Hawkins Construction
The Client:
With its headquarters in Omaha, NE, Hawkins Construction
is recognized as one of the top construction companies
in the Nebraska region and ranks first in heavy/highway
construction expertise. With current gross revenues in
excess of $200 million annually, Hawkins employs more
than 300 people and has offices in Omaha and Lincoln.
The Challenge:
- Client required unified view of vital project management
data
- All current data was created in COBOL interfaces
- Hard-copy reports were slow to produce and cumbersome
to read
All of Hawkins’ project management and administrative
data was created in 1980s-style proprietary COBOL accounting
interfaces, and costing reports came in the form of a 1,000-page,
green bar “Project bible” on each of the company’s
100 construction projects. “We at least needed
to move into the 90s,” said Jeff Fuqua, Hawkins’ Assistant
Controller. “We were killing a couple of forests
every week generating those reports.”
Project managers and supervisors needed a unified view
of costing data, overage trending and projections. Administrative
staff and senior management faced the same challenge for
accounting, payroll and HR information.
The Solution:
- MicroStrategy platform implemented
- Base format established for other administrative functions
- Remote management of equipment and reporting systems
Scrapping a previously malfunctioning system and starting
from scratch, Jelecos implemented a MicroStrategy platform
for all functions of project costing, trending and projections.
Accounts receivable and HR reporting functions were created
in a base format for later implementation by all users
company wide. With Hawkins owning its own Data Center on-site,
Jelecos manages all equipment and reporting systems remotely.
The Results:
- Unified view of data
- Reporting functions strictly web-based
- Multiple layers of data recovery and reporting
From senior management in the corporate office to project
managers in the field, all have a unified view of pertinent
data with one-click access. All of Hawkins’ reporting
functions have been integrated into a completely web-based
format, saving hours of manual data entry and setting the
stage for automated entry systems. Drill-down functions
allow multiple layers of data recovery and reporting—with
no more 1,000-page project bibles to compile, print, distribute
and read. “You can imagine the difference in
being able to find a number you need without having to
flip through a 1,000-page report,” Fuqua says.
“I would highly recommend Jelecos. They are
easy to get along with, and very receptive to come over
anytime we need something. One of the owners of the company
was even working on our program and giving us all the
attention he could. But when he saw we needed more attention,
he assigned a project manager to take care of us.”
Jeff Fuqua
Assistant Controller
Hawkins Construction
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