INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Software solutions for construction cost management Within any construction project, there are budgets and penalties for cost overruns. Alastair Currie speaks to Andrew Skudder, CEO of RIB CCS, about his company’s BuildSmart construction cost management and ERP software, which provides an unmatched level of real-time control. How does BuildSmart differ from other programmes out there? AS BuildSmart was developed by software developer and founder Peter Cheney, more than 30 years ago, in the old DOS (HB87) environment. The major transition from there occurred in the early 2000s with the advent of the Windows platform and the offering of a web-based solution. From inception, Peter’s objective was to build a fit-for-purpose construction financial management solution, based on his extensive experience in the construction industr y. His objective has evolved with next-generation updates. Today, this ensures that construction companies, led by key players like quantity sur veyors and project managers, can track all their costs, after estimates
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have been done, through the life cycle of a project. The core BuildSmart areas covered are labour costs, materials, plant and equipment, and subcontractors. Most similar financial systems treat a supplier as a supplier. BuildSmart defines this into two distinctive categories: 1) materials, plant and equipment suppliers, and 2) subcontractors. This distinction allows for the subcontractors to be managed on a certification basis, tracking all advances and retentions, rather than on a simple order and invoice process as is used for normal suppliers.
In what way does it provide a competitive advantage for contractors? BuildSmart provides a major competitive advantage due to its ability to link directly
Andrew Skudder, CEO of RIB CCS
with a project’s initial estimate and ongoing valuations. This allows contract procurement to be linked directly to the estimate’s materials at both a quantity and unit price level, ensuring budget controls are built into the process from the start. BuildSmart also makes use of live accruals, meaning any cost that may not have been fully processed by finance can still be reflected as an accrual to the contract. This approach means that accurate actual versus allowable reporting can be done, without having to wait for the completion of the financial process. Cutting down on this reporting cycle empowers project teams to identify and act on any deviations in a timely manner.
