Based on the recommendation of its senior estimator, who had used the program at a previous job, Hamel Builders bought Prolog 7. The company uses the project management software for numerous tasks, among them creating transmittals, tracking drawings and specifications received, creating drawings lists, creating and track RFIs (requests for information) and responses, and logging meeting minutes and conversations. Prolog 7 also also houses Hamel Builders' contact database.

"We are starting to explore the bid list and associated functions, but haven't really implemented that yet," said Megan Hamel-LeBlanc. "The project assistants utilize the program for tracking submittals, writing contracts, etc."

Hamel stated that Meridian Prolog project management software saves time and money on every project the company has, particularly administrative processes. She explained, "Time is saved because you can duplicate things easily, without having to recreate the wheel. For example, if you are sending the same information to a bunch of people, you only have to create one transmittal, then you can duplicate it to everyone. I can't give you a monetary amount, but we send out on average 100-200 drawing packages per project, and we have to make a transmittal for every one of them. If I had to hand write them all it would take at least five minutes per transmittal. With Prolog 7, I can make one electronically, in roughly two minutes, and duplicate it for all the subcontractors in that trade. I would say just that function saves about a day and a half of work."

For all its benefits, however, Hamel would like to see the reporting features of this more versatile and user friendly. There are also functions Hamel Builders does not yet use but would if users could easily manipulate what information is shown in some of the different reports.

"For example, our entire contact database is in Prolog. If we could have a report that would allow us to choose who we want to contact and all of their information (phone, fax, email), and have it all in a list sorted by discipline or the spec sections that we want them to bid, it would save us a lot of time," she said. "Right now we flip back and forth between Prolog and Excel to make this list. If we could just click on all the contacts we want included and then export the list to Excel it would save at least half a day of work. The information is all in Prolog, and you can create just about any reports that you want with it, we just don't have the capability in-house to customize as well as we would like."

The project management software was already in use when Hamel began working with it, and it didn't take long to get up to speed. "I was trained by a co-worker and it was pretty easy for me to learn the basic elements, [though] if I had had a class by a certified instructor, it would have been even easier," she said. "Anyone can be trained, if he or she is willing to learn. Once you get the hang of where everything is you can use the basic elements. For the more advanced elements, reports and such, you would need advanced Prolog training."

Overall, Hamel would rate Prolog 7 as an 8 out of 10 and would recommend it to any construction company, specifically general contractors.