Insurance | Construction Software Review

Features of the best document imaging software

There are several characteristics shared by the best document imaging software. Here we point out what they are. (For a refresher, our previous section shared the expected benefits of using a document imaging software system.)

The advantages of document imaging software systems

What can you expect from a document imaging software system? First of all, the things you do every day -- tracking employee time to jobs, assessing job progress through reports and checklists, understanding how materials are being used, and responding to partner needs such as change orders and payments on invoices -- should move more quickly, and have a level of accuracy greater, than what you previously experienced.

When to buy document imaging software for your business

This section of our buyers guide provides considerations for analyzing existing paperwork processes before buying document imaging software for your construction business. (For a refresher, the previous section of our buyers guide explored what document imaging software offers to the AEC industries.)

An introduction to document imaging management software

The first section of our four-part buyers guide to document imaging management systems identifies the problems and business processes that these products aim to address.

Document Imaging Software Buyers Guide

The use of document imaging software can help architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms get a grip on the thousands of pages of papers generated and disseminated during the construction process. Our Document Imaging Software Buyers Guide describes how these systems work and how they can benefit AEC firms.

Construction software for mobile devices

As cell phones and other mobile devices become tiny computers, the software that offers that expanded functionality is spreading faster than viruses on an unprotected PC. But even though there still aren’t a bevy of applications written specifically for AEC pros, there is much software for mobile devices that will simplify life in the field and beyond.

Project Document Manager (PDM) by McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction's Sweets Project Document Manager, or PDM, helps contractors bid on construction projects. Through this PDM software, a contractor can automate the process of prequalifying a subcontractor for a particular job by logging the sub's licensing information, business classifications, credit references, insurance information and OSHA logs, among many others.

Sweets Network by McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction's Sweets Network helps contractors compare a wide range of products, from windows and doors to light fixtures and wall panels. The Sweets Network also provides specific product pages for residential, landscape and facility construction, as well as for Canadian contractors. Finally, the Sweets Network links to resources such as industry standards, specification services, construction cost estimating guides and international construction product list partners.

Dodge by McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction's Dodge is a database that lists more than 600,000 construction projects in the United States. (McGraw-Hill's editorial staff enters project information into Dodge.)

Subscribers to McGraw Hill Construction's Dodge can filter those projects based on geography, construction type, ownership type or dollar range. Search results, which display information such as project principals, project status and digital versions of plans, can be emailed, exported to applications such as Meridian Prolog or saved to a user's private plan room.

CheckMate by EDP - Dynamic Systems

Dynamic Systems' CheckMate bar code tracking software suite comes in three flavors of interest to contractors -- Fixed Asset Tracking, Tool and Equipment Tracking Software and Document Tracking Software. Both use bar codes to monitor the status of an item, whether it is a piece of machinery, a desk chair or a folder.