Stop by booth #76 to learn more about the solutions we offer the Construction Industry.

We have over 140 years of experience in the construction industry. We know you need a software solution that is quick, easy, and accurate. We’ve built our programs with you in mind. We did what you do and we’re excited to talk to you at MAAE 2022!

Learn More: https://www.omanco.com/product/

We’re looking forward to seeing you at the MID-ATLANTIC ASPHALT EXPO & CONFERENCE in Richmond, VA on December 6 – 8th, 2022.

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For the past 140 years, Oman Systems, Inc. (OSI) has worked to support the civil construction industry. We started as a contractor and now we’re a technology partner. We understand the needs of the industry.

Oman Systems, Inc. specializes in providing world-class customer service. In addition to user-friendly software for estimating, project management, and DOT bid tabs data analysis. Our products are always evolving to meet the demands of the ever-changing construction industry. We’re excited to share more information with you at the 2022 TEA Conference.

We are the number one source of bid tabulation data! BidTabs.NET is a bid tabulations tool designed to help you generate accurate estimates quickly and easily. Learn more about the most powerful business intelligence tool offered in the construction industry! Access more historical pay item data for more states than any other source. It’s time to get granular!

ProEstimate.NET is our crew based estimating software that is specifically designed for heavy/highway contractors and subcontractors to assist in the preparation of bids. Utilize the creation of master projects to quickly estimate new Jobs!

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We’re excited to announce that we’ll be at the World of Concrete (WOC 2023) in Las Vegas, NV on January 16 – 19th! Are you going?

Stop by booth #N1571 to learn how our products are the solutions you need!

We have over 140 years of experience in the construction industry. We know you need a software solution that is quick, easy, and accurate. We’ve built our programs with you in mind. We did what you do and we’re excited to talk to you at WOC 2023!

FMP provides management with all the information to ensure successful tracking of data on all your projects. Additionally, FMP provides your field personnel the capability to track their diaries, time cards, quantities, and much more. Are you looking for a program that tracks equipment moves? FMP Dispatch is the tool you need!

We are the number one source of bid tabulation data! Be sure to stop by booth #N1571 while you’re at WOC 2023 to learn more about the most powerful business intelligence tool offered in the construction industry! BidTabs.NET is a bid tabulations tool designed to help you generate accurate estimates quickly and easily. Access more historical pay item data for more states than any other source. It’s time to get granular!

ProEstimate.NET is our crew based estimating software that is specifically designed for heavy/highway contractors and subcontractors to assist in the preparation of bids. Utilize the creation of master projects to quickly estimate new Jobs!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at WOC 2023 in Las Vegas, NV!

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We’re headed to the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA 2022) in Austin, TX on October 15- 18th! You need to be there!

Stop by booth #1835 to learn how our products are the solutions you need!

We have over 140 years of experience in the construction industry. We know you need a software solution that is quick, easy, and accurate. We’ve built our programs with you in mind. We did what you do and we’re excited to talk to you at NECA 2022!

FMP provides management with all the information to ensure successful tracking of data on all your projects. Additionally, FMP provides your field personnel the capability to track their diaries, time cards, quantities, and much more. Are you looking for a program that tracks equipment moves? FMP Dispatch is the tool you need!

We are the number one source of bid tabulation data! Be sure to stop by booth #1835 while you’re at NECA 2022 to learn more about the most powerful business intelligence tool offered in the construction industry! BidTabs.NET is a bid tabulations tool designed to help you generate accurate estimates quickly and easily. Access more historical pay item data for more states than any other source. It’s time to get granular!

ProEstimate.NET is our crew based estimating software that is specifically designed for heavy/highway contractors and subcontractors to assist in the preparation of bids. Utilize the creation of master projects to quickly estimate new Jobs!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at NECA 2022 in Austin, TX!

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There are many advantages to having an Estimating solution. Simple spreadsheets with formulas are no longer beneficial to the industry standard. Here are 5 tips to WIN your Estimate using ProEstimate.NET.

1. Create templates for your Jobs

A great practice to ensure you don’t miss anything in your estimate is to start with a Master Project template. The Master Projects that you create should include all the Pay Items that may be found within your scope of work. For example, if you’re building an estimate around bridge work, you’ll want to include all of the Pay Items. This will allow you to prebuild your job with assigned crews and will prorate to the given quantities. Don’t forget to include items like the increasing insurance limits, bond costs, overhead, and markups

Once you have the Master Project built, you can easily create a Job from those foundational settings. Easily add or remove items as needed. This allows you the flexibility of customizing your estimate for each individual project. Equally important, it’s providing a full Pay Item list for the items you may forget otherwise.

2. Utilize Worksheets

Understanding the cost of how much Hauling material, Trenches and Bio Ponds, Blasting terrain, and Mobilizing your equipment can become tricky. All of the Worksheets within ProEstimate.NET have inputs and settings to capture the trenching depth, width, pipe run length, drill patterns, materials, cycle time, and a lot more to accurately calculate costs. Moreover, you no longer have to worry about your formulas in a spreadsheet not calculating correctly and a whole section of your bid be missing from the total. 

3. Labor, Equipment, and Material cost

Creating your own labor, equipment, and material cost rate files for your databases will become the most profitable part of your bid. However, in order to turn a profit, you have to know what your labor, equipment, and material truly costs you. You’ll also need to know just how productive your crews are, which can be copied from Pay Item to Pay Item, making the estimating process quicker.

Labor costs are more than just the hourly wage attached to the work class. The Labor Rate database can house a multitude of rate files. You have the capability to set Base Rates, Insurance, Taxes, Travel, Cell Phone, and much more. In creating multiple rate files, you can easily pull in which rate file pertains to the Job once you’ve created your estimate from the Master Project. The Equipment databases works in the same fashion, allowing you to create multiple rate files and specify Ownership cost, Repair Labor, Fuel Type, Fuel Cost, Oil/Grease, and much more.

4. Historical Bid Tabulation Data 

Have you ever been uncertain what prices are for a Pay Item? The industry, coupled with inflation, is moving forward at a rapid pace. Inflation is expected to continue through 2022. The “What If” portion within ProEstimate.NET uniquely gives you access to historical DOT tab data. You have the capability to load pay item data to better analyze what current prices are for the Job you’re bidding. 

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We’re on the way to the National Pavement Expo in Charlotte, NC on February 23 – 25th! You need to be there! Ask about our giveaway!

Stop by booth #534 to learn how our products are the solutions you need and enter to win our giveaway! We’re giving away our FMP Program that includes 1 Office license and 2 Mobile licenses for 3 months with complete set up – FREE!

Learn More about FMP.

You definitely want to connect with someone at our booth to enter for your chance to win!

Curious about the other products we offer?

The most powerful business intelligence tool offered in the construction industry, BidTabs.NET – bid tabulations tool designed to help you generate accurate estimates quickly and easily.

ProEstimate.NET is our crew based estimating software that is specifically designed for heavy/highway contractors and subcontractors to assist in the preparation of bids.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Charlotte, NC!

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Flags/Markers

To start, let’s go over some construction flag markings that notify crew members and the public of potential ground hazards. These flags are frequently used on heavy/highway, site preparation, bridge, asphalt and concrete paving, airport, and utility projects.

According to the American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Codes, here is the list of hazard markers that should be used on a job site and what each flag color means:

White: proposed excavation route. This marking can be made with flags, stakes, whiskers, safety skirts, and spray chalk if the area is a paved surface. According to the USA North 811 Excavation Handbook, “Temporary markings should be visible, functional, and considerate to surface aesthetics and the local community.” Contractors should be aware of local ordinances before digging in delineated areas.

Orange: communication, alarm or signal lines, cables, or conduit. Orange signs with black lettering are especially important for our industry. These signs are used to warn drivers of upcoming roadwork. Distracted drivers are one of the biggest hazards road crews face. To get drivers’ attention, it is best to use multiple signals and barricades. Read our previous blog about how to keep roadside crews safe here. 

Red: electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables. Red flag areas pose a significant threat to crew members if not marked properly. Potential electrocution, fires, and explosions can occur in these areas.  

Yellow: natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, gaseous materials. These areas also pose a threat of potential fires and explosions due to the presence of flammable substances. According to OSHA, “If an underground utility is damaged, the utility operator is in the best position to determine the hazards associated with the damage and implement appropriate countermeasures.” Continuing,”OSHA recommends that the excavator notify the utility operator promptly. If the damage results in the release of hazardous gases or liquids, both the utility operator and appropriate emergency response officials should be notified immediately.”

Blue: potable water. The balance small business states that contractors should take steps to avoid erosion and properly discharge water during a dewatering project. For crew safety, it is important to watch for signs of instability in the soil. Warning signs include visible cracks, leaning or curved trees, guardrails and other structures, toe erosion, hummocky slope surface, and changes in the soil moisture.

Green: sewers and drain lines. These warning signs should be clear around manholes to warn passersby and proper PPE should be worn around dangerous contaminants.  

Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines. Always contact your state’s designated “Before You Dig” hotline prior to beginning construction. 

Pink: temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities.

Hand Signals

There are a wide variety of hand signals that are important for reducing accidents and near-misses on the job site. Below is a list of hand signals provided by OSHA specifically for heavy machinery operators (rollers, excavators, backhoes, etc.) 

Only one person should be giving hand signals for a particular piece of equipment and the signaler and equipment operator should discuss and agree on the hand signals prior to working. 

Check out more hand signal basics for earthmoving from Diesel and Iron:

Want to test your hand signal knowledge? Try this Hand Signals For Construction Equipment training quiz.

Conclusion

When putting all of this safety knowledge into action, it is important to do daily toolbox talks to ensure all crew members are on the same page. It is also crucial to document all on-site incidents.

Too many times when accidents happen, companies are caught scrambling for proof that they took the necessary precautions. Without proper documentation, not only are you unable to save yourself from litigation, but you also can’t be sure you’re doing everything in your power to protect your employees. 

To learn more about how you can easily create custom safety forms and better document your projects with FieldManagement Pro, click here.

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We are attending World of Concrete 2021 in Las Vegas! This trade show is at June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Check out our product portal page here.

Click here to register for WOC 2021.

Planning on attending? Stop our booth, and we can walk you through the following products:

BidTabs.NET – bid tabulations tool designed to help you generate accurate estimates quickly and easily.

ProEstimate.NET – crew based estimating software specifically designed for heavy/highway contractors and subcontractors to assist in the preparation of bids.

FieldManagement Pro – easy to use field management system designed to report and track data.

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Interested in learning more about BidTabs? We are hosting a webinar Friday, February 29, at 11 AM CST. Our team will cover how BidTabs will streamline finding historical prices, tabbing out jobs, justifying change orders, and more: Click here to register for our webinar

Before our webinar, try BidTabs For Free! You can try BidTabs with our 7-day free trial. This trial gives you the chance to test BidTabs’ features and access 6-months worth of data: Click here to download a trial

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As we discuss the benefits of FieldManagement Pro (FMP) with highway construction professionals, the question often comes up: how often should my foremen transfer data from the field?

Transferring Data From the Field – What Does This Look Like?

To dive into this question, let’s start with how data transfer works with FMP. FMP consists of two main components: FMP Office controls and tracks productivity, daily goals, quantities, equipment, change orders, payroll data, and more. 

On the other side, our FMP Mobile application runs on Apple and Android devices. This field tool allows foremen to easily transfer information like project images, production, daily dairies, weather information, and custom forms. 

What’s the Norm?

According to our field submission statistics from FMP, the most popular day to transfer data is Monday, and the most popular time is 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. 

So, we know the average time and day of the week foremen are transferring data, but is this the best practice?

Is the Norm Best Practice?

To put it simply no; in fact, we strongly recommend that data should be transferred from the field on a daily basis.

Think this might be overkill? Here’s our reasoning:

Make Critical Adjustments Quickly 

Data is most powerful when it is reported in real-time. This is especially true when you are operating under tight deadlines with crucial daily goals. 

By receiving data from the field daily, project managers can make adjustments that can critically affect your bottom line.

For example, consider your crew was unable to lay as much pipe as planned because it was raining Tuesday morning. If your project manager is not receiving quantity submissions until the following Monday, he/she will be unable to adjust daily goals for the rest of the week. 

In addition to changing daily goals, PMs can also quickly make change orders and have the data to back them up.

Not transferring data daily hinders your ability to improve productivity and ultimately limits your ability to grow.

Minimize Human Error

It’s no surprise that the longer you wait to report details from a project, the less accurate it will be.

When you’re tracking information like cost codes, time cards, equipment, materials, and more, it’s easy to forget important details if your foreman is not updating data throughout the day. 

These details can become extremely important for documentation. Let’s say your state’s DOT makes a claim on a multi-year project you’re working on. These daily details are what you’ll need to show for the burden of proof. 

In a case like this, clean daily transmission ensures that there are no holes in your data and allows you to easily prove that your team did everything right. Check out this study on the Human Error.

Put Less Pressure on Your Accounting Team

We’ve seen it many times before; time cards from the previous week get transferred on Monday, administration catches an error, and payroll is held up as your PM scrambles to resolve the issue.

This scenario not only can lead to disgruntled employees who are waiting on their paychecks, but it also puts unnecessary stress on your accounting team. Instead of scrambling the day before payday, catch potential issues as the week goes on.  

The Bottom Line 

The beauty of using an electronic field management system is that you are getting cleaner data, faster than you would with a traditional paper system. Resolve issues quickly, keep accurate documentation, and utilize the full benefits of an electronic system by transmitting data daily. 

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