Conti Ramps Up Collaboration -Q&A with the Conti Group, currently working with the New York City Department of Transportation's ramp rehabilitation project for the Staten Island Ferry.

Facility owners’ credit crunch and cash flow issues are trickling down in the form of slow payments to general contractors, specialty contractors and suppliers, as well as extended holds on retainage. This puts an undue burden on the firms that often need the cash most. But not all delays on the part of the facility owner are the result of cash flow issues.

New Partnership Pushes Interoperability - Interoperability seems to be a concern in the construction industry, particularly when contractors are looking to enable the BIM (building information modeling) process and establish an IPD (integrated project delivery) environment. To help, the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America), www.agc.org, Arlington, Va., has funded the agcXML initiative. The project is based on a set of XML (extensible markup language) schemas that will enable contractors to exchange information between disparate software systems.

Some Owner Assistance - Corporate building owners have always been particularly interested in being able to get projects online faster, track them more accurately, and make sure costs stay inline through completion. Technology is an enabler in achieving such objectives, yet in a time when cutting costs remain a high priority some owners could look at these tools as unnecessary expenditures.

A More Flexible Enterprise - These days, the name of the game in construction is lowering the risk. Technology can play a strong role in that process, and one software provider has made this its primary theme with the announcement of its latest program and project management platform.

The 'fearless fish' know how to get ahead in the workplace - Companies across South Florida are saying goodbye to talented people. For those left as well as for those moving on, restructuring can present new opportunities

Over Budget Not an Option - going over budget is not an option when you have tools and software to control costs

Working Together - Aside from individual applications, one of the big objectives facing the technology community throughout the past few years has been interoperability. Recent years have produced much talk, but little movement around this subject (until now).

As budgets continue to tighten for contractors, the need to do more with less when it comes to technology is very apparent. This requires technology vendors to step up efforts to fulfill on promises made on such things as interoperability between disparate applications.

Digital communication is transforming how businesses market their products and services. Article featuring e-Builder CEO Jonathan Antevy

Bidder Beware
Remember when plans were available only in plan rooms? A contractor would be contacted by fax regarding a potential project and then drop by its construction association office or visit a local Dodge plan room to view and select projects to bid...

e-Builder is a strong believer in providing construction professionals with one version of the truth. The company provides online project management and collaboration via three product editions.

Use Document Management Technology to Improve Business Processes
There are many ways technology is helping businesses in all industries be more productive and enhance their bottom lines. For builders looking to do more than just survive in more competitive markets, new and improved back-office construction management software might just be the solution to cutting costs and capturing more profit.

Built Tough
e-Builder was part of mega-publisher McGraw-Hill's buying spree in 2000, when it picked up pieces of tech companies with related links to its publication niches. The alignment became the force driving the young, Plantation-based company's strategy to reach construction industry buyers via prestigious trade journals and shows.

Pushing Forward
Building on a successful partnership in its Northeast region, K. Hovnanian, www.khov.com, Red Bank, N.J., is working to launch a national process improvement initiative with e-Builder, www.e-builder.net, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

S. Florida Has Seen the Worst of Real Estate Slump, Executive Says
"I think you've seen the majority of the pullback," said Brian Tonry, vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction. The company is a division of the McGraw-Hill Cos., the New York-based global information services provider. Tonry spoke last week at a conference in Coconut Grove sponsored by e-Builder, a Fort Lauderdale-based technology company.

Advisory Board for Design
While technology providers constantly produce products for their clients, it is nice to know there is industry experience and first-hand knowledge behind the product. e-Builder, www.e-builder.net, Fort. Lauderdale, Fla., recently announced the formation of a Product Advisory Board (PAB) focused on the needs of design professionals.

BlackBerry in Construction
According to research from analyst firm Gartner Inc., www.gartner.com, Stamford, Conn., worldwide shipments of PDA (personal digital assistants) totaled 3.7 million in the second quarter of 2006. This shows growth of 2.7% from the year ago period and the highest PDA shipment total on record during this time frame.

Upgrades at e_builder
As the needs of the construction industry continue to evolve, project management providers continue to hone product offerings to fit the bill. Among those continually upgrading its core offerings in recent months is e-Builder, www.e-builder.net, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Blending old With the New
Many software companies have at their heart the good intention of providing a solution for the AEC industry that all segments of that industry can use, yet fall short of providing something for the contractor and construction professional.

e-Builder Named 2003 Best Internet- Based Application

e-Builder Named to Forbes Magazines' Best B2B Sites

Management by Exception
Let's face it, we live in an 'always on' world and the proliferation of internet communication tools had made it possible for users to receive an enormous amount of information through their computers. Having too much information in too many places is becoming a common problem ...

To the Edge and Back - What I love most about my job is the time that I spend on the phone talking to readers, PR people, and manufacturers. It’s casual, comfortable, easy, and essential to writing good stuff for our readers. A couple weeks ago, I spent the better part of an hour talking with Jon Antevy, CEO and co-founder of Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based e-builder.net (www. e-builder.net). I found him to be a very honest person and, above all else, a good businessman and true gentleman. Our conversation lead from one area of project management to another.

An e-Blueprint for Success
WITH MORE THAN 60 construction projects under way at any given time, Clayco Construction needed a way to check the torrent of paper that was flooding its offices. So the St. Louis-based firm created its online nerve center, “Mission Control,” to house blueprints, e-mails, meeting minutes and change orders electronically. Every document related to a particular job is a mouse click away for design-build clients, subcontractors and suppliers.

Business Focus Puts e-Builder On the Florida 100 for a Second Year; Collaboration ASP Beats the Odds in Tough Economy, Recognized for Fast Track Growth
Collaboration ASP Beats the Odds in Tough Economy, Recognized for Fast Track Growth

Bricks'n Clicks
When God wanted to derail the Tower of Babel project, he made the workers speak in different languages. Seems the building industry has never fully recovered. Communications problems are still the bane of many a project manager's existence, creating delays, cost overruns, angry subcontractors, and worried clients.

e-Builder Used in Staples Center in Los Angeles -
Web enabled project management software was supplied by e-Builder, a Florida-based company.