Gulf Construction Online - RedSky IT highlights software prowess

UAE Focus

RedSky IT highlights software prowess

01 September 2010

IN CO-OPERATION with the UAE Contractors Association, RedSky IT recently held a series of software briefings for contractors to bring about an awareness about the merits of its construction software which can help them manage and control project costs.

Elaborating on the need for such software in today’s industry, a RedSky IT spokesman says: “Construction companies face the daily demand of solving technical problems, managing resources, accommodating variations to specifications, and working within tight budgets to allow them to make a profit.
“The nature of the construction process requires great flexibility but within a structured system. Many of these requirements are specific to construction including variations, sub-contract and plant management and flexibility of labour resources.
“In the past, many construction companies have recognised the need to use technology to effectively manage all these processes but they have been unable to source the right solution and have often had to depend on limited and unsuitable generic financial accounting systems.
“A significant challenge facing contractors is how to capture and gain access to reliable project cost information. Too often the flow of project data does not keep up with the construction process, resulting in an incomplete and potentially misleading financial overview of a project.
“Project managers and management in the construction industry are masters at solving problems on site, confronting technical and resource challenges head-on and constantly making allowance for variations – they have to be prepared to make decisions quickly as they are aware that any delays can have an adverse effect on the financial performance of a project or incur penalties.
“”Why then, are they often prepared to work with out-of-date and incomplete project costing information?
“The answer lies in the difficulty some companies have in capturing all project related data when it is often held in numerous separate databases, isolated systems, remote offices, individual spreadsheets and files.
“The delay in obtaining reliable financial reports, and the uncertainty of whether the data reported on is up to date, complete and accurate, can ultimately affect decision-making. But there is an alternative to relying on paper-based, resource heavy or unconnected systems. RedSky IT recognises the challenges faced by construction companies and have been working with the industry for over 30 years to provide solutions.”
At the seminars, contracting companies from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain were introduced to the concept of construction-specific software through a series of presentations and a demonstration of RedSky’s Summit 5000 fully integrated (ERP) construction software.
The audiences learned how more than 1,300 contracting companies already using RedSky IT software have benefited from using one integrated system to capture project data whilst also managing specific requirements of construction companies.
These include estimating and tendering, budgets, procurement and stores control, plant and asset management, surveying and sub-contract management, project monitoring and reporting core finance like payroll, bank and cash management, service and facility management, as well as the automation of processes such as approvals, document storage, authorisations and price comparisons.
The presentations established how each of the above processes are linked together in one user-friendly system, therefore avoiding re-keying of information, which results in reduction in effort and access to project data in real time.
The briefings also explained the flexible technical structure of the Summit system, the importance of the delivery and implementation processes and how each system is supported by RedSky IT from its offices in Dubai Internet City.
The advantages of dealing with a software company which specialises in developing and supplying the construction industry and also recruiting from the industry were also described.
With an extensive list of customers throughout the Middle East and a presence in the UAE since 1998, RedSky IT says it has a unique understanding of the requirements of contracting companies.
RedSky IT is now planning further software briefings for contractors later in the year throughout the GCC region.
The UAE Contractors Association has been representing the interests of UAE contractors since 1985 and currently has over 785 members.