Adapting Constructw@re Project Management Software to a Mechanical Construction Class

 

Daryl L. Orth

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN

 

Belinda Long

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN

 

Since the late 1990’s, web-based project management software has been created specifically for processing, controlling, and communicating the data and information essential to the successful completion of a construction project.  This has prompted an investigation into developing a means for implementing Constructw@re web-based project management software into the curriculum so construction management students can be exposed to it.  The initial objective of this investigation was to examine how to implement Constructw@re into the construction management curriculum.  This paper will discuss how Constructw@re was implemented into a senior level mechanical and electrical project management course.

 

Key words:  Constructw@re, web-based project management software, construction curriculum

Introduction

Introduction of new technologies to the construction industry challenges educators of construction management programs to develop methods of incorporating these new technologies into the curriculum.  Within the construction industry, the development of web-based project management software such as Constructw@re presents such a challenge.  Since the late 1990’s, web-based project management software has been created specifically for processing, controlling, and communicating the data and information essential to the successful completion of a construction project.  There is growing evidence that web-based project management software may be the norm in construction management practice by 2005 (Parson, 2002).  This has prompted an investigation into developing a means for implementing web-based project management software into the curriculum so construction management students can be exposed to the software.

 

Listed below are several benefits of using web-based project management software:

1. Communication costs (e.g., printing and shipping) are reduced,
2. Turnaround time for documents requiring approval is decreased,
3. A web-based project management system eliminates the duplication cost to produce a drawing and deliver it to the appropriate party(s),
4. Web-based project management systems provides concrete documented information and records of who saw what and when which is priceless,
5. Employee time spent on administrative work can be reduced,
6. Web-based project management systems provide standardized tracking systems that promote better communication, create valuable records and eliminate redundant correspondence,
7. A construction project is completed earlier than would be typically expected because of shortened approval periods for submittals, RFIs, and other development and construction documents requiring approval,
8. All records and entries that are updated are done so in real time, ensuring that all participants that they are working with the most current information, and
9. There is no longer a need for duplicate record-keeping because all documents are posted and logged in the system, which also eliminates the preprinted forms that take up so much room and drastically reduces the time it takes to search through stacks of paperwork for a desired document.

 

 

Constructw@re

 

Constructw@re was chosen for this project for several reasons.  First, because Constructw@re’s client list includes 80 of ENR’s top 400 contractors.  Many of whom actively recruit graduates from construction management programs including ours.  Second, Constructw@re was also the winner of the September 2000 “Shootout” held in Dallas and Houston, Texas between five of the construction industry’s top eBusiness providers.  The “Shootout” was hosted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and provided product evaluation of the web-based project management systems of Cephren, Buzzsaw, Primavera, Meridian, and Constructw@re.  The systems were rated by project owners, architects, contractors and subcontractors according to ease of use, functionality, value vs. cost, and reliability (Associated General Contractors, 2000).  Third, is due to the fact that the authors had access to a local contractor that was using Constructw@re that would provide the authors with manuals and technical assistance when it was required.  Fourth and probably the biggest reason for using Constructw@re, is that the software did not cost anything.  Constructw@re donated the software and server space and provide the department with 60 user licenses.

 

Constructw@re is hosted on remote servers by Application Service Provider (ASP) Emerging Solutions, Inc. and is accessible from any location where Internet access is available.  It provides a forum for the exchange of documents and maintenance of project information as well as a number of specialized reports and process tracking modules designed exclusively for the construction community. The ASP method of providing software and hosting a project site essentially utilizes the Internet as the Local Area Network (LAN). This eliminates the need for onsite involvement of information technology (IT) professionals because updates to the systems software are automatically and immediately incorporated when loaded on the Internet by the ASP provider.  Additionally, Constructw@re does not require any of the client’s server space and will operate over dial-up connections and broadband connections such as DSL and T1.

 

The initial objective of this project was to examine how to implement Constructw@re into the construction management curriculum.  Constructw@re was first implemented into a senior level mechanical and electrical project management course.  This course was chosen for a couple of reasons.  The first reason is that the class size is relatively small with a maximum of 24 students.  This helped make the learning process of Constructw@re manageable, so the authors and students did not get overwhelmed with Constructw@re.  The small class size was also important because the authors did not receive any formal training on Constructw@re.  Any problems that were discovered were solved by trial and error, calling Constructw@re, or contacting our contractor contact.  The second reason is that documents such as daily logs, RFI’s, meeting minutes, daily logs, submittals, etc. are covered in this class.  For these reasons, this seemed to be the perfect class to implement Constructw@re for the first time.

 

As with any secured software program, access to Constructw@re’s project management web site is controlled by a login screen that requires a unique username and password.  Once inside the system, access to each module, and the documents and data within modules, is restricted or granted by the supervisor (in this case, the course instructor).  The supervisor account is established solely for the purpose of maintaining the client’s Constructw@re site and for creating and maintaining user accounts.  The supervisor account cannot utilize project specific functions within the program.  The supervisor controls access, as well as viewing and editing capabilities, by assigning appropriate permissions to each user.  Permissions may be assigned individually for each separate module, or user profiles may be created for particular groups of individuals.

 

Constructw@re does not have an easy means for students to self-register.  To minimize the data entry required by the instructor, a single user account was established for the purpose of conducting a mass registration of students during a single class period.  The self-registration account was created under the contact name student and given the user login of college student.  This user profile was established so each student could set themselves up in Constructw@re as contacts and create their own user login and password.  Otherwise, the instructor would have to establish a login and password for each student and assign him or her a user profile.  After the students were registered, the account was deactivated to prohibit students from creating additional user accounts and creating or altering assigned user profiles.

 

The function Quick User Setup within the User Maintenance section of the Maintenance module provides a concise means for entering new contact information and immediately assigning the contact a project and permission profile.  By having the students self-register, the instructor could walk the students through the process and have them chose the student profile.  This also allowed the instructor to explain the Constructw@re System.  The self-registering also allowed the students to enter their current information such as home address, telephone number, and email address. Additionally, new user accounts can only be created through the Supervisor account that is created by Constructw@re for the client.

 

Creating user profiles provides the instructor with a less complicated means of controlling access to the site. This method allows the instructor to create a profile name i.e. student, and select and save permission levels from each module to that profile.  During the user setup phase, the desired profile can then be selected from a drop-down list and the permissions currently assigned to that profile are automatically applied to the user.  Additionally, a change to a profile’s permission settings will only apply to users to whom the profile is assigned following the change. To update the change for all users with a particular profile, the profile must be reassigned to each individual following a change.

 

For this project, the authors created a student profile that limited student access within the site.  The file structure and options presented to a user are tied to the permissions they have been granted by the site administrator.  However, because the software is designed for the management of projects, some access to project related details must be granted in order to allow the user to access and utilize those functions. 

 

Constructw@re is designed to perform specifically as a project management tool.  Meaning that each module in Constructw@re such as Bid Management, Project Information, Document Management, etc. will not function unless the student is assigned to a specific project.  Therefore, either a specific course assignment or the course itself must be established as a project to incorporate Constructw@re into a course.  In addition to assigning each student to a specific project, the students must also be affiliated with a company before they can be assigned the permissions that will allow them to access the system.

 

Once the students were registered on Constructw@re, they were able to receive and respond to project related documents that are course assignments.  Constructw@re allows for the submission and/or posting of a wide range of project documents and provides an option to automatically notify the recipient of this event.  The recipient will receive a notice of the posting within the Constructw@re system via an internal messaging function.  The recipient will also receive another message of the posting that is sent directly to the user’s outside email account.  Outside email accounts are automatically accessed by the system from the database that is created for each user or student during the initial user setup.  Each user or student can update his or her own information as the need arises through his or her Personal Organizer module.

 

The authors focused on developing a project management site exclusively for the purpose of presenting and submitting course related assignments and requesting additional information regarding those assignments. These tasks can be fulfilled through the Transmittal function within the Document Management module and the Sub RFI function within the Subcontractors module.  An example assignment is making a change to a drawing that requires the student to perform a change order.  The assignment and drawing can be sent to the students through the Transmittal function that allows all the students to read the transmittal and view the drawings.  The drawings and transmittal can be printed if desired.  If the student needs additional information, he or she can use Constructw@re’s drawing tools and cloud in the section where additional information is requested.  The student will make their request through the Sub RFI function in the Subcontractors module.

 

For this assignment, the project name was Test Project.  The course instructor was set up as the project manager for a general contracting company called general contractor.  The students were associated with a company called subcontractors.  The students were defined in the system as being a subcontractor.  There were several different assignments that had the following objectives:

1. Create, send and receive email.
2. Create and send daily logs.
3. Create and send agenda and meeting minutes
4. Create and send RFI’s.
5. Attach and send construction drawings.

 

The first course assignment was a transmittal from the instructor, who is setup as the general contractor’s project manager, that had a mechanical drawing for a remodeling project attached to it.  The students were required to estimate the lineal feet of underground piping for the domestic water system.  This required the students to access and view the attached mechanical drawing.  Constructw@re allows drawings to be viewed and printed through Brava.  The students had to respond with an RFI because the drawing did not show the size or type of pipe as well as where the water line entered the building.  Because the students were setup as subcontractors, they created the RFI from the Subcontractor’s module.  The Subcontractor’s module contains a template for the creation of a RFI’s.  This template will automatically address to the default recipient, which is the instructor or general contractor.

 

Although Constructw@re ranked well above Meridian’s project management tool in ease of use, in the Texas Shootout, the authors thought that Constructw@re’s user interface was difficult.  Maybe this was due to the unfamiliarity of several icons and the processes for maneuvering through the file structure and input screens.  Before any work could begin on adapting the program to the classroom, several days were spent gaining familiarity with the system.  Overall, all the students liked Constructw@re and wanted to learn more about it. It helped that some of the guest speakers mentioned using Constructw@re for some of their projects.  Additionally, some students have inquired about performing an independent study on the use of Constructw@re.  Also, one individual even received a job offer because they were familiar with Constructw@re

 

 

 

Regardless of the web-based project management system used, there is value in familiarizing students to web-based project management software.  Further assignments need to be developed to explore additional ways Constructw@re or other web-based project management software might be incorporated into classroom.  One example would be to have different students acting as a project owner, design professional, general contractor, and subcontractor with each member having the appropriate permissions and responsibilities for processing an RFI.  This would provide an opportunity for the students to follow the RFI process completely through the system and gain an understanding of how Constructw@re documents, processes, and maintains project data.  Additionally, Constructw@re has several other modules such as Bid Management, Cost Management, etc. that would be good to implement into a construction management curriculum.

 

Web-based project management software, such as Constructw@re can be incorporated in the construction education curriculum in many ways.  Constructw@re is a good tool to use as a communication environment for students to submit assignments and questions regarding those assignments.  Constructw@re does provide valuable exposure to the vocabulary and procedures unique to the construction industry in a web-based setting.  For those interested in making use of the software as a more fully functioning tool, assignments involving bidding or change order processes could be integrated with the capabilities and templates of the bid management or cost management modules.  Use of the “Meetings” function in the “Document Management” module would give students the opportunity to practice creating meeting agendas and meeting minutes.  For many construction students, exposure to software programs throughout their academic career primarily involves Microsoft products.  Exposure to web-based project management software in an educational setting may help to flatten the learning curve graduates face when entering the workforce.

 

 

References

 

AECCafe' (2001, March 6). ProjectTalk.com ranks number one in AGC shootouts: ProjectTalk wins St. Louis and takes first place overall. Retrieved December 12, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://aeccafe.com/NEWS/news.php?file=20010307_meridian.html

 

Associated General Contractors (2000, October 4). Product evaluation shootout results: overall. Retrieved December 9,2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.agchouston.org/shootout/results.htm

 

Jurewicz, J. (2001, March 22). Results of the 11/03/00 AGC shootout, held in Ft Lauderdale, FL. Retrieved December 12, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.asptip.com/AGC_shootout_110300.htm

 

Jurewicz, J. (2001, March 22). What is asp. Retrieved December 12, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.asptip.com/whatis_asp.htm

 

Multimedia Instructional Development Center, (2000).  Introduction to WebCT.  Purdue University, Author.

 

Parson, E. (2002). Web-based project management on the horizon. Electrical Construction & Maintenance, (January), 44-49.