Go Beyond Project Management’s Logs To Modify or Create What You … · 2018. 4. 14. · needs of your business; you have to know what you’re trying to accomplish in order to

October 2009News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

•GoBeyondProjectManage-ment’sLogsToModifyorCreateWhatYouNeed........ 1

•InMemoriam-LorieBellisoftheTUGBoardHasDiedattheAgeof48.................. 2

•SuccessorFailurewithOut-sourcingDependsOnaGoodClient-ProviderPartnership......................... 3

•ElectronicReconciliationofRoutineChecksLeavesTimetoHandlePeskyExceptions.......................... 7

•TheHottestThingforYourPhone?ProcessMapping............................. 8

•TUGONLINEWEBEXTRAINING&OPENFORUMS.............. 10

Go Beyond Project Management’s Logs To Modify or Create What You Need

by: Matt Weaver, MCP • Meyer Najem Construction, LLC

Project Management comes with several logs already set up (Docu-ments, Custom Logs). These include: Punch Lists, Communi-

cations Log, Notices to Comply, Safety Notices, and Photo Log. You can modify these logs, if needed. You can also cre-ate a custom log to manage project information that is not tracked in other PJ documents.

The maximum number of columns on a custom log is 63. You can choose from several formats for each column: Text, Number, Check Box, Date, Time, List, Phone Number, Spec Section, Con-tact, Urgency, Commitment, Equipment, Extra, Cost Code, and Category. Job Cost must be installed to use Commitment, Extra, Cost Code, or Category column formats. The Equipment module must be installed to use the Equipment col-umn format. Note that if you use extras, the location of the Cost Code column to the Extra column affects which cost codes appear. If the Cost Code column is directly to the right of the Extra column and an extra is selected during data entry, only the cost codes associated with the extra appear. If the Cost Code column is not directly to the right of the Extra column, only those cost codes not associated with an extra appear.

You should plan your logs before you create them. Set up each column in the order you’ll enter information into the finished log. You can reorganize the

columns in your custom logs. The Move function allows you to move columns to the left or the right so that they appear where you want them. You can find this feature in Setup, Custom Logs, Change Columns. The new columns are avail-able to select under the Column defini-tion area in the Format list.

After you create a custom log, you can enter information in the log by se-lecting Documents, Custom Logs, Your log. To create a new entry in a log, click New and enter information in the first column of the new row. Press the Tab or Enter key to move through the grid. You can change information in a cell by deleting it and entering new informa-tion. You can delete an entire entry by selecting the row and pressing Delete on your keyboard. The Hide or Show feature allows you to display or conceal any or all columns in the log.

You can add internal notes or files to a new or existing log entry. The log will print as it is displayed in the window. If the combined sizes of the columns exceed 320 characters in width, this is more than the maximum width of the report that prints from the Documents, Custom Logs task. To print more than

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October 2009 News and Information for Users of Sage Timberline Office Software

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We are deeply sad-dened by the death of Lorie Bellis who

was a good friend to TUG. Lorie died Sept. 5, 2009. She was strongly commit-ted to TUG as an organiza-tion and gave her advice and support to many of us, especially her fellow TUG members in Iowa. Lorie lived in Des Moines and passed away at Taylor House Hospice shortly after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Lorie had been elected to the TUG Board of Directors in April and was sworn in at the TUG National Confer-ence in Dallas in May. She had also served as TUG’s Iowa Coordinator for nearly four years and was very involved in other professional groups, including the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) in Iowa. She stepped down as TUG’s Iowa Coordinator shortly after she joined the TUG Board. She was very excited about taking on the many new challenges of the Board.

Lorie Jean Layland Bellis was born September 14, 1960, in Long Beach, CA, daughter of Esther and William Perkins who predeceased her. Lorie also lost her sister Linda to cancer at the age of 49. At that time, Lorie unofficially adopted her niece Ashley who came to live with Lorie.

Lorie moved to Des Moines from the Omaha area and began working at Marick, Inc., in May 2005. Lorie was a friend and a mentor to many. She had a very strong faith in God and dedicated her life to

giving as much to others as she had been given. She was

always willing to offer her time and her knowledge.

Lorie is survived by her husband Kevin Bellis, her stepson Connor Bellis, her son Ryan Feldman, niece Ashley, and brother Bill Perkins.

Private services for Lorie were held at the Union Park United Meth-odist Church, Des Moines, on Sept. 8, and a remembrance of her life was held at the church on Sept. 20.

All of us in TUG will miss Lorie and are grateful for our time with her. We extend our condolences to her husband and family.

Memorials may be sent to:Taylor House Hospice3401 East Douglas AvenueDes Moines, IA 50317orKevin Bellis2407 E. 13th StreetDes Moines, IA 50316

In Memoriam:

Lorie Bellis of the TUG BoardHas Died at the Age of 48

Lorie Jean Layland Bellis1960 - 2009

the TUG PulsePublished by the

Timberline Users Group, Inc.and sent to all members.

Board of DirectorsRobin Peterson, President

Natalie Allen,Vice PresidentTom Moore, SecretaryJulie Brown, Treasurer

Patrick HughesMatt WeaverBrent Cato

Sharon HessongMike SuhoveckyDennis StejskalCharlie AugerGary Simpson

Publications CommitteeTom MooreEire StewartJulie BrownTom Love

Carolyn Boettner, EditorMaureen Connolly,

Consultant

National AdministratorBoettner Business

ProfessionalsP.O. Box 697

Sylvania, OH 43560Phone: 419.885.9004

Fax: 419.885.9007

Toll Free: 800.884.4630

Web Site


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Success or Failure with Outsourcing Depends On a Good Client-Provider Partnership

by: Scott M. Lewis, President/CEO • Winning Technologies, Inc.

I’ve been in the technology arena for more than 25 years and have had the privilege of working as an outsourced

provider with internationally recognized companies, such as IBM and General Electric. I’ve also had experience work-ing on the other side of the table, as a consumer of outsourced services.

I believe that a strong working relationship between an outsourcing provider/technology vendor and the consumer of that service requires that both sides understand their roles and expectations. This rela-tionship can and should be a partnership. As the client, you need to have insight into your outsourc-ing provider because the outsourcing provider will have a tremendous impact on your productivity and profitability. If you are an outsourcing vendor, you need to know that you are part of the client’s team, essentially not an outsider, and partially responsible for achieving that company’s mission and goals.

This article is designed to help you, as a current or potential client of out-sourced services or as an outsourcing provider, achieve and maintain a good partnership and to recognize warning signs that indicate your relationship is in jeopardy. For all parties in the partnership, the same factors influ-ence success or failure: involvement of the owner and manager, setting and managing expectations, accountability, and task tracking.

Let’s assume that you’ve decided to take advantage of the many posi-tives that can result from outsourcing. Some of those positives could be, but are not limited to, increased technology experience and a wider set of skills

available to your company, such as network engineers, security special-ists, software developers, and CIO-level management—just to name a few.

Owner Involvement is KeyWhere do you start to ensure that you’re selecting the right outsourcing partner? It all begins with fully understanding the needs of your business; you have to know what you’re trying to accomplish

in order to set expec-tations and to max i -mize your investment with your technology p a r t n e r . T h i s r e -quires that ownership t ake t he lead role in se lect ing and work-ing with an outsourc-ing provider. Whether the outsourcing relationship will fail or succeed often rests on the level of involvement by ownership and upper management.

Before you contract with an out-sourcing vendor, interview and evalu-

ate the outsourcing provider as if you were actually adding this “person” to your senior management staff. That’s because you are. If the background, qualifications, and personality of the ownership of a prospective provider fit your culture and your management style, and this is actually someone you would hire for his or her value to your organization, this is a good indication that the outsourcing relationship will be strong.

Many owners—or upper manage-ment—of companies that engage out-sourcing providers make the mistake of selecting the partner then handing off the operational aspect to an individual who has limited decision-making au-

thority or insight into the outsourcing agreement.

A recent Pricewater-houseCoopers report on IT outsourcing lists key rela-tionships at the top execu-tive levels as the number one success factor for get-ting outsourcing right. In our experience this is true. Direction and oversight of technology initiatives by senior management are critical to the overall suc-cess of outsourcing.

Can the Provider Meet Expectations?

We are currently working with a company that, for years, has had an up-

and-down relationship with their cur-rent technology provider. Our client is expecting the provider to recommend new technology, design new systems, and provide higher-level consulting


“I believe that a strong working relationship between an outsourcing provider/technology vendor and the consumer of that service re-quires that both sides understand their roles and expectations.”


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services. However, when we audited the outsourcing provider and the ser-vices it’s providing that client, we dis-covered that the provider is a “break fix” organization. Break fix means the provider is focused on the hardware aspect of technology: keeping cur-rent technology running, supporting end user needs, and performing basic hardware upgrades or installations. Of course, maintaining technology is im-portant, but in today’s business world, managing your technology as part of your business is equally or more important than keeping technol-ogy running. This means you and your outsourcing provider need to know and understand business models, budgets and objectives—unfortunately, not what break fix organizations do.

Expectations of service and the setting of goals and objectives are fundamental to a good client-provider relationship. Our client expected an outsourcing provider that would run a technology department around a specific business model, including a technology budget, setting a long-term strategy around the business’s needs and helping the organization evaluate, implement and manage technology. But the founder of that break fix organiza-tion had been trained and educated in the technical aspects of systems and did not have expertise in business operations and the business application of technology. The client’s expectation was not in line with the provider’s capabilities.

Among the client’s roles is ensuring that, as a company, its management re-mains engaged in the relationship with the outsourcing provider. In our audits of clients, we have seen those that devel-oped a strategic plan for their business, only to have the management of the

organization change. As a result, the client ownership disengaged from the process of managing the provider, and the client changed strategic direction. Further, the client’s new management failed to work with the provider to reset goals and objectives, including budgets and work processes, and often simply abandoned the outsourcing process. As the original strategic plan unrav-eled, the client pointed the finger at the provider for the failure. This relationship was doomed from that point forward.

When you talk about expectations for your relationship with your outsourc-ing provider, first you have to ensure that you understand your own expecta-tions and needs for your IT initiatives. Once you’ve determined what your expectations are, this should become

your guide to selection of a provider. Here are some considerations as

you outline your expectations: • One or More Vendors — Do you

want to manage one or multiple vendors and or providers? When you’re evaluating potential out-sourcing and technology vendors, do you want one that can manage the entire functionality of your IT department or just one aspect of it? Among the biggest hurdles to outsource planning is continuity within the technology. You need assurances that current and future technologies will work together properly.

• 360-degree Management Struc-ture — In your evaluation of potential partners, what do you expect from a provider’s manage-ment structure in terms of qual-ity service, decision impact and oversight? Under a “total manage-ment” methodology, you have to

break down the functions of your IT department. As an example, think about project management and management of software and hardware assets and compliancy. Remember, there are compliancy issues within IT management such as licensing agreements, telecom agreements, and software support agreements, just to name a few.

• Integrated Performance Matrix — How are you measuring tasks, service requests, project manage-ment, and resource management? How are you going to measure the success of your vendor? What type of insight does the vendor provide you on its internal functions and work processes? When you get an

invoice, what type of account-ability and reconciliation do you have against the bill you just re-ceived? Will you, as the client, or will the provider handle budget aspects? What is the provider’s reporting structure and how will you interpret the meaning and

results of those numbers? Think of IT management as an integral part of your business, not simply a cost of doing business.

• Continued Improvement Prac-tices — Does a potential pro-vider have continued improvement processes in place? How well documented are that provider’s work processes and policies, and how often are they reviewed and updated? Does this vendor have continuing education programs for its own employees? What is the makeup of the vendor’s staffing, and how are personnel managed?

• Documentation of Structure, Staffing and Work Processes — In my own company, we ex-pend considerable effort, time and money on internal reflection and process review to determine what we, as an organization, are doing

o Continued from page 3

o Continues…

Success or Failure with Out-sourcing Depends On a Good Client-Provider Partnership

“Expectations of service and the setting of goals and objectives are fundamental to a good client-provider relationship.”


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right or wrong, to assure ourselves that we are well organized and well structured. We strive for im-provements across the board so that our clients will have a better working relationship with us now and for years to come. I want the same from our outsourcing provid-er. You should, too. As a consumer of outsourced services, know how your outsourced services strive for continuous improvement and how processes are evaluated, adjusted, and documented. Know your provider’s staff turnover rate, as well as how long it takes to train new outsourcing staff so you know that the people you’re counting on to help you run your business all work off the same script.

A Shared DialogueManagement of expectations is a two-way street; you have to manage your new vendor to meet your expectations for the outsourcing agreement, and the vendor must, in turn, help you understand how it interprets and carries out that agreement. Both parties must work toward common goals and objectives, keeping an open line of commu-nication. The provider must be ready and willing to discuss where it stands in regard to expectations that have been set. In return, the client company has to understand and manage its expecta-tions to the provider’s ability to achieve goals. If the client sets unreasonable expectations, that jeopardizes the provider-client relationship as much as does underperformance by the provider.

In a sense, the client and the out-sourcing provider manage each other toward common goals: both want busi-ness success for themselves and for each other. Keeping the partnership strong means helping each other work toward continuous improvement.

A Look Inside Your ProviderWhen I do speaking engagements or

teach classes on technology manage-ment for executives, one of the most common complaints about outsourcing I hear is “I just don’t know what they are doing or what this is costing me.” Once you have a partner managing your technology functions, you must have insight into that partner’s activities. One of the biggest faults of many IT firms is that they speak a language that the cli-ent does not understand. Combine that with IT being a rapidly evolving industry, and the picture gets very fuzzy. The dynamic nature of the industry means that accountability can be difficult to track and manage. What seemed quick and simple at first can soon become a long and difficult process, resulting in a rapid rise in the cost of managing your system.

When you talk about insight, what does that actually mean? Go back to our previous concept of the client and the provider managing each other toward a common goal. Then, break down

the functions of an IT department and the services it provides. How do you manage those objectives? Let’s start with breaking down the functions of an IT department because, when you detail all the functions, you see how easy it is to let things slip through the cracks and how hard it is to gather the proper information so it is useable and manageable.

Basic Functions of an IT Department

Here are some ways to break down IT functions:• CIO Oversight — Many organi-

zations underestimate the need for oversight and management of their IT departments. Then

they compound that mistake by appointing a technician as the IT manager, thinking that he or she is a good technician and a long-standing employee, thus a good IT manager. WRONG! A good CIO-level manager not only un-derstands the technology aspect of the business, but also is strong in business processes, budget management and strategic plan-ning and is a forward thinker and an expert planner. A good CIO will bring a solid methodology to your business, manage the return on investment, and ensure a cohesive approach to how your business utilizes the many technological options on the market today.

• The SUPER TECH — Let me dis-pel the myth of one person who knows it all: the super technician. The days of those guys are over, and that’s primarily based on the fact that technology has become a very specialized field. We now have job titles including Security Specialist, Backup Specialist, Network Engineers, Desktop Specialist, and Internet Special-ist. The expert list goes on and on. So in your evaluation of a

technology provider, be familiar with the vendor’s workforce diver-sity and determine how that will impact the overall management of your system and network.

• End-User Support — Support of the end-user environment is an important function, but not the only function to successful management of your IT. The end-user support is, however, what you will hear about in meetings; dissatisfaction with your provider’s end-user support will always be a topic of discussion. The first un-derstanding that senior manage-ment must have is everyone will never be happy; personalities and


“The provider must be ready and willing to discuss where it stands in regard to expecta-tions that have been set.”


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processes clash, and the speed and the timing of services foster debate. This is where a strong CIO can help by documenting the corporate objectives, policies and procedures, and the operation around the expectations of the provider. Many times you’ll be able to respond to user complaints that the provider is simply enforcing your company’s documented poli-cies. Along with proper escalation processes and quality control checks, many end-user sup-port issues should be easily and quickly resolved

• Systems and Network Manage-ment — Systems and network management are not end-user support, but rather the manage-ment of the backend systems and servers.

• Management of Hardware and Software Assets — As part of technology becoming more of a business process, rather than an isolated event, proactively managing software and hardware assets has become increasingly important. These assets now can represent a significant capital expenditure on your part. How are the specifications of hardware determined? How are those assets acquired? How are those assets deployed? So, how do you track who, where and what has hap-pened to each asset, and when is it time to lifecycle an asset out of service? Many organizations underestimate the need and the value of managing the software and hardware assets—a costly error.

• Systems Monitoring — Wouldn’t


it be nice to know in advance that you’re going to have downtime? Especially, when? Well, systems monitoring—on a proactive ba-sis—is a powerful tool for your business. The mistake many or-ganizations make is that although they are monitoring their systems, nobody is speaking up or listening, so no action is taken. The end result is downtime. As the client, you should know who is actually watching the system and what are the policies and procedures to correct issues before there’s an outage for your business. Don’t rely on a single internal or external person for monitoring; it’s a client-provider team effort.

• Contract and Vendor Compli-ancy and Management — The concept of looking at technology as a business, rather than sim-ply as a cost of doing business, brings us to the issue of managing compliancy within your company. That includes compliancy around other vendors and software man-agement around maintaining BSA (Business Software Alliance) compliancy, as well as the per-formance of risk management assessment around compliancy issues. A strong CIO management consultant can guide you through processes and procedures to manage and oversee compliance issues.

• Telecom Management — All companies have to deal with frustrating, but mission-critical telecommunication issues: choos-ing telecom companies, contract management, renewal, phone issues, communication services to job sites, billing compliancy, and even securing the best rates possible. The telecom services market is shifting, removing the burden of your purchasing, main-taining, and managing the phones on your company’s desks and

walls. How do you get and pay for the telecom services you actually need and use while still putting money in the bank? You need to be able to manage and source telephone resources, as well as Internet access.

• Data Security — I teach classes on security, risk management, and compliancy issues that busi-nesses face today. I’m amazed at how many organizations still don’t take security seriously and how many still don’t understand that their data is worth something to someone. The buying and selling of corporate data is a multi-billion-dollar per year business, and if someone gets your data, there will be a buyer for it. You need to identify, manage, mitigate, and resolve security issues and events.

• Project Management — How do you track tasks, equipment orders, timelines, project team members, documentation, change orders, delays, time against cost, and all those other critical tasks in managing your clients? You want a provider who takes the same care in documenting processes that you do. In choosing a potential IT partner, be sure that the provider has the capacity to track all its tasks required to serve you and that you have insight into how the provider is handling those responsibilities.

• Quality Control — As a client of outsourcing, what kind of quality control do you expect? How do you monitor whether your provider has a system of continued improve-ment? When you’re selecting a provider, have them show you and walk you through their escalation processes, their quality control processes, and how those trans-late into a continued improvement program. Every provider is going




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Electronic Reconciliation of Routine ChecksLeaves Time to Handle Pesky Exceptions

by: Pamela A. Hepburn, CCIFP • OCP Contractors

It makes sense that clearing checks electronically can eliminate hours from the monthly reconciliation process and improve accuracy. After reading the Sage Timberline

Office Help topic on electronic reconciliation, I admit I was a little intimidated. As it turns out, the process is pretty simple using Microsoft® Excel to create the import file.

The first step is to check the availability of electronic data from the bank. Most banks offer a variety of online banking services to commercial clients. Fairly common is the function of report-ing checks that have cleared. Reports can usually be exported to Excel or to a file type that can then be imported in Excel.

Once the data for a reconciliation period has been exported to Excel, copy and paste only the columns required by Timberline into a new worksheet. The data will have four columns when finished. No column titles are needed. (Figure 1)

The first column is the bank account name in Timberline. This can be found in Cash Management by opening Set up, Bank Accounts. Type the bank account exactly as it appears in the Bank Account field, and copy for each row of data. The next three columns, Check Number, Amount Cleared, and Date all come from the downloaded bank data. Save the file as a .csv file. (Figure 2)

Open Cash Management, Tools, Import Cleared Checks. In the Import file window, browse to the .csv file. In the Rejected records file box, type in a name and select a path that can be easily located later. The Import Format is Comma. Click Start. (Figure 3)

Timberline will print a report showing all checks that were imported and any that were not imported. If a check was not imported, that’s because it didn’t match the check information in Timberline. This could be a misread check number, an incorrect amount cleared, or a cleared check that wasn’t entered in Timberline. The

check can be manually cleared in Cash Management once the discrepancy is resolved, or it can be corrected in the reject file and then imported from the

Cash Management

Figure 1

Figure 2

“It makes sense that clearing checks electronically can eliminate hours from the monthly reconciliation pro-cess and improve accuracy.”


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Over the past 10 years or so, the construction market

has changed from data entry, reporting and deci-sion making all done in a company’s headquarters to the performance of these functions at the work site by field staff. Why this shift? Contractors have wised up; they know it just makes sense to cap-ture data where it origi-nates. Superintendents and project managers are entrusted with thousands, if not millions, of dollars of company assets, a.k.a. construction projects, and we need to provide these staff with the tools for success.

With this shift away from the com-pany’s home office controlling data comes a question. “What technology best enables the most efficient manipulation of that data in the field?” You can see the answer just by turning on the TV or read-ing a magazine: mobile phones with Internet connectivity. To-day, even moderately priced cell phones can use “phone apps” to do everything from time-stamping time cards and GPS tagging your subs, to variance purchase orders on the fly and even authorization to pay upon checklist walkthroughs.

Not only does improved connec-tivity between the field and the home office empower the field managers, it also dramatically improves overall productivity. No one wastes time driving to and from the home office, and that alone makes managers more efficient as they move from job site to job site.

And, oh yes, this technology is a very green thing to do. Consider the paper-free aspects of a digital manage-


ment system, but also the reduced use of fuel and, more importantly, the cycle-time reduction when building homes or commercial projects. And that’s to say nothing of the baseline office functions

that are now so much more efficient. “To date, we have created and

rolled out three forms for the field staff,” commented Liz Schellenger, IT Project Manager of Darling Homes,” as she re-lated efficiencies the company has seen with improved mobile communications. “With many employees in the field, this brings the processes closer to them, and those processes can be approved within hours instead of days traveling back and forth to field and corporate/regional offices.”

When construction companies pur-chase ERP (Enterprise Resource Plan-ning) systems, those systems typically

handle 75% of what the construction firm

requires for baseline operations, such as ac-counting and estimating. But that’s never really been a cost center for contractors because the contractor can exercise such centralized control over those processes. It’s the other 25% that kills. But that 25%—with im-proved process workflow internally and improved communication with the field—can dramatically increase the bottom line, even by double-digit per-centage points.

Jeff Walsh, Systems Manager for Infinity Homes, Denver, CO, explained his use of workflow management soft-ware and process optimization this way: “The job site super’s schedule change

triggers a series of messages and e-mails to the appropriate people. We are able to focus on quality control and not on ‘damage-control.’”

Adds Justin Meyers of East-wood Homes, “Improved mobile communication allowed 80

staffers to eliminate two to three hours per week in manual duties, yielding 240 hours a week in savings. Multiply that out over a year, and it’s 12,480 hours saved annually (312 work weeks or 6 full-time employees).”

Today, just as when a construction company researches its ERP back of-fice accounting, project management, and estimating solutions, construction companies are finding they have to put as much focus on selecting the cor-rect mobile technology, as well. There are numerous wireless products that

The Hottest Thing for Your Phone? Process Mapping

by: Tom Gebes, President • BuilderMT

“Contractors have wised up; they know it just makes sense to capture data where it originates.”


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DATE TOPICNovember 10-12, 2009

Sage SummitAtlanta, Georgia

December 10, 2009TUG Kansas City

Local Chapter [email protected]

May 16-19, 20102010 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Orlando, Florida

April 26 - 29, 20112011 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Grapevine, Texas

May 15-18, 20122012 TUG National Users Conference & Workshops

Orlando, Florida

Thurs 10/1/2009 A/R Setup and WorkflowFri 10/2/2009 Basic Construction AssembliesMon 10/5/2009 OutlookTues 10/6/2009 DesktopThurs 10/8/2009 Billing Setup WorkflowThurs10/8/2009 REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUMMon 10/12/2009 Beginning ExcelTues 10/13/2009 Job Overview ReportThurs10/15/2009 CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE & FORUM Mon 10/19/2009 Intermediate ExcelTues 10/20/2009 SERVICE MGMT COMMITTEE & FORUMTues 10/20/2009 Implementation StrategyThurs10/22/2009 A/P SetupMon 10/26/2009 IT COMMITTEE & FORUMTue 10/27/2009 PJ COMMITTEE & FORUMWed 10/28/2009 ESTIMATING COMMITTEE & FORUM – 11:00 ESTThurs10/29/2009 A/P WorkflowMon 11/2/2009 Upgrade 9.6Tues 11/3/2009 SubmittalsThurs 11/5/2009 Preparing for the Year-EndTues 11/10/2009 Drawing LogThurs11/12/2009 REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUM Fri 11/13/2009 Intermediate Assembly ConstructionMon 11/16/2009 Beginning ODBC 1–An introduction to ODBC covering basic concepts

and setup, using ODBC and mail merge to create letters, contracts and forms in Microsoft Word

Tues 11/17/2009 Custom LogsTues 11/17/2009 SERVICE MGMT COMMITTEE & FORUMThurs11/19/2009 CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE & FORUM Mon 11/23/2009 Beginning ODBC 2–Setting up and using ODBC with Microsoft

Excel, swapping data sources in Excel 2003 and using Microsoft Access to update Sage Timberline data.

Tue 11/24/2009 PJ COMMITTEE & FORUMWed 11/25/2009 ESTIMATING COMMITTEE & FORUM – 11:00 ESTMon 11/30/2009 IT COMMITTEE & FORUMTues 12/1/2009 Change Requests & Change Mgmt WorkflowThurs 12/3/2009 Q & A: Preparing 1099’sMon 12/7/2009 Intermediate ODBC 1–Working with Microsoft Query, using

parameters to automatically filter retrieved data, using common Excel 2003 functions to summarize and manipulate job cost data. Working with Microsoft Query, using parameters to automatically filter retrieved data, using common Excel 2003 functions to summarize and manipulate job cost data.

Tues 12/8/2009 Crystal for Change RequestsThurs12/10/2009 Q & A: Preparing W-2’sThurs12/10/2009 REAL ESTATE COMMITTEE & FORUMMon 12/14/2009 Intermediate ODBC 2 Tips and tricks for creating dashboards

using Microsoft ExcelTues 12/15/2009 Owner Change Orders + CrystalTues 12/15/2009 SERVICE MGMT COMMITTEE & FORUMThurs12/17/2009 CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE & FORUM Tues 12/22/2009 Commitment Change Orders + CrystalMon 12/28/2009 IT COMMITTEE & FORUMTue 12/29/2009 PJ COMMITTEE & FORUMWed 12/30/2009 ESTIMATING COMMITTEE & FORUM – 11:00 EST

All training sessions take place at 1:00 EST (unless otherwise stated) and last approximately one hour. To reg-

ister, email [email protected]. Just let her know which class(es) you would like to participate in. We’ll get you regis-tered and email a confirmation along with connection information. These classes are free of charge and open to members only – one more benefit of belonging to the Timberline Users Group!

We are adding more sessions every day. Check the Training Calendar at www.TUGweb.com for an updated list. If you have any suggestions on sessions you would like to see, please email [email protected].

TUG ONLINE WEBEXTRAINING & OPEN FORUMS


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reject file to Cash Management. To correct the reject file, open it in Notepad. Make the correction, save and then repeat the import process using the reject file as the import file.

The final step is to open Cash Management, Tasks, Reconcile. Enter the statement balance, check the Reconcile

cleared entries checkbox and click OK to automatically rec-oncile the checks that have been imported. The only items left to reconcile will be deposits and adjustments. (Figure 4)

Using the Import Cleared Checks function has saved my staff more than eight hours each month, allowing us more time to focus on the exceptions rather than on the many transactions that have cleared correctly.


Go Beyond Project Management’s Logs To Modify or Create What You Need

Electronic Reconciliation of Routine Checks Leaves Time to Handle Pesky Exceptionso Continued from page 7

320 characters, you must create a custom report and print that report from the Reports menu. Any customizations you have made to the log will be reflected in the printed log. All rows will print, but columns you have hidden will not appear on the printed log.

Helpful Points for Custom LogsHere are some tips for creating custom logs:1. Columns appear in the grid in the order in which

you create them. You can rearrange columns after you set up the log.

2. You can change a column heading at any time.3. You can select a column by clicking it or by clicking

the arrow buttons.4. You can create a new column by right clicking in the

Log Preview grid and selecting New.5. You can change a column format while you’re set-

ting up new columns for a custom log. You cannot change a column format after you’ve clicked OK in the Custom Log Column Setup window.

6. Several column types will pull Timberline data: Spec Section, Contact, Urgency, Commitment, Equipment, Extra, Cost Code, and Category.

7. Up to 20 custom logs can be set up (including the canned logs that Timberline provides).

8. When you delete a column from a custom log, you lose all data in that column in all data folders.

Get more information about custom logs in Project Man-agement by going to the Help Topics menu and searching for Custom Logs.

The above information has been adapted from the Help section of Project Management, Sage Software, Inc. All rights reserved (2009).

Figure 3

Figure 4

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to struggle with quality of service from time to time, just as your own business does. Keep in mind that you can help each other to improve which will ensure that the relationship remains strong.

The process of selecting an out-sourcing provider is a difficult one and something that you should not take lightly. Sitting on the client and on the provider sides of the table, I’ve seen and worked with companies that have made very good and very bad choices. Ultimately, as a consumer, you’re look-ing for a provider that has the resources to manage and support your business, and has a long track record of success. You need the insight and the tools that will enable you to manage that provider and hold it accountable for what it does.

Over my 25-year career, I’ve worked with many IT companies, and each one had a unique methodology for managing its business and its custom-ers while offering a range of resources and levels of services to meet individual


The Hottest Thing for Your Phone? Process Mapping



perform one or two basic functions: time card entry, change order control, bidding, RFIs, etc. But these “off-the-shelf” functions are really built for a one-size-fits-all approach to mobilizing your data, and you need a system that accommodates the idiosyncrasies of your company. You don’t want to be trying to jam a “round” mobile app into a “square hole,” so to speak.

In the current market, construction companies using new and exciting technology tools are seeing a 5X return on investment, and that 5X return is realized in just days and weeks—not years after implementation. These technologies, which are basically work-flow maps with extreme versatility and customizability, can design any type of web-based process workflow and then engineer that workflow to easily com-municate with and support the field, engineers, architects, subs and owners. Internet access is possible no matter what type of device staff are using, from their kid’s AOL account to 3G-linked mobile phones loaded with very cool apps. The real advantage of these workflow mapping tools is that they can affordably design any process the way your company wants it designed and to connect to any back office software at a fraction of the cost of buying an array of individual mobile software products, let alone the cost of trying to connect them all to your back office.

BuilderMT introduced BPM—Busi-ness Process Management in conjunc-tion with Symantec Corporation, and BPM is just such a process-mapping tool for the construction industry.

According to Philip Robichaud, Information Technology Manager for Morrison Homes, Calgary, Canada, “We took an entire process paperless with BPM, with the data exchanges among supers, back office and vendors now

entirely electronic, with no re-entry of data, exactly the way we operate. In the cost savings and efficiency gains alone, this switch paid for the software in about a week’s time.”

As we all know, the marketplace remains tight and project budgets are under even more scrutiny. It is critical that construction firms consider the im-portance of improved field data collec-tion, tracking and reporting. Companies should establish a list of functions they want to improve between the home of-fice and the outside world. Today, your company’s “homework assignment” is to hold a roundtable meeting with your field and office staff and ask them ques-tions such as, “If we could do anything to improve the way we operate as a

client needs. The continued evolution of Winning Technologies is based around a simple methodology of removing finger-pointing, providing our clients with a single liaison, taking control of the entire IT management process, controlling the quality of the product by controlling the process, and ensuring that our clients have full insight into how we perform for them. That’s what you’ll want your outsourcing profes-sionals to do, too.

About the Author: Scott M. Lewis is President/CEO of the Winning Technol-ogy Group of Companies, the largest provider of IT services to the U.S. con-struction industry. Scott has designed and managed systems from five users up to 3,000 users. Over the years, Win-ning Technologies has evolved a unique business-based methodology to better manage technology and technology resources in order to increase produc-tivity, increase profits, and has turned IT into a business unit rather than a cost of doing business. Scott is a member of CFMA, AGC, ABC, TUG and several other construction and technology profes-sional organizations.

construction company, what would it be?” Or ask, “What types of improved communication to our vendors, own-ers, project managers, municipalities, etc., would improve our efficiencies and lower the time needed to perform project management?”

You may be surprised at the feed-back you get. Use this information to establish a wish list to select technology tools that will provide you with your own 5X ROI.

Tom Gebes is President of Build-erMT, a long-time technology develop-ment company and part of the Sage Development Partner Program. Tom can be reached at [email protected] or www.buildermt.com.