An owner or director of a construction project wants to know how things are going and if the work is being completed on schedule. Those involved with the project also need to be aware of what everybody is doing. ViaNovus®, Oakland, Calif., a provider of program management software and services, has introduced version 6 of the PARAGON Program Management System™ for these reasons.

PARAGON, an owner-focused program management tool, is designed to integrate all facets of program management into a single, unified system to provide construction owners, and their representatives, with access to all the information they need to manage program costs and minimize risk.

“The primary function (of PARAGON) is to provide information from the owner’s perspective,” explains Leslie Jones, ViaNovus vice president of marketing. “They are the ones who have the fiscal responsibilities.”

Version 6 of the PARAGON application offers new product features that are designed to provide users with more flexibility when organizing and accessing data related to all construction programs and affiliated projects. New architectural features include the availability of two back-end database options — Oracle, which combines all PARAGON schemas into a single Oracle 8.x database, and Visual FoxPro, which contains three linked database schemas. The new program offers an e-mail alert option for notifying project decision - makers and team members of program and project changes. Version 6 also includes a program setup diagram, which is designed to facilitate the program, project and contract setup processes. The diagram should also enable users to view and mark up computer-aided design (CAD) drawings online.

“By placing CAD drawings online, we are making an effort to keep all the key documents in one place,” says Jones. “PARAGON gives you the ability to view the drawing on any computer without having CAD software installed.”

Other key features of Version 6 include:

• Cash flow reporting for real-time tracking of revenue and expenditure allocations,
• Portable document format (PDF) for printing reports, plus ability to attach PDF files to e-mail communications,
• Improved user administration, offering front-end capability for defining specific user groups and assigning passwords,
• New online forms, including templates for program funding sources, cost splits, calendar and scheduling, and a punch list form for tracking the status of contract items, and
• Improved binder interface, adding new functionality to all PARAGON binders, such as the new Site Visit listing now found in the Daily Reports Binder.

The binder interface is used throughout the application to assist in data entry, information retrieval and preparation of data for reporting purposes. Cost binders store contracts, change orders, change requests, invoices, payments and trends. Correspondence binders are used for all records, including reports, statements, submittals, proposals, memos and meeting minutes.

Jones says the new binder interface layout is similar to the old version, but the user interface is slightly different. Although the buttons are redesigned, they operate the same as in previous versions of the application.

PARAGON has been designed to provide the owner or owner’s representatives with online access to summary and detailed information to assist in decision-making. It enables all members of the project team — general contractors, inspectors and other field personnel, contract administrators, project managers and construction managers — to use it, and to track and manage their information. The system is designed to be a central hub for all information related to a construction program or project.

ViaNovus offers program setup and implementation for new users of the PARAGON system. “When a client signs up with us, training and implementation is required,” says Jones. “We develop an understanding of how clients want the information reported to them and who will provide what information.”

The Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently implementing the Web-based PARAGON system in its construction department. “The department plans to use the system to coordinate multiple construction and design projects between contractors and engineers,” says Kirk Warren, project engineer with the Alaska DOT.

Before implementation of PARAGON, the project engineers in the department only had access to a statewide accounting system. A hard copy of the construction reports would be stored in file folders or on microfiche in the department.

When the system is fully implemented, the project engineers, contractors and field personnel will all have access to the system. Reports generated at the project level and in the field will be stored on the ViaNovus server in California, and the personnel will be able to access this information via the Internet, says Warren.

Other services provided to new PARAGON users by ViaNovus include project systems integration, project controls consulting, technical support, customized reporting, utilities mapping (if needed) and hardware and/or software integration. Average implementation time required for the system ranges from 10 to 15 days for the average client.

The PARAGON system allows you to link to other applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Project, and Primavera P3, to integrate data from other scheduling, estimating, accounting and document control tools into a central storage area for information management. The merge/replication feature can be used to work offline, allowing data to be entered in the field as it occurs and integrated with centralized program data when needed. The use of PARAGON information can be extended to Internet users anywhere to accelerate decision-making, review and approval processes, according to Darrell Garrett, ViaNovus senior vice president.

“With owners held accountable for simultaneously managing multiple, interrelated construction projects within a large-scale program, and keeping the total program on schedule and within the specified funding plan, having instant access to project intelligence — integrated cost, schedule and communications information — is critical,” says Garrett.

PARAGON requires 64 megabytes of random access memory (RAM) and 45 megabytes of hard disk space. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 operating systems.