There’s no denying that the BlackBerry and other PDAs have become a common business tool, making mobile work easier and faster. Spotting the trend, construction software vendors have designed applications that function on PDAs, and contractors are seeing the benefits. In this article we will look at several types of BlackBerry construction software systems. Most of these systems make it easier to collect data in the field and send it to the office, while others are simply wireless versions of client-based construction software systems.

Advanced Technologies Support Group

ATSG offers full IT services, including network management and application development. ATSG's Construction Solutions Pak makes it possible for construction companies to collect and manage data on their BlackBerrys.

There are several BlackBerry construction software applications in this package -- Wireless Inspection Manager, Construction Quality Manager (CQM), Construction Services Management, Construction Schedule Manager and Construction Information Library Online Server. John Heinz, president of ATSG, said each application is designed to simulate a paper system as closely as possible. “The only thing that’s different is that you’re using a handheld device, not a pencil and a pad,” he said.

The Wireless Inspection Manager was originally used by a plumber in California for pre- and post-site inspections, said Heinz. More recently, Bay Architects had custom BlackBerry construction software system built to let users take pictures and tie them into a report and to deploy property managers to inspect a space when a tenant moves out.

Standard features for the Wireless Inspection manager include wireless dispatch, data capture, inquiry and management reporting; each can be modified to suit a business’ specific needs. ATSG can also provide additional devices to accompany a BlackBerry, including those that offer bar code scanning, signature capturing, credit card swiping and receipt printing, said Heinz.

The Construction Software Pak’s CQM manages all information being captured on site. Site inspectors can enter information such as damages into their BlackBerrys and send it to the subcontractors instantly or later; workers in the office, meanwhile, can keep track of the expenses that these damages incur and send repair crews to the site as needed.

Heinz also mentioned that ATSG has the added benefit of working with Flowfinity Wireless, which also makes wireless applications. Through this partnership, ATSG does not need to write the middleware that does the wireless communication. A pre-existing form, for example, can be built for a BlackBerry quickly, but more intricate applications that require more back-end programming or user requirements will take more time. “The beauty of Flowfinity is that, depending on the complexity of the customer’s application, we can create it in a day,” Heinz said.

Westlake Software

While Westlake Software Inc. serves many industries, its AirMobility.Net Wireless Middleware is designed specifically for the AEC industry.

Alan Gould, president and CEO of Westlake Software, said the wireless middleware is not a set application -- it has an open-ended platform. Clients can send Westlake their existing paperwork or go through the production server, and have forms created for a BlackBerry with no charges for the custom development. In addition, because Westlake's software is Java-based, rather than browser-based, it can offer GPS and the ability to work offline, Gould added

Some of AirMobility.Net’s other features include time cards, photo capture and credit card reading devices, as well as dispatching and direct migration of employee attendance to payroll software. Each is designed to imitate a company’s old paper systems as closely as possible, lessening the learning curve. But in case there is any confusion, AirMobility.Net includes a wizard that can walk users through anything step-by-step.

One success story Gould offered was of a company that implemented AirMobility.Net to move dirt while building a stadium. The company was able to track where the trucks went, when they departed an arrived, the total distance they traveled and the hours the drivers logged. Another client uses Westlake’s wireless middleware to monitor the status of its billboards, using the photo capture device to record any damages, then make notes and send a report, all from a BlackBerry.

“Photos, I believe, are one of the most underused technologies in the industry,” Gould said, citing the “peace of mind that photos bring” when a contractor can physically see progress.

Gordon Ferguson, owner, partner and general manager of ELTEC Elevators Ltd., has been using and refining Westlake’s program for nearly three years. (Unlike many clients of Westlake, though, ELTEC uses Windows-based Motorola phones. Ferguson said that, for what ELTEC needed to do, the benefit of the BlackBerry was limited for his firm.)

Ferguson sought out Westlake because ELTEC's business processes were way behind the technology curve. Someone in the office would fill out customer information and send it out into the field. There a worker would write it in a notebook and fill out a physical ticket, which had to go back to the office and be re-entered for payroll and other records, he said. By working with Westlake, they can better manage construction, service, repair, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, inventory, finances and more in one integrated program.

This all makes the mobile workers' job much easier. If ELTEC gets a service call, job and ticket numbers are automatically generated, pushed out to a Westlake server and sent to the field workers' mobile phones, Ferguson said. Those field workers can display the ticket, complete it and then push it back it out to the Westlake server and back to ELTEC’s OS.

Through Westlake, ELTEC can also store customer account information, such as apartment building access codes, lock boxes and approval for charges. This eliminates any need to call the office, Ferguson said. Getting rid of paper records also greatly reduces the risk of lost information that could be seen by competitors, he added. Finally, there is a lot of value in being able to safely store construction and service records in ELTEC’s field. “If there’s ever an injury or an accident related to an elevator, you need some pretty good service records,” Ferguson said.

Other BlackBerry construction software providers

Of course, Westlake and ATSG aren’t the only providers of construction applications for BlackBerrys. More and more vendors are getting into it, giving contractors plenty of options to suit their needs.

• Data-Basics Inc. offers software for BlackBerrys and Tablet PCs called TechAnywhere. On a BlackBerry, TechAnywhere handles work orders. It can edit and update, automatically eliminate any duplicate information and notify mobile workers of incoming orders.
• QuickBooks Online is available for the BlackBerry and iPhone devices. Basically, the standard QuickBooks accounting features are available anywhere with an Internet connection.
• Explorer Software makes two wireless products -- one for any cell phone and one specifically for BlackBerrys. Explorer Maestro functions on cell phones, first generation Internet phones, Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP) enabled devices and Personal Digital Assistants, and can provide both the internet and a company’s intranet. Explorer Communiqué is designed just for the BlackBerry, and lets users check project costs, locate equipment and check equipment service requirements.
• One final example of construction software for BlackBerry devices is Pronto Forms, which is also available for iPhone or Windows Mobile devices. The software includes access to online forms as well as features like geostamping and photocapture.

Overall, any of these construction applications for the BlackBerry is going to achieve the same goal -- giving you a more efficient and productive business. They products eliminate the need for pencil and paper, reducing the chances of incorrect or lost information and cutting down on physical files. They also make managing information, whether it’s employee time cards or expenses, faster and easier. Finally, they make field work simpler with the ability to take pictures, view documents such as work orders and then send it all to the office from one device.