All contractors should now be focusing on producing better estimates, and ensuring closer control over projects and better monitoring of earned value and cash flows to gain a competitive edge in today’s construction market, says award-winning company Construction Computer Software (CCS).

The software specialist has helped numerous companies in the construction industry improve business efficiencies in a time-managed, cost-controlled environment with greater control of key project processes.

“At times like this, ‘cash is king’ and CCS products are designed to give management the tools they need to control their cash effectively,” says Ian Hauptfleisch, general manager, CCS Gulf.

CCS was awarded the Middle East Construction Software Application of the Year at The Big Project and BGreen Awards 2011 held in Dubai last year.

The company’s leading software offerings Candy – a construction estimating and project control system – and BuildSmart – an ERP (enterprise resource planning) construction accounting and costing system – have become construction industry standards in the region.

The company’s closely-related software products are designed to fulfil all the needs of construction contractors and although the systems are highly scalable (multinationals down to one-man consultants), they are aimed at contractors operating on many projects simultaneously, says Hauptfleisch.

“When handling many projects at the same time, contractors face difficulties relating to the sheer scale of items, projects and schedules,” he explains. “It’s not a linear relationship. As size increases, inter-relationships increase exponentially. Very soon management and control are outstripped not by the volume, but by the number of inter-connections. Where margins and schedules are tight, things can go pear-shaped very quickly, and that means unexpected loss of profitability. No one likes that kind of surprise. So that’s where we come in…”

CCS Candy and BuildSmart together include modules for estimating, planning, valuations, forecasting, cash flow, procurement, accounting, wages, plant, yard and stock management and document control. Separately, these are available from a myriad of suppliers, but what distinguishes CCS from all other software offerings is the degree of interconnectedness of these modules, he emphasizes.

This highly scalable system seamlessly integrates all functions and stages of the construction processes and is entirely focused on and designed for construction – it is not a set of relational databases pressed onto construction people.

BUILDSMART

BuildSmart is a web-based ERP construction orientated accounting and costing business solution, comprising integrated procurement, accounting and wages modules and a host of added features to cater for the specific needs of contracting companies, including plant, yard and store management, subcontract management, document control, business intelligence, HR (human resources) and time and attendance. Compared to typical accounting ERP systems, it is not derived from conventional business principles but is designed for the unique demands of construction.

CANDY
Candy consists of integrated and highly-scalable modules for estimating, planning, forecasting, cash flow, on-site valuations and earned value management (EVM). Seamless integration of analytical estimating and critical path planning generates estimate forecasts and cash flows, while the valuations and earned value modules track and monitor progress and performance of the contract for the contractor.

The construction estimating and project control system is an essential software application for the estimation, management and planning of all construction projects, from estimating through to tender award and ultimately, final account. At the office or on site, Candy streamlines all construction-related processes, providing the accuracy and increased productivity required by construction professionals to improve margins, minimise risk and deliver on time, Hauptfleisch says.

SATISFIED CLIENTS
Over the years, the company has built an impressive list of customers in the GCC, including El Seif, Al Arrab, APPCO, ALEC, Habtoor Leighton Group , Al Futtaim Carillion, Dutco Balfour Beatty, Al Naboodah, Al Jaber, Gulf Contracting, Qatar Building Company, Bilfinger Berger, Murray & Roberts, Midmac, Contrack, Khansaheb, Laing O’Rourke, Larsen & Toubro, Douglas OHI, Saudi Oger, Al Khodari and Al Yamama.

Among the latest contracting companies to adopt CCS’ software is A A Turki Corporation (ATCO Construction), which has been using Candy for estimation and valuation since November 2011.

Despite having added the software recently to its operations, the company intends to undertake planning of all future projects using CCS, according to Wynand Moolman, ATCO Construction’s commercial manager.

Apart from the software’s excellent performance and user-friendly features, Moolman says CCS also offers an outstanding training package and is highly professional in its training.

The Saudi-based contractor has already used the software on a project in Ras Al Khiar for Samsung Engineering at the Ma’aden Aluminium smelter.

The company is also in the process acquiring further software from CCS.

Another company that CCS has added to its client list is Al Arrab Contracting Company. The contracting company’s tendering and estimation manager Nazem Nazzal is highly appreciative of the support CCS provides to its customers.
“CCS is always ready to support and Candy is a great software,” he says.

The company, which has been using the software for more than a year now, performs its new projects estimation using Candy. In addition, Nazzal says, Al Arrab has also started the planning and cash flow (with the software) and intends to start training on that soon. Numerous customers vouch for the efficiency and user-friendliness of the software. One such customer is Mohammed Barrish, senior planning engineer with leading Saudi-based contracting firm El Seif, who says CCS software is very handy and easy to use.

“The training offered by CCS is very advanced and useful, where we can solve most of the problems based on constructive discussions and detailed analysis,” he adds.

CCS, he says, is an excellent company to deal with as it gives top priority to client support. 

El Seif has been using both Candy and BuildSmart for estimation, planning, valuation and accounting since the end of 2010.

Barrish says his company is still in the initial stages of applying Candy to its projects. Nevertheless, he believes, it is a good software with many useful features, and is hoping to achieve the full benefits of it once the company has had the opportunity to properly apply it to a project under development and achieve the preferred analytical results.

Barrish is looking forward to deriving the full benefits of Candy and Build Smart.

Another satisfied Saudi-based customer Mohamed H Feasha, technical projects manager of APPCO, which has been using Candy software for two years now and is quite satisfied with the results. APPCO, part of ACWA Holding, is a leading EPC pipelaying contractor.

Feasha says the Candy software has helped his company overcome challenges involved in the construction of pipelines and district cooling systems.

“We are using Candy in estimation tendering. It not only covers our requirements but CCS’ team is always ready to cooperate at any time online,” he says.

HISTORY

CCS originated in Cape Town, South Africa, and first developed its Candy estimation and project control software in 1978. CCS was first used in the Middle East by British and South African construction companies in the mid-90s and supported by CCS offices in the UK and South Africa.

CCS products are designed and developed from the bottom up for the construction industry and professionals by construction industry professionals, Hauptfleisch says, adding that the  company’s emphasis is on people and their tasks at hand, not technology for its own sake.

CCS provides the complete construction enterprise solution through adopting a “best-of-brands” approach by integrating the essential elements of budgetary or allowable control and cost accounting to provide contractors with real-time, reliable, auditable, accurate and activity-based comparative analysis of costs and allowables, the essential information that determines the success or failure of a construction venture for the contractor.

Its support staff comprises experienced and industry-qualified personnel offering 24/7 technical and administrative telephone (toll free and mobile), email and fax support from within the UAE, backed up by an international help desk and online support log.

Hands-on training and consultancy are the company’s other means of support. Candy and BuildSmart have different training requirements. Candy training usually takes place in a classroom-style environment followed by on-site consulting. With BuildSmart, on the other hand, being a full business ERP solution, training and consultation is initially carried out during implementation, departmentally and using a hands-on approach.

Standard Candy training course topics include: construction estimating and valuations; construction planning and programming; integration of estimating and planning: and construction valuations and commercial controls.

REGIONAL MARKET

CCS established a permanent presence in the UAE with an office, local representation and support personnel in 2003. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is supported by its office in Dubai and distributors in Bahrain and Lebanon.

Commenting on the market and business, Hauptfleisch says: “In 2009, considering the downturn in current and proposed construction projects, we obviously lost a number of active systems worldwide but our market penetration still increased. So, really we haven’t suffered much – it’s at precisely times like these that contractors really need close control of their work. 2010 proved a much better year for us in terms of net sales, especially with the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman taking advantage of the post-economic crisis situation, while the UAE also showed promising growth. In the UAE, I believe infrastructure developments will drive the market going forward while the other GCC and MENA countries have a unique opportunity to forge ahead in the commercial, residential and infrastructure sectors.

“Resistance to change is always a factor but contracting companies have learnt from their mistakes - that insufficient monitoring of project processes leads to uncertainties as to profitability. It is right now that all contractors should produce better estimates, and have closer control over projects and better monitoring of earned value and cash flows.

“The recent global economic crisis highlighted the consequences of laxity of control systems in boom times. It is precisely at these financially uncertain times that CCS can aid decision-making processes, keeping tendering, procurement and numerous construction project variables under tight control, enabling better decisions with better information produced at the right time. Current conditions globally and in the Middle East present various challenges but also unique opportunities to streamline your business processes and controls,” he adds.

NEW PRODUCTS

Product development and upgrade is an ongoing process at CCS. “The industry continually re-invents itself and our software must adapt to changing times and even lead, when necessary,” Hauptfleisch says. “We are also entirely focused on one set of customers – contractors - and providing them with the best construction control and accounting systems possible. We add to our systems rather than release new products. This is principally because our sales model is one of monthly rental, so we are not driven by off-the-shelf sales of software like other companies – having to continually release new versions in order to generate revenue. We have been in this game for 30 years – adapting to changing methods, adding new modules, improving the systems all the time. Our clients get all this benefit painlessly, without having to continually review and re-purchase their software systems and, more to the point, having to re-train staff.”

Among the new Candy features coming soon are:

· A comprehensive, user-friendly subcontract management system to measure and control work done and payments to subcontractors;

· Integration with document management system workflows and collaboration;

· e-Takeoff for integrating electronic 2D drawings and 3D models for quantity take-off and revisions.

For product distribution, the company recently set up its first office in India and has already secured some prominent clients, including Larson and Toubro,  the largest construction company in India.

“In terms of individual client use, both Candy and BuildSmart are extremely versatile and powerful systems and we often find that organisations under-utilise the software. Full use of these control systems brings massive improvement in productivity and profitability, so part of our forward customer interaction is to assist our clients to realise the full potential benefits to their company through the proper use of our products, without buying add-on products,” he concludes.