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Simple in the field... Powerful in the office!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

International Roofing Expo


AboutTime is looking forward to spending a few days at the International Roofing Expo.   We currently have 5 of the top 10 roofing companies as customers and we are excited to watch that number grow.  Stop by our booth # 138 and speak with an AboutTime representative.  
  

If you can’t make it to the show or if you are going to meet us there, take a few minutes and  read this customer profile from one of AboutTime’s HAPPY Roofing customers.  



Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Time 4 Fun - Construction Definitions


Construction Definitions
  1. Contractor – A gambler who never gets to shuffle, cut or deal!
  2. Bid opener – A poker game in which the losing hand wins
  3. Low bidder – A contractor who is wondering what they left out
  4. Engineers estimate – The cost of construction in heaven
  5. OSHA – A protective coating made by half baking a mixture of fine print, split hairs, red tape and baloney. Usually applied at random with shot gun.
  6. Delayed payment – A tourniquets applied at the pockets
  7. Completion date – The point at which liquidated damages begin
  8. Liquidated damages – The penalty for failing to achieve the impossible. 


Construction Definitions When using a "Mobile Resource Management Solution"

1.     Contractor – A "Risk Manager" who knows exactly where he stands on all of his projects.
2.     Bid opener -  Knowing exactly what you can give and take on a project.
3.     Low bidder No Worries!
4.     Engineers estimate – The true cost of construction based on past projects and future projections.
5.     OSHA –  No Worries!  We have all of our forms and documentation easily accessible and correctly filled out.
6.     Delayed PaymentWhat?  We have everything documented so well the checks just come right in.
7.     Completion date – Right on time or ahead of schedule.
8.     Liquidated damagesNever heard of it! 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A Quick Thought... Employees Benefit from Time and Attendance Systems


If you are looking into purchasing a time and attendance system, I am sure you have discovered the many benefits it will bring to your business.  To name a few; a time and attendance system can eliminate buddy punching, increase productivity and save your business money.  However, will your employees squawk at the idea of implementing a time and attendance system?  The number one excuse for not implementing a system is “My guys will NEVER use it.”  

What your employees need to understand is that a time and attendance system doesn’t just benefit the business, it benefits the employee also.  In fact, companies with a time and attendance system in place have higher employee satisfaction than companies without one.  A time and attendance system can eliminate disputes regarding payroll, free up the foreman’s time, and provide easy to read accurate information for the accountant.    

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Time is Gold


An Albanian proverb says, “Time is Gold” which roughly translated means “Time is Money.”   This has never been truer than it is in todays hurried world.  Your customers set schedules, and you are expected to meet them.  When you don’t, your customers are unhappy, and fines may even be imposed.   Monitoring projects to make sure you can meet the time schedule you committed to can be a huge undertaking, especially if you have multiple projects running at the same time.  Using a mobile resource management solution can help to make sure projects are completed on time ensuring that the “Gold” stays in your business. 

A mobile resource management solution begins by managing your largest asset, your employees.   Time and attendance systems let you know when an employee clocks in or out but a mobile resource management solution should do more.  Not only knowing when employees clock in/out but also knowing where, what task they worked on, and how much of the task was completed can give you the information you need to make sure your project is running on time.

A mobile resource management system should integrate with your accounting or job costing system.  Sending and receiving data in real time and comparing actual time spent against budgeted time gives you and your employees a clear picture of where a project stands.  This information can show your foreman how much of a project is completed and how much still needs to be done, allowing them to make critical decisions.  For example, if a job is only 40% done but you have used up 80% of your budgeted time, a foreman can add an employee to the job to make sure it is completed on schedule.  Inversely, if a job is 80% done and you have only used up  50% of your budgeted hours, the foreman can decide to reassign an employee to a different task, reducing your payroll associated to that project ensuring that more “gold” stays in your business.