field by utilizing tablets, smartphones and laptops. Products like Autodesk’s BIM 360 Glue, Bluebeam Revu, Trimble Field Link and Fuzor are just a few of the two dozen softwares that were comparatively analyzed for the study.
The report is a complimentary benefit of MCAA membership and can be downloaded here.
Josh Bone, the lead author of the report provided a companion webinar on August 23 to flesh out more detail from the research. As with all MCAA webinars, participation is complimentary as part of your MCAA membership.
The companion webinar can be viewed or downloaded here.
BuiltWorlds Recaps Highlights of MCAA Construction Technology Conference
Disruptive technology, robotics, drones, 3D printing, cloud computing and storage, BIM and much more were the hot topics at the MCAA Construction Technology Conference in June in Indianapolis. BuiltWorlds, MCAA’s technology partner that presented the exhibit of new construction devices and products at the conference, captured all the speakers and their presentations in a detailed article that not only described the technologies but also how contractors are using them in operations, such as fabrication shops, and projects to improve productivity, efficiency and profits. Read the article.
Did you Miss our Webinar on the BIM Software Analysis Report?
JBKnowledge’s latest research report in the MCAA Construction Technology Research Series – BIM Software Analysis – was featured in a webinar on June 23.
Josh Bone, the report’s principal author, led the webinar and offered insights into the study findings, explained the differences in the software tested and answered questions about BIM and virtual design and construction processes and systems.
If you missed this chance to learn more about the software available for these technologies and how they can help improve your business operations and projects, and you’re an MCAA or MSCA member, you can listen to the archived webinar as a benefit of membership.
You can listen to the webinar here and download the BIM Software Analysis Report here in our Resource Center. Questions about the study? Contact Sean McGuire.
MCAA Construction Technology Conference Looks to the Future
Technology is changing the game for mechanical contractors, and 250 MCAA members have come to Indianapolis to find out how.
MCAA’s Construction Technology Conference will introduce members to the latest technologies now in use in the construction industry and just coming down the pipe from experts that include James Benham and Rob McKinney of JB Knowledge, Inc. and Nathan Wood of Spectrum AEC.
Then, participants will check out how these innovations work at an exhibit presented by BuiltWorlds. Case studies led by Chris Weaver of the Andy J. Egan Company on Integrating Technology and Britton Langdon of Modern Piping will provide more in-depth discussion and insights on how technologies are shaping project management in the office and in the field.
Breakout sessions will give participants an opportunity to exchange information and learn more about how devices could and should work to enhance business operations by improving data security and helping contractors deal effectively with owner-driven software mandates and disruptive technology.
MCAA 2016 Fabrication Conference was Over the Top
About 180 MCAA members traveled to central Texas last week for MCAA’s 2016 Fabrication Conference. Hosted by Dynamic Systems, Inc. (Austin, TX), the tour of the company’s fabrication operation gave attendees an appreciation of the company’s focus on process and productivity and dedication to providing its employees with the best possible work environment.
Attendees saw the virtual design area; machines, tools and equipment including a spiral machine, CNC plasma tables and coil line and delivery, the Vernon 5 Axis and Victaulic machine; the bar coding and basketing operation; cutting and welding procedures; quality assurance/quality control; and much, much more.
Educational sessions augmented the program. Dynamic Systems Senior Vice President Jay Rohan started off the conference with a detailed overview of the company and its fabrication operation. UA Training Director Chris Haslinger and International Representative Mark Buss shared their expertise about issues affecting fabrication operations, including new equipment, such as “Mega Stir” and other technologies that are changing the way jobs are managed in the field.
Sessions led by Amanda Comunale of Victaulic (Easton, PA) andDutch Martinez of Harder Mechanical (Portland, OR) and Lean consultant Dennis Sowards (Mesa, AZ) provided more perspectives and insights on managing fabrication processes effectively and profitably.
Attendees also had an opportunity to see the latest technologies during an exhibit presented by Autodesk, BD SysQue, Pentair, DeWalt, Eaton B-Line Series, Get the Point, Milwaukee Tool, Pipe Fabrication Institute, Team Industries, Trimble, Victaulic and Zurn.
Can Your Fab Operation Improve?
If your answer is “yes,” then plan to participate in MCAA’s next Construction Technology Webinar on May 12, Optimizing Fabrication with BIM, at 1:00 p.m.
Led by Josh Bone, BIM Services Manager with JB Knowledge, you will learn how Building Information Modeling (BIM) can help streamline your fabrication operation workflows for those willing to make the investment.
In this webinar, Bone will discuss software solutions that enable different aspects of the fabrication process and address potential limitations. He will share best practices and workflows to maximize your outputs.
It’s not too late! We already held this webinar, but you can check out the archived recording in our Resource Center.
MCAA’s Construction Technology Webinar on 3D Scanning
James Benham, who led several sessions on new and emerging construction technologies and cyber security at MCAA 2016, presented his research findings in the first of a multi-part webinar series on construction technology on April 7, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time during MCAA’s Construction Technology Webinar.
The report, which is now available, provides a comparative analysis of 3D scanning technology. In 2016, MCAA partnered with JBK Labs to release this research.
Each part of the series evaluates and compares the benefits of specific products and software that contractors can apply in their operations.
James Benham, founder of JB Knowledge and its research wing, JBK Labs, discusses the results of the first part of the study series on 3D Scanning Technology during this webinar. He explores and compares the differences in 3D scanning products, software and processes, also providing a glimpse of 3D scanning solutions that are still emerging.
If you missed the webinar, view our archived version here.
MCAA’s 3D Scanning Report Available
If you’ve been thinking about adding a 3D scanning system to your operations, be sure to check out MCAA’s report, 3D Scanning Technology – A Comparative Analysis.
The MCAA report is the first in a series of research on construction technologies that are now in use and becoming available in the near future. The report assesses various laser, non-laser scanning and photogrammetric hardware and software tools that mechanical contractors are using to map out projects.
Developed by JBKLabs, the research and development team of JBKnowledge, Inc., the report is free as a benefit of MCAA membership.