Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/147234
D A Digital Society Powerful software solutions help improve efficiency and drive down costs by Stefan Dubowski Drive down costs and ramp up profits: these are the two fundamental goals every business pursues and technology plays an important role in achieving these objectives. Software and hardware can help builders, architects and engineers work more efficiently while reducing costs. The latest high-tech innovations for design and construction include applications that connect the dots between employees and expenses to improve cost management. State-of-the-art software allows architects and engineers to view and edit documents while on the go. New printing systems make it easy to create bright, clear documents that help avoid expensive and time-consuming mistakes on job sites. Behind many of these advancements is cloud computing. This is an approach in which software programs are stored on servers belonging to an application service provider, rather than on the user-organization's own servers. By accessing software remotely, companies save on costs related to application and hardware management (such as installing software updates and replacing aging servers). Cloud computing also lets users call up apps on any Internet-connected device, so people can work from almost anywhere. One company that is enabling architects to take advantage of the cloud is BQE Software Inc. In 2012 BQE introduced a cloud-based version of its ArchiOffice program. Available as a locally-hosted application or as a subscription service, this software enables architects to track revenues, to-do items and project milestones. In 2013 BQE unveiled a number of enhancements designed to make the browser-based experience even more flexible. According to Steven Burns, director of product strategies at BQE, ArchiOffice 2013's browser-based nature is perfect for architects in the field. Users can access important information from job sites or client meetings when they really need it and enter time and expenses on the spot. BQE also introduced a new version of BillQuick in 2013 – software for billing, project management and time and expense tracking. Available via the cloud or as a traditional, locally-hosted program, BillQuick 2013 now lets users manipulate Gantt charts with the click of a mouse. If the user wants to change the start date of a project, for example, but not the completion date, he or she can amend the beginning of the chart; the software automatically adjusts information in the rest of the document. What's more, a new toggle option enables users to flip back and forth between two important views: one that specifies employee hours and one that specifies revenue associated with those hours. This feature gives managers insight into the company's use of human resources and helps firms optimize staff allocation. It also enables managers to project revenues. "Business owners should aspire to have all staff hours billable," Burns says. "Our software products make every hour as profitable as possible." Profitability is the name of the game in business. Cloud solutions like BillQuick and ArchiOffice help Head in the clouds p48-51Software.indd 49 The cloud offers a new way for businesses to manage operations. But operations themselves are evolving as well. Spec writing, for instance, is becoming an integral aspect of building information modelling (BIM), which sees builders, architects and engineers working together from a single set of models for greater efficiency. To help spec writers link into BIM systems, Innovative Technology Inc. is developing a BIM specediting program for introduction later this year. This software will port BIM data into spec templates, so writers won't have to enter the data manually, explains Mike Thornber, president of Innovative Specs step forward istock Software for AEC a program that isn't ideal for them because it cost so much. Alternatively, a cloud-based CRM system costs just $40 to $50 a month and businesses can quit using the program at any time. "If you decide it isn't for you, you can try something else – and you haven't burned through $20,000 or $30,000 already," says Murrell. The cloud-computing concept isn't new – companies have been using cloud software (everything from webbased email to online sales systems) for years. But the latest push sees businesses moving particularly complicated applications to the cloud, such as CRM. While organizations are increasingly comfortable with this shift, many still have questions about how the cloud works: Where, exactly, is data stored? (The answer is different depending on the cloud service provider. Some providers store data only in data centres located nearby, others store data farther away to reduce costs.) How do we know our information is being backed up properly? Will we be able to restore the data quickly if needed? Murrell says cloud service providers have learned that it's important to have the answers to these questions, especially to impress clients who operate in the high-pressure and fast-paced construction sector. On the whole, he adds, all sorts of businesses have embraced the cloud, even for complicated programs like CRM. Companies are beginning to see that cloud infrastructure tends to be much more secure and stable than in-house infrastructure, he says. companies manage costs. According to Ray Murrell, CEO of software consulting firm Dominic Systems Ltd., businesses can save thousands of dollars and avoid certain limitations when they choose the cloud instead of conventional on-premise programs. A traditional customer relationship management (CRM) system can cost $40,000. "At that level, you're committed. You have to make it work," explains Murrell. Companies sometimes feel forced to continue using august 2013 /49 13-07-12 11:46 AM