Projectmates & MJA Consulting Services present at TAPPA Conference on Cloud Based Construction Management Software in Higher Education Facilities

USA - English

• USA - English

Richardson, TX (PRWEB) April 21, 2016 -- Systemates Inc., creator of Projectmates cloud based construction management software, presented at the 2016 TAPPA Conference in College Station, Texas. Facility owners from colleges across the state gathered to learn about the significance of online construction management software to simplify the construction management process, provide a single point of reference for all stakeholders, improve transparency and accountability, and serve as a secure repository for all design and construction documentation.

Kaely Culbertson, Director of Client Services at Systemates, and Mark Alpaugh, President of MJA Consulting Services, discussed cloud technology for improved project delivery in higher education facilities. Poor communication, slow paper processes, and lack of project oversight are common program management pitfalls using traditional project management tools such as email, spreadsheets, paper, and clunky homegrown databases to track projects. Rising enrollment and the need to compete with other colleges and universities have driven many owners to adopt cloud based construction management software.

“Traditional project management methods take a lot of time and not everyone stays ‘in the loop.’ If you are not copied on a schedule, invoice, or change order and you are a decision maker, the project gets delayed,” explained Alpaugh. “With current cloud technology every team member and decision maker has project access and notifications for required approvals. Whether you are actively involved or on the fringe of the project you have immediate access to all the data you require to do your job.”

Cloud based construction management software eliminates inefficiencies, makes owners less vulnerable to lawsuits, and reduces project costs on printing, shipping, and late payment penalties. During the presentation, Culbertson highlighted the new construction of a 107,500 sq. ft. life sciences building to show the benefits of using Projectmates construction program management software.

Construction of the ground up life sciences building occurred from 2013-2015. Highlights of the university’s exemplary use of Projectmates cloud based construction management software include the following:

• Fewer late payment penalties with invoices and pay applications because payments are processed 10+ days faster.
• Fewer errors with electronic routing and approvals of contracts, proposed change orders, change orders, and invoices. Purchase order numbers, funding codes, and certified payroll information are tracked for the life of the contract and across departments from Facilities and Finance. This saved the university countless administrative hours because of reduced data entry and less “hunting down of paperwork.”
• Electronic review and approval of change orders occurred within 12.9 days on average. This is from the time the change order was entered into Projectmates and routed through at least 5 people within the Facilities department over to Finance & Treasury.
• Online collaboration with contractors, architects, and other consultants resulted in over 750 RFIs reviewed within 10 days, and over 1,200 submittals reviewed within 16 days.
• All project documentation is stored in one centralized place and controlled by the owner. For example, the architect uploaded drawings from schematic design through 100% construction documents while the general contractor was limited to viewing just the 100% CDs and addendums.
• The contractor and project managers uploaded over 3,000 construction progress and completion photos, giving university leadership unparalleled oversight into project status. Photos were uploaded right from the jobsite using laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Department of Code Services adopted Projectmates along with Facilities to streamline inspection requests, plan reviews, and permit submittals. Paper forms were eliminated. By accessing Projectmates online using tablet devices, inspectors were able to complete hundreds of building, electrical, elevator, fire, and plumbing inspections, plan reviews, and permit submittals.
• Program Reports that used to take hours to compile are accessible in real time, increasing transparency for project stakeholders including presidents, deans, and the board of trustees.

Online construction project management software also protects the owner since the organization has ownership of all project data and archives, which are available months and even years from project completion. “Legal issues and lawsuits can happen and when the attorneys request a copy of all the project documentation it can take weeks and hundreds of man hours to gather and copy everything. With a cloud based system everything is immediately available electronically for review and distribution,” said Alpaugh.

About Projectmates
Founded in 1995 by leading architects and software engineers, Systemates, Inc. developed Projectmates to equip owners and owners’ representatives with a secure, sophisticated construction project management software solution. Projectmates’ collaborative platform dramatically improves project execution, cuts costs and delays, increases accountability, and reduces risks. With its cutting edge technology, Projectmates creates one seamless platform for managing the complete lifecycle of a building, from planning, bidding, and building to maintaining the facilities. Over 55,000 users from organizations such as Retailers, Real Estate developers, Educational and Government agencies rely on Projectmates to manage billions of dollars in capital construction programs. Systemates is privately held and headquartered in Richardson, Texas. To learn more about Projectmates by Systemates visit http://www.projectmates.com.

About MJA Consulting Services
MJA Construction Services is a small privately held firm providing Construction Management, Facilities Planning and Construction Estimating services to Facility Owners and other Professional Consultants. Founded by Mark J. Alpaugh in 1995 as a sole proprietorship, the firm has provided its services to many public and private clients throughout the years. One of the firm’s most important traditions is the quality and accuracy of its cost estimating services whether it is based on conceptual plans or construction documents. These estimates are used by Owners and Architects to set project budgets they can trust on bid day. Several architects and higher education clients have retained MJA Construction services for multiple projects over the last 19 years due to the quality and reliability of our consulting services.

Kaely Culbertson, Systemates, Inc., http://www.projectmates.com, +1 (214) 217-4100 Ext: 127, [email protected]