CMiC: Depth, detail and solutions

Source: Exec Digital Canada

Date :7/23/2008 5:05:59 AM

CMiC provides a fully integrated and advanced enterprise-wide software solution for the construction industry.

Written by Donna O’Neil and Produced by Sean Bakke

In 1986, when Gord Rawlins began working at Computer Methods International Corp (CMiC), the company provided an IBM-based customized financial program for several construction companies. When Rawlins became president in 2002, CMiC had already standardized the product, providing a web-based, fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution that encompasses financials, assets, human capital, CRM, project management, imaging and workflow. Rawlins was instrumental in developing a standard product and moving the company towards its current incarnation as one of the leading software providers for the architectural, engineering and construction industry.

Target market

CMiC’s target market is the largest contractors in the construction industry, generally large engineering or construction firms. “We primarily target the list of the top 400 contractors as ranked by ENR Magazine,” says Rawlins.

Rawlins emphasizes that CMiC focuses on relationship development with these contractors. He feels that CMiC does this on a greater scale than the competition.

Rawlins says: “In any given year, there is only 10 percent turnover in a market. That means that from this list, there are only about 40 new potential customers each year; however, most of them are in the hundreds of users.”

CMiC aims to provide a customizable solution that is flexible enough to accommodate all client requests. Clients range in size from mid-size to very large contractors, as well as different parts of the market segment, including heavy highway, owners and specialty contractors.

“We are focused on the construction and engineering marketplace,” says Rawlins. “Our solution is only intended for this marketplace, which means we do not have to compromise when delivering functionality that is unique to the industry. A product that is intended to be utilized by many industries cannot effectively compete with this approach when it comes to delivering highly functional and integrated solutions.”

Functionality

The program consists of a full financial system, asset management, human capital, project management, customer relationship management, document imaging and workflow capabilities. All of these products provide functionality specifically designed for the construction and engineering industry. For example, among the many functions provided by the asset management solution, the program manages the scheduling and dispatch of heavy equipment, tracks preventive maintenance and manages both stock and consumable inventory charged to jobs.

“In the office, when you are running your financial statements or paying vendors,” says Rawlins, “you can also look at detailed project forecasts and review all related job-site documents, because all the systems talk to each other.” This degree of integration, where all solutions run on a single database, is a rarity in the industry and provides CMiC’s clients with a true competitive advantage.

For example, Rawlins explains that if there is an issue on a job site, it can be entered into the program and the financial impact can appear on a bill based directly on the initial entry. The program tracks vendor and subcontractor payments, ensures that insurance documents are up to date and can track lien waivers.

In the construction industry, explains Rawlins, “It is not uncommon for a company in construction to be based in one part of the country and work on a project in another. In this instance they need access to their operational and back office systems from wherever they are. Our solution allows that to happen in a seamless manner.”

Comprehensive solution

CMiC also provides detailed workflow and business intelligence capabilities, which again fully leverage the advantages of a single integrated database. Their product is unique as they are the only vendor who is in a position to provide such a comprehensive solution. In addition to managing all of the data available within the standard integrated solution, CMiC also remains open to integrating with third-party products wherever necessary. “We will allow for third party systems to populate our database and we will allow our data to be exported. It is a very open system. Information can be sent and received very easily.”

Rawlins brings 22 years of construction background with him to CMiC and knows intimately what the industry needs. “Others,” he says, “do not understand the complexity of the industry.”

Planned growth

CMiC has enjoyed 20 percent growth annually for six straight years. “This is due to careful planning and execution of strategic management plans,” said Rawlins. “We plan for success and staff for projected revenues.”

Annually, the company holds an offsite meeting, where initiatives for the following year are discussed. Discussions center around targets, goals and new markets. Aggregate data from customer satisfaction research is taken into account when managers present their ideas.

Rawlins explains that the managers push their proposals to the limit. During this process ideas are refined over the three days. It is all part of a team exercise. Managers embrace the idea of moving the company forward and assist each other with ideas that will promote growth.

There is a broad exchange of ideas and other department managers offer their suggestions in the manner of thinking that embraces the “if I were running your department” mentality. Managers then formulate their final operating plans for the year.

“People have to know that what they are doing is valued, and this is even more important than the money they earn. It is critical for people to feel valued and for them to know that they are contributing to the success of the company.”

Managers submit four initiatives for the year with a suggested implementation for one per quarter. These initiatives help the company reach objectives and are also tied to the manager’s compensation plan.

“Every quarter we sit and talk individually to assess where the objectives are,” says Rawlins. “We recognize that day-to-day operations have a tendency to get in the way of completing strategic objectives, but all of our managers know that they are in their positions because of their ability to look beyond today.”

Company expansion

“We are branching into a couple of other vertical markets, including large heavy highway contractors, specialty contractors, and major owners of construction divisions,” said Rawlins.

Despite not having an office in the US, CMiC has already managed to establish a strong presence in the US market – 95 percent of their clients are US based.

“We have five sales representatives in home offices in the US now,” says Rawlins. “We plan to establish three regional offices over the coming years – eastern, central and western. Denver is our logical primary site for our first US office, because we have three account executives working there already.”