Special to the Journal
by Bob Rhein

"A Web-based program management system eliminates the need to rummage through filing cabinets, cardboard boxes or reams of yellow legal pads looking for the last quote or contractor change order."

The Internet is revolutionizing the construction industry the same way power tools did after the turn of the 20th century. With solutions available today that incorporate the power of the PC and the World Wide Web, construction program management can be accomplished quickly and easily, helping owners complete large-scale programs on time and within budget.

Within program management, construction owners may have to monitor and track myriad sets of interrelated cost and schedule issues over the course of several simultaneous, complex projects that comprise the overall program. Overseeing a construction program of this scope means keeping track of innumerable documents such as drawings, requests for information, field orders and directives, meeting minutes, submittals and general correspondence, that can affect the progress and final outcome of the program. Such documents must be kept in order and close at hand to be of use to the owners and their representatives. This is where computers and the Internet have become invaluable tools for the construction industry.

A Web-based program management system eliminates the need to rummage through filing cabinets, cardboard boxes or reams of yellow legal pads looking for the last quote or contractor change order. Documentation is organized and structured to allow owners to access information quickly, a must in today's fast-paced construction industry. An intelligent system makes data retrieval much easier and more efficient.

ViaNovus, based in Oakland, Calif., is an application service provider (ASP) that offers its core construction program management product on the World Wide Web. PARAGON Program Management System integrates all facets of program management into a single, unified system that can be accessed via the Internet anytime or anywhere. Hosted on the 24/7 ViaNovus network, PARAGON can be integrated into construction management operations at a low cost, and requires short set-up time.

Recently upgraded to include a new three-tiered architecture for enhanced performance, PARAGON now provides users with even greater flexibility in organizing and accessing data related to all construction programs and affiliated projects. PARAGON now supports two backend database options: Oracle, and Visual FoxPro, both of which are used widely throughout the business world. A new program setup diagram to facilitate getting started, allows users to view and mark up CAD drawings online, e-mail alerts and attach PDF files to e-mail correspondence.

Two ViaNovus customers speak to the value PARAGON has built into their respective construction programs.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District operates an extensive waterworks system that supplies water to approximately 1.2 million residents of Northern California's Alameda and Contra Costa counties. With pipelines, filter plants, pumping stations, and reservoirs spread across a 325-square-mile area, EBMUD faces the daily challenge of staying on top of the construction and maintenance responsibilities associated with keeping water flowing to its customers.

EBMUD reports that its flow of documents moves more smoothly, its control of construction projects has improved and its project costs have lowered since it began using PARAGON. The system's ability to standardize and simplify the management of multi-faceted, interdependent projects has saved time and money for the EBMUD Construction Division. PARAGON has enabled the division to prepare and distribute reports, and substantially reduce the volume of paperwork generated for distribution and storage. Where it used to take five employees one week out of every month to complete the paperwork needed to support the invoicing of progress payments to contractors, now, only a couple of employees are needed to complete the task that only takes a couple of hours.

Savings in manpower and more efficient reporting capabilities have also been reported by officials of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, a transportation service provider headquartered in Dallas. DART moves more than 200,000 people a day on light rail, late model buses, and vans across a 700-square-mile service area that includes 13 member cities. To accommodate this demand, more than 50 miles of new light rail lines, rail stations, transit and transfer stations are now being installed as part of an expansion program that DART says is the largest light rail expansion program in North America.

With PARAGON, DART cost analysts combine various reports into one with the click of the mouse so that the data can be compiled for more informed decision making. Before PARAGON was installed, separate files for cost expenditures, change orders and budgets would have to be retrieved by hand before being keyed into an Excel spreadsheet. The possibility of error was high.

With PARAGON, team members with access to the Internet - at work, at home, or traveling on business - can see how each project element affects the program at large. DART analysts can drill down to the record level of any cost or corresponding program document for sensitive information that could prevent missing deadlines or halt potential budget overruns. Analysts are able to enter data, reconcile expenditures and contract budgets, and access information online and in real time.

To date, DART reports it has saved approximately 10 to 20 man-hours a week, or about $22,000 a year using PARAGON.

Construction is one industry where time really is money. This is especially true for the owner who has the financial responsibility for the program's timely completion within the forecasted budget. Owners must continuously monitor the schedule to see if work is proceeding according to plan in order to manage program costs and minimize risk. A Web-based program management solution allows owners and their representatives a means to accomplish just that -- online, from anywhere at any time.

Bob Rhein is a freelance writer and publicist in Orange County, Calif.