How custom software can benefit construction business?
Automated time-tracking software for a group of construction companies
Customer
Alpha Milling Company is a technologically advanced and specialized heavy civil contractor that provides premier asphalt recycling, soil stabilization, and heavy haul trucking services throughout the United States. Alpha Milling, along with its sister companies, Midstate Reclamation & Trucking and Coughlin are qualified in many areas of construction and reclamation and utilize the most up-to-date technology and equipment the industry has to offer.
Challenge
The Customer is comprised of three construction companies using two different accounting systems, Sage 300 Construction and ComputerEase, and each works on a number of projects with many remote sites in multiple states.
The three companies need to track time with separate overtime rules for each company and state, to calculate payroll with minimal user effort. Their workflow requires that management approve overtime before importing it into the accounting system. Employee work time with different overtime rule combinations based on company and state as well as equipment usage need to be imported in two accounting systems.
Previously, all data related to work hours and equipment was recorded on paper. The paper-based method was error prone and took a substantial amount of time to complete.
Data entry, for accounting personnel, can be tiring and monotonous work that is susceptible to human error. Because of this, the customer wanted an application, used by field workers, that would aggregate the labor data for accounting purposes.
Pixis Software was chosen among other software development vendors to help the Customer overcome their challenges by developing a fully integrated solution for field employees, managers, accountants and administrators. The customer chose Pixis Software because of its expertise with Sage 300, accounting integrations and web applications.
Solution
The Pixis app development team of 1 project manager, 3 fullstack developers, and 1 QA engineer kicked off cooperation with the Customer, launching a project to develop and a role-based time tracking system.
The solution was designed to streamline the companies’ workflows and accounting requirements. Increasing their speed and security with time tracking from start to finish. For this project, Pixis used a two-week sprint development cycle to commit completed work in every iteration. This approach gave the client the opportunity to test and provide feedback from the very beginning. Quick feedback helped to improve and develop the functionality of the initial project to a customized software solution that satisfies the needs of all 3 companies.
The application provides the users the necessary access, interface and functions based on their role.
Workers from each company can track their data with the job info they need in the mobile-responsive web application; managers can review and approve combined (aggregated) data; accounting can import data in formats supported by their systems, Sage 300 CRE and ComputerEase.
Results
A set of companies who are already leaders in the heavy construction industry, with this technological advantage, can now focus on performance and business goals with fewer operational hassles. Operational excellence provided by the latest technology helps these companies thrive to success.
Technologies and tools
- Frameworks & libraries: .NET Core 3.1, Angular 9.1, PRIMENG
- Build and deployment: Jenkins
- Database: MS SQL Server
- Additional: Synchronization with Sage 300 and ComputerEase