Queensland ISV launches building industry software

Queensland developer W2G has developed a construction management application that it wants to push to commercial and industrial construction companies and builders of every new house in five years.

W2G said in a statement that it had been piloting a new construction management application called Integra with three building companies in Queensland and Western Australia.

The ISV said it was aiming to have Integra involved in the building of every new Australian home within five years. But it was also targeting commercial and industrial construction generally, it said.

"W2G's sister company, Impact Homes, is already saving around four weeks and $5000 per home in administrative and time savings through a combination of improved scheduling, automated workflow, enhanced communication and increased access to information," the company claimed.

Using Integra had helped Impact Homes double the number of houses it was building without doubling its staff numbers, W2G said.

The number of liquidated damages claims, mistakes and accounting errors had also fallen, it claimed. W2G said the improvements were due to once-only data entry and automated electronic document handling through Integra.

W2G said Integra used ILOG advanced graphics tools, such as ILOG Gantt for .NET, to chart and schedule all parts of building management. Using ILOG tools helped the developer shorten Integra's development time by six months, it said.

The tool helped automate management of the relationship between different suppliers and participants on a building project, it said.

"On a building site, everything has to happen in a certain order," W2G said. "Kitchen cabinets can't be installed until the gyprocking is completed, and if that [tradesperson] is delayed, this will [affect] the painter, tiler and floor supplier."

Paul Usher, development manager at W2G, said the ILOG tool meant Integra could rechart an entire project when a model was updated. Integra also notified suppliers of schedule changes, he said.

"It also enables builders to keep their clients fully informed of progress on a site and up to date on the reasons for any delays, via the tool's thin client capabilities," he said.

Usher said the builder could send clients automated email updates. Or, customers could view the Integra database over the internet to track a project's progress.

Peter Westerman, office manager at Impact, said Integra offered the building company the ability to access "everything" about customer projects "at the touch of a button".

Integra had saved Impact time and improved customer service, he said.

"The building industry has had more than its fair share of problems and horror stories, but using Integra dramatically improves transparency and communication to make it a much smoother, more enjoyable experience for everyone involved," Westerman said.

W2G was working on extending Integra's functionality via links to the Building Services Authority and various government bodies to smooth licensing and approval processes, the company said.