General Contractors, Specialists, Civil & Heavy...Every type of construction company has unique challenges
ConnectingBlox offers technology services and solutions to help solve those challenges. For years construction and IT didn't fit well together - the costs associated with high technology outweighed the benefits. But in the past decade, that has changed. Software and hardware companies specializing in construction solutions have found increasingly innovative ways for technology to improve the success of construction companies. Today, new technologies are being deployed in the construction industry covering everything from back-office management to equipment tracking and maintenance to management of union and prevailing wage payroll and contracts. From concept and planning to implementation and ongoing maintenance, we can help.
According to recent studies, mid-sized construction companies frequently have no internal IT department or even a single staff member dedicated to IT support. As a result those companies often miss out on the productivity and efficiency gains offered by new technologies. A ConnectingBlox Managed Services agreement provides your construction enterprise with all the advantages of having an internal IT staff, without the high cost of dedicated personnel. We can help make you more competitive and avoid the pitfalls of shadow IT - a technical scenario where individuals within a company select their own tools regardless of company policies or procedures, resulting in poor data integration, loss of communication and a larger than normal knowledge drain in the event an individual leaves the company's employ.
If your company is ready to tackle the challenges of new technology or if you’re just not happy with your current technology landscape give ConnectingBlox a call. As the strategic source for a variety of construction technologies, ConnectingBlox brings clients a complete range of services to ensure ongoing and optimal performance without operational interruptions. ConnectingBlox's services are carefully designed to increase the stability and efficiency of construction enterprises.
Key Technologies
ERP >
Many ERP systems are now specific to construction. Read More
EAM >
EAM keeps track of your equipment and supplies Read More
Building Information Modeling ties together a project's lifecycle. Read More
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The increase of CRM software in the construction industry could revolutionize business development and empower all professionals in contact with prospects or clients to monitor relations and ultimately drive future
revenue.
JBKnowlege Construction Technology Report
Construction professionals who use 6 or more applications per day: 18%
JBKnowledge
11.9% of those users have no integration between applications.
JBKnowledge
Construction Products
Our team has experience with dozens of construction related IT products and services. These are just some of the products with which we've worked.
Traditional management systems lack the level of detail required for successful construction management. Construction requires extremely tight integration between ERP, HR and Project Management systems. Bids, document control and estimating all present unique challenges to construction IT.
ConnectingBlox has the experience necessary to help a wide variety of construction trades make the most of IT:
General Contractor
Civil & Infrastructure
Excavation
Electrical & Mechanical
Interior & Finishing
Data Center & Clean Room
Architecture & Design
Carpentry & Millwork
Home Builders
Structural Steel
Renovation
Restoration
Request Info
Computer Aided Design
CAD and CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) are key components in Construction IT. Many trades make extensive use of specialized CAD systems:
Architecture
Interior Design
Piping
Structural Engineering
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing
Detailing
Civil Construction
Railway
CAD/CAE systems are rarely effective when implemented as stand-alone tools. Because construction companies often lack experienced IT personnel, it has been difficult to realize the benefits of integrated systems. ConnectingBlox is positioned to assist construction enterprises plan, acquire, implement and support the hardware and software required to build effective CAD/CAE systems. Our experience includes industry-specific products from AutoDesk (AutoCAD & NavisWorks), Bentley Systems, PTC, Trimble and many more...
Recent studies by the University of Texas and the Construction Industry Institute concluded that CAD/CAE technology will overwhelmingly be the most important contributor to project quality and efficiency in the foreseeable future.
Estimating
Estimating is often one of the biggest challenges in construction management. Practically every trade has unique requirements for estimating, making it nearly impossible to implement a single estimating package to cover the entire enterprise. Advancements in take-off software, web services for supply and subcontractor management and improvements in job costing systems are continually making computer systems valuable tools in estimating. ConnectingBlox can help you develop an estimating process that makes the most of your tools and data.
Construction specific ERP
ERP can help construction companies plan and manage their operations more effectively than ever before. But the ERP system must be one written with the constuction industry in mind - ideally combining financial management, tool/equipment management and project management with payroll and job costing system capable of handling highly complex scenarios.
A properly implemented ERP system allows you to track each cost throughout the whole project lifecycle and make your construction enterprise more agile. But attempting to implement a system not designed for construction can have the opposite effect - it can quickly become a cumbersome process of workarounds and manual adjustments.
With over 20 years experience implementing ERP in construction environments, ConnectingBlox can help you select, implement and maintain an ERP system that will take your enterprise to the next level.
Time & Attendance
Perhaps more than in any other industry, time & attendance is a critical function to the management of construction projects. ConnectingBlox can implement time & attendance systems that allow data to be captured at the job site via mobile devices and immediately deliver accurate timesheets to your ERP/payroll systems. Capturing timesheets in the field increases accuracy and efficiency while freeing up supervisors for more profitable activities.
Know who's onsite in real-time
Capture approvals electronically
GPS verification of employee clock-in
Process payroll more quickly
More accurate job costing
Project Management
Organization is a defining quality in profitable construction enterprises. Project management software helps organize the many moving parts that make up a single job, providing a single platform to manage the companies and contractors that must work together. Construction Project Management (CPM) has a few specific requirements that may not exist in typical project management systems:
Document Management
Construction projects have many types of documents associated with them and can often require multiple levels of approvals and complex workflows. A good CPM system will provide storage, indexing and even scanning of documents with search functions to easily locate specific documents.
Jobsite Logs
Some logs can be paper-based and tie into the document management system, but future-ready CPM systems provide tools to move logs to mobile devices with electronic approvals, GPS verification and auditable timestamps.
Bids & Submittals
The bidding process requires a high attention to detail, making sure your are reaching out to the right subcontractors and tracking their bids. Requests for bids and tracking inbound proposals can be done through email, but the sheer volume of data makes management nearly impossible. CPM systems should be designed with your organization role in the bidding process in mind.
Scheduling
Scheduling is critical to every construction project, so the scheduling function of PM software should be carefully vetted. Templating is a newer feature of some systems that allows you to map out projects based upon the type and details of a job. Templates can save many hours of scheduling work if properly implemented.
CPM systems span many functions both internal and external to your organization. They should be designed and implemented with careful attention to security, storage and performance requirements. ConnectingBlox combines experience in CPM with technical capabilities to manage all aspects of a successful CPM project.
Fixed Asset Management & Maintenance
Do more with less. Control costs. Reduce waste. Complete tasks faster with fewer people. Owners and management of construction enterprises are under constant pressure to do more with less. Controlling costs, reducing waste and performing tasks with less labor hours are typical mantras. Asset management technology can be a key tool with which to address these mantras.
Inaccurate equipment reporting not only skews the profit picture, but effects overall project management and service schedules, return on investment calculations and decision support relating to the purchase of future assets.
Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) is the future of fixed asset management and maintenance. EAM combines traditional fixed asset management with CMMS (computerized maintenance and management systems) into a single view of your organization's equipment and facilities. EAM systems often include GPS and/or RFID tracking, enabling you to know where your assets are and how they are being used at all times.
Field Service, Safety & Compliance
Mobile computing has created a great opportunity to improve the field service functions of construction enterprises. With advanced computing devices, cloud services and highly configurable mobile forms, supervisors and field personnel can now record nearly anything that was previously captured on paper forms right from a handheld device or tablet. These devices can even provide GPS and photographic details to support claims or audit requirements.
ConnectingBlox has the skills to build mobile-ready solutions for your field service needs. With a broad range of development capabilities and support for nearly any mobile device on the market today, our team can harness the power of mobility to streamline your site activities.
Many ERP systems are now specific to construction. 
EAM keeps track of your equipment and supplies 
Translate paper to CAD with ease. 
Building Information Modeling ties together a project's lifecycle. 
