Systems nHand Applications Save Time and Money

Mobile applications from Systems nHand can make life a little easier for field workers to communicate with management, accounting and other departments as needed.

"It’s a nice piece of architecture that is placed on top of our basic programs," says David Rosenthal, CFO of Roadmark Corp. in Durham, NC, a member of Carolinas AGC.

Roadmark uses two Systems nHand applications: Job Docs and SLExpense. "Instead of administrative staff doing data entry, it’s all imported."

Rosenthal anticipates Roadmark would need to hire three additional office employees to handle and process the information

Job Docs provides superintendents or crew supervisors a way to track the day’s progress, what work was done, what trucks,

fuel consumption and materials used, the weather, site conditions, events and other information. Managers can access that data almost immediately and note any difficulties on the job and take corrective action.

"If there are issues to be resolved, we can get them resolved that day," Rosenthal explains. In the past, written reports would take time to be processed. Now Rosenthal knows what has happened while the incident is fresh in everyone’s mind.

"Information needs to be timely to be actionable," says Lee Church with Systems nHand of Austin, Texas.

The nHand applications allow crew members to collect volumes of information with a few clicks. The software features error check information in the field, adding to the validity of the data. nHand gathers the information and routes it quickly.

The Job Docs application also features Crew Time, in which a superintendent can enter time slips for the entire work crew.

Employees may be paid different rates on various jobs. nHand knows the pay rates for that job and what each employee should be paid for the work. That information automatically populates the payroll system at the home office.

"This system automates the recording and collecting of information to make sure everyone is paid correctly," Rosenthal says.

SLExpense allows field workers to document expenses – gas for the trucks or rooms at a hotel if far from the office. The system can be set up to allow splits, so a single bill can be allocated across different vehicles or jobs. It requires a minimal amount of effort and the data flows back into a corporate accounting system for expense documentation or employee reimbursement.

"We are able to collect the information on a real-time basis as they are incurred," Rosenthal says.

In fact, the employee can fill out the complete expense information, including a photograph of the receipt, while still at the gas station and send it to the office.

Systems nHand applications do not require a network connection to enter the data. It can be sent later when cellular or WiFi is available. They function on any carrier and with iOS and Android devices and on Mac or PC computers.

The company charges about $75 per user for SLExpense to purchase the product, plus a one-time server component of $2,500 to $5,000. Additionally, an annual ongoing maintenance fee occurs.

"The systems pay for themselves over and over," Church says. "If a company has an interest in expanding geographically, these systems assist in that process dramatically.Remote no longer means out of touch."