The momentum behind mobile computing adoption in construction is clearly visible whether you work in finance, IT or operations. But what is driving this trend, and how might it change the way the industry does business?

A decade ago, large companies strategically deployed mobile solutions that usually focused on solving a singular inefficiency. Think of UPS and FedEx with their electronic signature capture. The device was perfected to do one thing well, and although expensive, it solved a problem of enormous scale.

The Defense Contracting Auditing Agency, or DCAA, is known for its insistence on following the rules. When it comes to a DCAA timesheet, there is certainly no exception. The level of importance associated with DCAA time keeping requirements can't be overstated. The overall goal is quite straightforward, eliminate fraud and waste the to greatest extent possible.

It requires vigilance by management and an effective timekeeping system in to satisfy the DCAA requirements. The reason that employee work hours get so much scrutiny is that there is frequently no reliable paper trail available. In contrast, if a product or service is purchased from an outside organization, there are receipts and documents that can demonstrate the fact that the transaction took place. The same is true of many other types of transactions. When it comes to employee work hours, dependable documentation is just as important.

On February 16, we are pleased to be sponsoring Back to the Future: An Economic Prospective for 2011, the next in CFMA's series of KnowledgeNOW webinars. Presented by noted construction economist Anirban Basu, this informative report will focus on the economy’s nascent economic expansion and its sustainability. 

Special attention will be given to the performance of the global economy, the local and U.S. economies, financial markets, labor markets, real estate and other salient aspects of the economic environment, concluding with an economic outlook for the year to come on both a national and local level. 

Payroll fraud comes in many forms, and is well documented in the Construction industry. In a business where labor is often the largest cost on a project, this problem can really handicap a company's ability to be competitive and profitable. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the average payroll scheme goes undetected for over two years. Even once detected, cases are less likely to be reported and prosecuted in the construction industry, often due to a lack of evidence. 

The two most common types of payroll fraud that occur on the job site are falsified time and phantom employees, both part of the construction time and attendance process.  Over the last decade, more technologies are now available in the field to combat payroll fraud.  While it's possible to prevent certain kinds of fraud altogether, it is often even easier and more cost effective to deter the majority of cases. 

ACS Connect is pleased to announce this joint webinar with Viewpoint Construction Software on November 11.  Paul McCormack from Viewpoint will present an over of the partnership between the two companies, after which Debbie Bradley will provide an overview of how Resource Commander automates the construction time collection process.  David Moore, VP of Finance for Tarlton Corporation, will share his perspective as a user of both Resource Commander and Viewpoint V6.  

Sprint has announced that as of this past Sunday, the long awaited Motorola i1 is finally available through business, web and phone sales.  The i1 is the first touchscreen Android phone to also use Nextel Direct Connect.  This news is especially welcome to construction professionals who currently carry both a Push-To-Talk phone and a Blackberry or other smartphone for email.  

Even with its fairly rich feature set, the phone is priced competitively at $149.99 (with the obligatory 2-year contract of course), near the entry level price for a decent smart phone. It's no throwaway device either, earning the Mil Spec 810 rating for protection against dirt, harsh impacts and blowing rain. In other words, it'll last more than a day on your job sites. 

This free eBook examines the time and attendance process within the Construction industry, and draws on lessons learned from real construction companies.  At 21 pages, this eBook provides a road map for a contractor that wants to streamline time collection, job costing and payroll. In addition to discussing the challenges unique to our industry, the eBook also outlines the steps necessary to evaluate the current process and drive change effectively within your organization. 

Download the Construction Time & Attendance Playbook here

Developers of rural or suburban areas can tell you that national food and beverage chains popping up can be an early indicator of a looming building craze.   If fast food restaurants created "coverage maps" they would likely blanket more of the U.S. than AT&T and Verizon combined.  Oddly, they serve as a sort of basic infrastructure for those who work and live nearby.  This infrastructure is quickly becoming more robust as more chains add free Wi-Fi to the menu.  

Today, Starbucks announced that all 7,000+ company owned locations in the U.S. will offer free Wi-Fi access to patrons, with the added convenience of requiring no registration whatsoever. Starbucks is hardly the first to offer such a service. McDonalds rolled out free Wi-Fi nationwide to nearly all of its 14,000 locations in December 2009. Panera Bread also offers free Wi-Fi at most of its 1400 locations.