Construction software buyer’s guide Software Advice selects Procore for iPhone as “our favorite construction app.”
Procore has highlighted buyers’ guide site Software Advice before on our blog. We think Software Advice provides a great service to the construction industry. The people at Software Advice match companies looking for software with vendors selling software. They save people time, money and a lot of hassle. The Software Advice service is free to people shopping for software.
If you’ve ever searched for construction-specific iPhone apps, you’re probably aware of one challenge when looking for construction software. Search for “construction” in the App Store, and more than 225 apps will appear. Worst of all, these apps include games and other apps that are irrelevant for someone trying to get some work done.
Software Advice has a solution to this confusion. They took the time to filter out all of the junk for you. The result is a list of over 120 iPhone apps that can be used by someone involved in architecture, design or construction. The Software Advice list of “construction iPhone apps that can actually be used in construction” can be found here.
We are also pleased that Software Advice singled out one app on their list from the rest:
“Procore – This is our favorite construction app. It allows users of Procore construction software to create, manage and share Procore project data from their phones. Specifically, users can create and manage punch list items, access contact data, share and store project photos, log time card entries and more. The Procore iPhone app has a rating of 4.5 and can be used on iPhones (OS 3.0 or later), iPads and iPod Touch.”
Thanks, guys! We’re glad Software Advice likes Procore for iPhone, and we think all Procore users will be impressed with how much they can do with the app. Especially since we’ll be adding some new features very soon to make Procore for iPhone even more useful.
Click here to download Procore for iPhone from the App Store.
Procore is proud to announce the release of Procore for iPhone, a full-featured iPhone app for creating, managing and sharing construction project data. That’s right – now you can have full-featured construction project management software right on your iPhone.
Procore for iPhone brings key features of Procore’s web app to the iPhone. Users can create, manage and share project information that is immediately synced with Procore’s web-based construction project management software.
The first release of Procore for iPhone offers several tools, including: photo creation and sharing; punch list item creation and distribution; directory contact access and sharing; time card logging; and daily job log note taking. Procore for iPhone also transcribes voice dictation audio into text and adds project information to Procore’s web-based construction project management software.
Screen shots of Procore for iPhone, as well as tool descriptions, product literature and the Procore for iPhone User Guide (PDF), are all available on Procore’s web site at www.procore.com.
The reaction from Procore’s customers to the release of our first app for construction project management has been positive. A sample review on the iTunes App Store states:
“Fantastic app that ties in flawlessly to (Procore’s) web-based project management. This is a great solution to keeping your projects updated from the field with reports that will be viewed by the project team…great job guys!”
Procore for iPhone is provided at no additional charge to all Procore registered users, and can be downloaded on the App Store immediately.
Jeff Brook of Project Technology Solutions presents another of his straight-from-the-job-site videos about using Procore. This week, the topic is why older client-server construction software systems are as outmoded as a “rusty tractor”.
Jeff talks about how inefficient it is to use old software technologies when a cloud-based solution like Procore is available from wherever you have Internet access. As we’ve noted in previous posts, Jeff is a GC who’s been using Procore for about four years. He knows the software, he has experience with Procore’s support team and software developers, and he believes in Procore so much that he’s started his own firm to sell Procore’s construction project management software to general contractors like him.
In this video, Jeff notes that Procore’s clients don’t need to purchase new server hardware, create and execute lengthy implementation programs, or distribute and manage individual user license keys. Procore is simple to learn, and your project team can start to use Procore as soon as you make the purchase decision—not weeks or months later.
Click on the video below to see Jeff’s comments:
As cloud-based computing becomes the dominant form of new software releases, Procore is seeing more clients come to us who are seeking the simplicity and ease-of-use of web-based construction software. The old way of buying construction software – purchase a few user licenses, then pay a systems integrator to set up the software, then spend thousands of dollars training a few key employees – has become a thing of the past.
Video Primer: All About Cloud-Based Computing
The video below was created by CRM software firm Salesforce.com. This video explains exactly what cloud computing is in about 3 minutes. If you’re new to the idea of cloud computing, watch the video below. Just about everything covered in the video applies to Procore—Procore is a multi-tenant, cloud computing software application for construction project management. We think Procore is the best cloud computing construction software on the market today – why not give us a call and let us show you?
Jeff Brook, Senior VP at general contracting firm Cartmill-Rogers, has been in construction for most of his life and is responsible for major projects at Las Vegas landmarks such as the Mandalay Bay Hotel; New York, New York Casino and Hotel; and the Paris Casino & Hotel.
Click here to learn more about Project Technology Solutions
Click here to learn more about Cartmill-Rogers Construction Company
Here’s another great video from Jeff Brook of Project Technology Solutions.
Jeff reports directly from the job site on how he has found value using Procore’s web-based construction project management software. Jeff is so impressed with the impact that Procore’s web-based construction software has had on his general contracting business that he started a new company to sell the software to general contractors like his own firm.
Jeff highlights the convenience of web-based software, as well as the advantages of getting his entire project team on the same page.
As Jeff says, “Procore changed how I work.”
Click on the video below to see Jeff’s comments:
Jeff Brook, Senior VP at general contracting firm Cartmill-Rogers, has been in construction for most of his life and is responsible for major projects at Las Vegas landmarks such as the Mandalay Bay Hotel; New York, New York Casino and Hotel; and the Paris Casino & Hotel.
Click here to learn more about Project Technology Solutions
Click here to learn more about Cartmill-Rogers Construction Company
Procore has several clients who are using our construction software to manage Internet data center facility construction projects across the US.
Data centers are also known as “mission critical” facilities because the web and data servers they house must be able to function at all times. Imagine how much it could cost a major e-commerce company if their website servers went down for even an hour. If a data center is not properly built, all kinds of problems could crop up and affect not just one tenant, but hundreds or even thousands of “virtual tenants,” companies that have their web servers housed in that facility. An issue with poor electrical systems design or a leaking roof can have repercussions for many data center clients and thousands of customers for those companies.
That’s why data centers have to be built right. Because so many companies and people depend on the data center to provide a secure home for mission-critical equipment and data, the facility has to be built to a high standard. Likewise, the construction project management software used to build a data center has to be accurate and dependable—there’s no room for communication errors, lost project documents, or mismanaged change orders because of a construction software error.
Procore’s construction project management software is helping to build the facilities that actually power the Internet. Several Procore clients, including Nova Corp (NY/NJ), XL Construction (CA), and Concept Construction (NY), are using Procore as their construction project management software standard for more than a dozen different mission critical facility projects throughout the US. Using a web-based construction software tool to build the data centers that house the Internet’s web servers makes a lot of sense.
If you sell construction services to high-tech clients, demonstrating Procore’s construction software as part of your sales effort can do a lot to demonstrate your technology literacy. Do you have competitors who still use a legal pad and a cell phone to manage their projects? Make sure your prospects and clients know you’re using Procore as your construction software in order to run a 21st century business.
Procore client Cartmill-Rogers got so excited about Procore that they’ve started a company to sell Procore’s construction project management software to other contractors.
Here’s the full story:
Cartmill-Rogers is a general contracting firm in Las Vegas, NV. They started using Procore about four years ago for major projects along the Vegas strip and the surrounding area. For the principals of Cartmill-Rogers, using Procore was eye-opening. Suddenly, chasing paper and emails became a thing of the past. Communications headaches were reduced. Accountability and transparency increased. Everyone on the project knew what needed to be done, what had been accomplished, and what still needed to be worked on.
For most companies, that would have been the end of the story. They bought some software, the software worked, everyone’s pleased.
But there’s more to this story. Cartmill-Rogers saw an opportunity to bring Procore to other companies in the construction industry. They approached Procore, and worked with us to start a brand new company, Project Technology Solutions, or “ProTech”. The mission of ProTech is simple: they sell Procore construction software to commercial contractors.
That’s a great customer testimonial. And now the sales guys from Project Technology Solutions are out on the streets, doing Procore demos and spreading the word about Procore.
Jeff Brook, Senior VP at Cartmill-Rogers, has been in construction for most of his life and is responsible for major projects at Las Vegas landmarks such as the Mandalay Bay Hotel; New York, New York Casino and Hotel; and the Paris Casino & Hotel.
Click on the video below to see Jeff’s comments on why he believes the construction industry needs Procore:
Click here to learn more about Project Technology Solutions
Click here to learn more about Cartmill-Rogers Construction Company
North Carolina solar installation firm FLS Energy has chosen Procore to be the company’s standard for construction project management software. Procore was selected after the FLS team evaluated construction software from several different vendors, and then actually used Procore’s software on pilot projects for over four months.
The selection process compared Procore to other construction software packages, including several older software applications which use more costly client-server technologies and require extensive staff training. Procore’s web-based construction software was chosen because FLS realized that Procore provided all of the power they needed, in a way that makes it easy for their entire team to quickly get up and running.
FLS Energy, based in Asheville, NC, is a solar energy generation company whose mission is to establish solar as a mainstream technology. FLS Energy specializes in solar energy systems that provide hot water and electricity to provide its clients with a hedge against rising energy costs and a clean source of energy. FLS Energy installs a range of solar energy systems from small commercial solar thermal and photovoltaic applications to utility scale solar farms. The firm is using Procore to coordinate the efforts of its entire project team, from in-house system design and engineering to project management and installation.
Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche commented, “FLS works with a large team of system designers, project managers and installers. They can’t implement a tool that’s cumbersome to use or hard to learn, and they needed a solution that would allow them to provide value to their entire customer base, which ranges from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Procore’s web-based construction software fits the bill, and we’re proud to have been adopted by a company that’s in the vanguard of the implementation of green energy.”
Monitor Builders Inc. (MBI), the construction management affiliate of architectural firm DiGiorgio Associates, Inc. (DAI), has chosen to standardize its project collaboration and communication on Procore’s construction software. Boston-based MBI specializes in meeting the unique needs of the healthcare industry. MBI is using Procore to enhance the coordination between project team members working on major hospital and healthcare centers throughout the Northeastern US.
MBI often teams up with its affiliate DAI, which provides planning, architecture, engineering, and interior design services to clients. MBI then steps into the process to take over the management of complex construction phasing. Successful project coordination is vital to reduce the impact of construction operations on staff, patients and the overall function of clients’ healthcare facilities.
Procore is part of the technology toolset that MBI uses to ensure that authorized project team members have seamless access to a centralized source for project documents, contracts, submittals and RFIs. Because Procore is web-based, access can be granted to any team member with an Internet connection, regardless of whether they are employees of MBI, DAI or an external sub-contractor or trade partner. Documents can be shared via email or web access, and communications such as RFIs and submittals can be handled using respondents’ regular email software, on any email device—including smartphones.
MBI selected Procore after using the software for over a month on a pilot project. This ability to try out the system before deciding to move forward with standardization is a clear advantage when Procore is compared to older, client-server technologies. MBI also does not have to invest in purchasing server equipment to run Procore, and all of their project team members receive unlimited training and support at no cost.
“With over 25 years of experience designing and building specialized healthcare facilities, the team at MBI and DAI knows exactly how much value tight coordination adds to the construction process, ” noted Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche. “Procore is proud to be selected as a key technology component that is helping to ensure MBI’s continued leadership in their industry sector.”
Procore has been selected by Michigan commercial contractor Irish Construction Company as its company-wide construction project management software application. Procore was selected after a rigorous evaluation process conducted over several months by Irish’s project managers.
The selection process compared Procore’s ease-of-use, functionality and value to a wide variety of other construction software packages, including several well-known applications which use older client-server technology. Procore’s web-based construction software was chosen based upon its power and simplicity, and Procore’s ability to work on any computer with an Internet connection. Procore’s simple pricing model, which uses a flat fee instead of requiring cumbersome individual “seat licenses” for users, also separated its software from the competition.
Founded in 1974, Irish Construction is a hands-on General Contractor, Construction Manager, and Design Builder specializing in mid-to-large commercial, institutional, and industrial contracts. Recent projects have included Michigan State University’s Surplus Store and Recycling Center, U of M’S Big House Renovation, and the Delhi Township (MI) Biomass to Energy project.
Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche noted, “Established general contractors like Irish Construction don’t change their business processes just to match the latest new software model. Irish Construction knows its business inside-out, and the company will only adopt new tools when the benefits are easy to recognize and the technology is simple to implement. Procore is proud that we’ve been selected as the construction software standard by one of Central Michigan’s most respected general contractors.”
Genesis Medical Imaging, the nation’s largest independent service organization for CT and MRI machines, has selected Procore to be its standard for project management software. Genesis has a nationwide team that provides cost-effective equipment and services for hospitals and imaging centers in North America and abroad. Genesis’ offerings include nationwide service contracts, mobile units, refurbished CT & MRI equipment, cryorefrigeration and magnet services.
Having a nationwide team conducting installation and service for CT and MRI machines presents several challenges for Genesis. The machines that the company provides are vital for hospitals— delays in installation or scheduled service can have a serious impact on the quality of care an institution provides, and are costly as well. For Genesis, accurate and timely project communication and collaboration is critical for its customers’ success.
This requirement for best-in-class project management led Genesis to conduct a thorough investigation of today’s leading construction management software packages. After reviewing the options, Procore stood out. Procore’s ability to deliver full-featured document management, seamless integration with existing email systems, and tight linkage to MS Project’s scheduling software convinced Genesis that Procore is the right construction management application for their business. Procore’s web-based delivery also means that Genesis’ nationwide team can quickly and efficiently collaborate on installation and service projects from any computer with an Internet connection.
Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche was pleased that Procore had been selected after Genesis evaluated several competing products. “Once again, Procore has been recognized for its ease-of-use, powerful feature set and superior value. We’re proud to welcome Genesis Medical Imaging to the Procore client base, and we look forward to helping them keep their projects on track.”
Procore has been selected by Georgia College & State University as the construction project management software for use by the Facilities Planning Department. Procore has received formal notice that the company has been awarded a multi-year contract with Georgia College, after participating in a rigorous and competitive request-for-proposal (RFP) process.
Founded in 1889, Georgia College enrolls more than 6,600 students in more than 40 different majors. The main campus, located in the heart of Georgia, consists of 43 acres of academic and administrative buildings.
Georgia College’s Facilities Planning Department works on anywhere from 25 to 50 projects simultaneously, with a total annual construction value well over $50 million. The Facilities Planning Department chose Procore in order to implement a web-based project management system for use by project managers and administration officials. Users will be able to log onto the Procore system to track schedules, project budgets, and documents.
Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche commented that “We are proud to have been selected by Georgia College, particularly as the result of a multi-month competitive bidding process. GCSU’s thorough evaluation of Procore’s features, functionality and usability ensured that the College would get the most user-friendly, cost-effective and powerful construction software in the market. The fact that Procore was chosen as the preferred solution validates the vision for our product.”
Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. has chosen Procore’s construction software as its standard application for project collaboration, communication, and document management. O-A-K will use Procore in its Michigan operations, out of its Grand Rapids office and its wholly owned subsidiary Muskegon Construction Company. In addition, O-A-K will also employ Procore as the standard construction software for its Florida offices located in the cities of Fort Myers, Naples and Punta Gorda.
With office locations and projects stretching from Michigan to Florida, O-A-K required a construction software application that was simple to implement, easy to use and cost effective enough so that the entire company could standardize on the software, no matter how big the project or where the project site and team members are located. Procore fits the bill. O-A-K used Procore’s construction software on a pilot project for over a month to confirm, with real world use in the field, that Procore represents the market’s best value in construction collaboration and communication software. After the pilot period, the verdict came in: get Procore!
Founded in 1891, O-A-K has grown to become one of Michigan’s most respected general contractors, with notable projects such as the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in its project portfolio. O-A-K has completed major public and private projects throughout the United States, including offices, retail stores, hotels, hospitals, churches, airport facilities, schools and civic buildings. An employee-owned company, O-A-K has a clear mission: to commit to every job a team with skill, responsibility, and integrity that blends the highest work ethic with today’s technologies.
Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche said, “O-A-K is an example of a well-established general contractor that is implementing 21st century technologies to continue to grow a company that was established 119 years ago. With offices and projects located throughout the U.S., O-A-K recognized that Procore’s web-based project management and collaboration could keep everyone on its project teams on the same page. Procore is proud that we’ve been selected to help O-A-K succeed in their next 100 years of business.”
Leading Mission Critical facility construction manager Nova Corp, Inc. has selected Procore as its company-wide standard for construction project management collaboration and communication.
As a worldwide construction management company, Nova requires a collaboration and project management tool that can be rapidly delivered to any employee with an Internet connection. After using the software on several pilot projects, Nova moved to standardize its operations on Procore based upon real-world experience with the construction software.
Nova Executive Vice President of Operations Robert Pappas noted that “Nova has been able to work hand-in-hand with Procore to actually improve how the software works with our organization. Procore listens to input, and works with the Nova team to enhance Procore’s functionality and ease-of-use. At Nova, we’ve seen for ourselves how Procore can rapidly deliver the features we need the most.”
With offices located throughout North America, the United Kingdom and the Middle-East, Nova is one of the world’s leading international construction managers for the successful completion of data centers and other mission critical facilities. In the past eight years, Nova has designed, built and commissioned over six million square feet of data centers in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company has recently opened an office in Dubai in order to service its clients’ expansion into the Middle-East region. More than 90% of Nova’s business comes from its existing customers, who continue to employ Nova’s services to facilitate repeated and successful entry into new markets.
“Nova manages mission critical projects around the globe, and they require construction management software that can keep up with their rapid development timeframes, ” said Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche. “With project team members distributed worldwide, Nova requires a web-based tool that is easy to learn, easy to use, and can be quickly improved to fit Nova’s needs. I’m proud that Procore has been selected as Nova’s construction software of choice.”
Austin, TX based Software Advice provides a software purchasing advisory service that we’ve written about before on the PowerTool blog. Software Advice takes calls from people seeking construction software and then directs those callers to the appropriate software vendor. These software vendors pay Software Advice for generating relevant customer leads, and the software user gets free advice and direction on which of the many types of available software vendors to contact.
For everyone involved, this is a great service. Customers quickly learn who makes the right kind of software for their needs, and vendors don’t get calls from customers interested in a type of software that the vendor doesn’t make.
Software Advice gets paid by their software vendor clients regardless of whether any software is actually purchased. As a result, we have found that Software Advice has a market viewpoint that is remarkably free of bias towards one vendor or a single type of product. Each year, Software Advice speaks with thousands of prospective software buyers. As a result of these conversations, the company has a great perspective on what’s going on in the construction software market.
Software Advice has recently provided an overview of the construction market with a blog post entitled Construction Software State of the Industry Report. This analysis is a timely summary of trends that Procore also sees in the market for construction software—particularly the nearly complete acceptance of Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery. In addition, the Software Advice piece notes the growing demand for LEED Certification Tracking systems, an area which Procore has expanded into with the recent release of our LEED Credit Tracking module.
We’re pleased to see that Software Advice agrees that Procore is on the leading edge of two of the strongest trends we’ve seen with our own customers—LEED Certification Tracking, and Software-as-a-Service application delivery.
The web site ConstructionSoftwareReview.com has lots of information that can be useful for companies seeking information about construction software. The site collects user reviews from customers who actually use the construction software every day on their jobs.
ConstructionSoftwareReview is an independent site. The reviews collected come straight from the software user. Listening to the nice things our customers have said makes us feel pretty good. It’s nice when all the hard work is well-received by the people we’re trying to help with Procore.
Here are some of the comments that Procore users have submitted:
“Use of Procore allowed our staff and subcontractors, as well as our clients, to follow the progress of the job with ease.” Patty Gueblin, Stellar Energy Solutions
“Although Procore is easy to use, the vendor provides quality user support. “I’ve called many times, and each time everyone at Procore has been friendly, helpful and professional.” Steve Bunting, Mid-Eastern Builders
“Great job, Procore. This software is very helpful in our day-to-day job. Tasks that took many tools we can now do with one.” James McNeal, Bender Chaffey Construction
“Procore is a highly efficient, almost effortless program for [construction] project management.” Katy Griffin, East Carolina University
Click here to see more Procore customer surveys on ConstructionSoftwareReview.
All we can say to our customers is “Thanks! We’ll keep working hard to get feedback like this!.”
NOTE: Procore is not a client of ConstructionSoftwareReview.