The Value of “All-in-One”

A closer look at a software solution that manages the entire bid-to-cash cycle
Today’s savvy construction business owners are wise investors. They seek ways to maximize the resources they have, accomplish more in less time, and gain any advantage on their competition and confidently invest resources in the systems, processes, and training to achieve those goals. Now many are leveraging the value of a single, all-in-one construction software solution that manages the entire bid-to-cash cycle with powerful applications for each member on the team.
THE ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION
The all-in-one solution can include capabilities for digital takeoff, estimating, bids and proposals, project management, procurement and inventory management, financial management, job cost accounting, managing employees and payroll, equipment management, tools for reporting and analysis, and more as it fits the needs of each business. Contractors can also start with one critical component of the flexible solution and grow into using more functionality as their needs change and grow.
With everything handled in one central location, an all-in-one solution enables contractors to achieve optimal productivity and profitability across the business, as well as bridge the particular needs of estimators, accounting administrators, and project managers.
“When used by everyone on the team, the right software allows the business to efficiently manage the entire project lifecycle, communicate faster, and react smarter for a competitive edge,” explains Jim Flynn, president and CEO of Maxwell Systems. “Plus, construction business owners can know their true costs, streamline workflow, improve accuracy, eliminate redundancies, and achieve optimal project execution for maximum profit.”
FOR ESTIMATORS
Estimators choose ProContractorMX because it’s fast, accurate, and easy to use for takeoff and estimating. With dynamic and user-friendly features, ProContractorMX helps contractors to work with more efficiency, bid more jobs, win more work, and make more profit. And when a job is won, all the estimate-related data is already in the seamless solution, so the project manager and accounting manager can easily find project-related details, costs estimated, and so on to prepare a schedule, plan purchasing, and all the next steps to move the project quickly forward.
FOR PROJECT MANAGERS
A project manager can make or break a job based on their ability to manage the myriad of details associated with every construction project. ProContractorMX helps project managers more easily manage projects to stay on schedule and within budget. Plus the solution incorporates the latest technology so project managers can stay connected to real-time project information whether in the office, on the road, or at a jobsite. This allows project managers to save time and cut costs, increase control and minimize risk, maximize efficiency and productivity, better execute projects for maximum profitability, and gain insight for confident decisions.
ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE
Because project managers spend much of their time on the move, the ProContractorMX Mobile Connect application was innovated to allow access to important data via an iPad. Rather than lug around bulky, out-of-date, incomplete job folders, project managers can now easily and conveniently refer to project information at their fingertips with instant-on access.
This is a game changer for many contractors. Now able to more easily track progress of projects and be more agile in the field, project managers can better account for all aspects of a project from beginning to end, as well as improve workflow and communication for optimal project management and profitability.
FOR THE FINANCE TEAM
ProContractorMX is written for the construction accounting professional while maintaining the perfect audit trails and security all CPAs and CFOs depend upon, with superior accuracy and data integrity for peace of mind. The solution combines robust cost management with a complete line of financial reporting options to help contractors gain strict control and flexible processing of financial obligations. Having Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Project Costing, Payroll, and Purchase Orders in a seamless system ensures that commitments and payments are processed efficiently and accurately.
FOR THE OWNER
Using ProContractorMX, owners have end-to-end visibility of every project and can access valuable business intelligence at a glance, eliminating the need for them to wait for others to produce reports or dig around for details. ProContractorMX also enables owners to manage by exception with intelligent dashboards that allow them to easily identify areas of the business that need attention.
With the ability to track and measure jobs correctly, problems can be promptly identified and corrected, or even better, prevented! And by tracking true project performance in ProContractorMX, owners can be confident in the company’s performance with better insight into variance items and flexibility to apply methods in order to execute jobs for optimal profit.
MANAGING IN REAL TIME
“You can fine tune ProContractorMX any way you want to,” said Steve Martin, president of Western Suburban Concrete. “It is a complete live model of the way a job is supposed to be done. It enables us to be proactive and provide updated information to the team in the field each day. With ProContractorMX, we can extract data on a real-time basis and catch problems right away. It provides lots of checks and balances. Every bid is alive and we are always checking it.” ■
About The Author:
Dan Lehman is vice president, product management for Maxwell Systems, a leading provider of all-in-one construction software solutions for estimating, job cost accounting, and project management. For more information, visit www.maxwellsystems.com, or email dlehman@maxwellsystems.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, April 2013
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