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B2W Software, a leading provider of heavy civil construction management software, has expanded its platform for estimating and operations with a new application for capturing data and turning it into actionable intelligence.

B2W Inform was released in June. The application mines data enterprise-wide from electronic documents and delivers reporting capabilities to support analytics and data-driven decision making. Features for fast, easy creation of electronic form templates also enable companies to standardize and improve data collection, capture rich content in real time, and replace inefficient paper-based processes.

“Data that construction companies could use to improve performance, quality, safety, and profitability is often underutilized because it is unstructured and trapped in multiple, static systems and formats used to collect it,” says B2W Software CEO Paul McKeon. “Inform allows these companies to not only collect data more effectively, but also to connect and communicate that data to drive better decisions.”

McKeon says the new B2W Inform application provides a single, centralized solution for health and safety, inspections, regulatory compliance and dozens of other form-dependent processes. Further, the American Business Awards recognized the application with its Bronze “Stevie Award” for the ability to bring unstructured and siloed data into one place for in-depth business analytics as well as enhanced efficiency.

B2W Inform is cloud-based and accessible through any modern web browser. User interfaces, forms, and reporting configure automatically for desktop or mobile devices.

To support its data mining and reporting capabilities, B2W Inform enables users to create and publish highly configurable form templates in minutes with drag-and-drop elements such as text areas, tables, check boxes, and pick lists. Rich data including e-signatures, photos, attachments, calculations, timestamps, and GPS location data can be included.

“We’ve made it simple for almost anyone to configure forms to match specific needs and to centralize how those forms are published and managed,” McKeon explains. “This presents opportunities to connect the field and the office, replace inefficient processes and expand access to real-time data.”

The software can be implemented independently or to complement applications within the B2W ONE (Operational Networked Elements) Platform. Platform elements include B2W Estimate for estimating and bidding, B2W Dispatch for resources scheduling and dispatch, B2W Track for field tracking and analysis, and B2W Maintain for equipment maintenance and repair.

B2W clients creating forms with B2W Inform can use a data binding feature to link form fields to a single database utilized by ONE Platform operational applications for data such as employee, equipment, and job lists. This unified approach ensures real-time access to accurate information across workflows and eliminates errors, inconsistencies, and redundant data entry. Fields requiring the name of employees or equipment, for example, can be set up with drop-down menus linked to the up-to-date options from the central database.

“With margin pressure intensifying, construction companies need to optimize every asset, including their data,” McKeon concludes. “B2W Inform leverages mobile technology to streamline forms-related processes and, ultimately, empower employees to make better decisions by giving them better information in a more timely manner.”

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