Construction Management
Construction Management Arm of Large Midwestern State Improves Bid Solicitation with Development Solutions, ADC Austin’s Expertise
The construction-management arm of a large Midwestern state government has 140 employees, oversees the design and construction of new elementary and high schools, college and university facilities, public safety centers, museums and historic sites, state recreation areas, health centers, office buildings, and prisons. It is responsible for annual repair and renovation programs at more than 8,400 state-owned properties, as well as the removal of environmental hazards and the upgrading of facilities to meet accessibility standards. In all, this organization and its workforce manage capital improvements and construction worth more than $3 billion each year.
Soliciting bids is a time-consuming task for this agency, and one that requires the utmost accuracy. In the past, it has used several separate applications and manual processes involving emailing, telephoning, and hand typing. Unfortunately, the system often led to the duplication of data, inconsistencies in data structure, manual calculation, and the rekeying of information. The construction-management team wanted a more consistent and efficient way to organize its data and processes.
Creating a new system
The agency designed a web-based system running on an IBM i back-end server with an IBM DB2 database to handle the soliciting process. The design focused on fixed procedures, confidentiality, the publishing of data on the web, and workflow that called for sequential performance. The solution consolidates old applications and incorporates the new functionality within the agency’s line-of-business Plex application using Websydian for the web application to display on the website.
Saving time and money
The time it takes to initiate, approve, and report project bid advertisements and awards has decreased, and all data is now located in one place for ease in reporting and managing. The internal reporting is also consistent and accurate.
Altogether, these improvements have resulted in a solution that shortens the processing time for project bid advertisements, benefitting the agency and the public. The number of applications have been reduced and duplicate data and work processes eliminated—as well as manual calculation and the re-keying of information.
The agency develops the client server applications with CA Plex on Windows and the web applications with Websydian v5.6 and the Apache server as middleware. The solution has easily handled the workload, which can spike substantially on publication days for notifications and review results.
Preparing for tomorrow’s challenges
The agency’s team members are confident that web-based applications can solve more of their process issues. The next feature they are ready to tackle is an online portal in which contractors, architects, and engineers can submit required project information directly into the agency system via the website.
After careful consideration, the agency chose ADC Austin for the web development tooling required for the project. ADC Austin was chosen because of its excellent reputation as a technical adviser and reseller, as well as its track record in providing training and technical services for companies using CA Plex and Websydian products.
“Security is a major issue in these kinds of features,” says John Rhodes, principal architect at ADC Austin. “The state agency has decided to use the Websydian web-product, WebClient, to develop the application. With WebClient, users sign all web pages with an MD2 algorithm, so not one pixel can be changed or accessed without authorization. Furthermore, it has a high degree of usability both in the development phase and in production,” Rhodes adds.
The tools
Formerly known as AllFusion Plex, CA Plex helps users develop applications in a Windows environment and then compile and test them in a target environment such as the IBM i. CA Plex supports the development of many different types of applications, including client/server, web-based, service-oriented, character-based, and batch and wireless device-based, all from a single set of skills and development techniques.
CA Plex is a multi-platform, model-based, architected rapid application development (ARAD) tool that includes architectural and design objects known as patterns. By eliminating the need to code repeatable elements of applications, patterns significantly accelerate the time required for projects, which in turn provides a cost savings.
Developed for CA Plex, RPG, and CA 2E users, Websydian is a suite of tools and products for web development, web services, SOA, RIA, and XML. ADC supplies the i community with application modernization and vertical products, custom development, technical training, and document-management solutions.
The agency reports they are very pleased with the on-demand project assistance they have received from ADC Austin.
