For construction companies, properly analyzing labor data, and utilizing the insight gained from this information, is an essential part of creating precise estimates that ensure projects are completed on time and on budget. A construction company’s data should be as accurate and reliable as possible; if it’s not, the company risks negative outcomes like cost overrun and margin erosion.

GLY Construction, a privately owned construction company based in Bellevue, Washington, relies heavily on its data to make key decisions. As an organization that understands the importance of data-driven decision making, GLY recognized the opportunity to enhance its efficiency and accuracy through real-time cost reporting technology, and move away from the semi-manual, spreadsheet-intensive process the company used for labor productivity reporting.

THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE

A staple in Washington state’s Puget Sound area, and now in its 54th year in operation, GLY has built success and influence in the construction industry due in part to the company’s ability to recognize opportunities for organizational improvement and apply necessary changes to ensure growth.

Prior to testing ProNovos, GLY conducted labor reporting through a semi-manual process that involved extracting data from the company’s Sage 300 system into Excel spreadsheets and workbooks.

Using spreadsheets for reporting carries risks GLY wanted to eliminate, and a major emphasis was put on improving data accuracy. Risks associated with using spreadsheets for reporting included not being able to globally control calculations, time-consuming maintenance requirements when updating or changing aspects of a report, and forecasts being limited to the individual spreadsheet into which forecasting data was input.

Another issue was the multi-step process. This provided a key opportunity to use LEAN principles and ProNovos’ functionality to achieve substantial efficiencies. Using automation, GLY eliminated the need to extract data from Sage 300 on a weekly basis to load into multiple spreadsheets – a change that has saved GLY a substantial amount of time and effort.

In addition, GLY’s labor reporting was project-centric, meaning labor data could not be efficiently evaluated across multiple projects. This made it difficult for the organization to gain a “big picture” understanding of its labor productivity. Recognizing an opportunity for improvement, GLY began a process to determine requirements for a solution. To conduct this process, GLY received input from members of the company that spanned the organization, including senior executives, superintendents, project managers and project engineers. After a meticulous process to determine requirements, GLY began its search for a solution.

“We contemplated a number of different approaches,” said Hough. Among the solutions considered by GLY were developing its own reporting platform, as well as a number of other third-party software solutions; however, when the company made its final decision, they chose ProNovos.

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