Construct 365 Archives | ERP | CRM | PM for Construction

Fessler & Bowman Chooses Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 with Procore Connector

SIS — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 20:42:56 +0000

Fessler & Bowman Chooses Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 with Procore Connector

SIS, a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications, and leading implementation consultant of ERP | CRM | BI solutions for commercial construction and other project and service-based organisations built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, is pleased to announce:

Fessler & Bowman, a Commercial Construction company in the Concrete & Heavy Civil Construction business, selected Microsoft Dynamics 365, and SIS Construct 365 to replace their legacy Foundation Software ERP system. SIS Construct 365 software solutions include Project Cost Management (PCM), Advanced Labour (AL), and SIS Construct 365 Procore Connector. Fessler & Bowman selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 over Viewpoint.

“SIS LLC is very pleased to be selected by Fessler & Bowman whose current solution was no longer serving their growth needs. A key selection factor was the interface to their Project Management Solution, Procore. Fessler & Bowman saw the SIS Construct 365 Procore Connector as solving their long-term data exchange speed issue. Now with the flexibility of Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP, SIS Construct 365 software, and the SIS Procore Connector, Fessler & Bowman construction operations can continue to rely on Procore and have Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 provide a robust financial and project accounting platform.” Mark Kershteyn, SIS Partner.

“Fessler & Bowman selected, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS LLC due to its modern interface, being fully cloud developed, as well as system flexibility, reporting, and security. We selected SIS in one part due to their Procore interface capabilities and their 25-years of building Software Solutions and consulting expertise focusing solely on construction. With Microsoft AI we also have the foundation we need for significant future growth. We believe Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Construction is the right path on our digital transformation journey and our growth into the next generation.” Rob Krueger, VP of Operations.

About Fessler & Bowman, Inc.

Founded in 1963 by Don Fessler & George Bowman as a residential flatwork and basement wall contractor, Fessler & Bowman has developed into a full-service self-perform concrete and civil contractor. Over the decades, our team has gained considerable experience in all facets of construction projects, making us one of the top contractors in the industry. https://fesslerbowman.com/

About SIS

SIS has been delivering ERP | CRM | BI solutions to construction and other project and service-based companies for more than 25 years. All SIS solutions run on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Industry IP. As a full-service technology consultancy, SIS delivers end-to-end digital transformation solutions. Our comprehensive range of services includes ERP & CRM Implementation, Rescue and Assessment, Business Intelligence, and Managed Services.

About SIS Construct 365

Construct 365 is a full suite of solutions built on and powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365, designed for Project and Service driven industries to better manage the complexities of Project Accounting and Project Management.

About SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management (PCM):

SIS Construct 365 PCM works within Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance to manage project financials and other project and service-based businesses. SIS Construct 365 PCM with Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides a complete end-to-end solution for commercial construction.

About SIS Construct 365 Advanced Labour (AL):

The SIS Construct 365 Advanced Labour solution eliminates the need for HR and Payroll departments to maintain union information as well as manually calculate union deductions and fringe benefits.

About SIS Construct 365 Procore Connector:

Construct 365 connector for Procore provides a purpose-built adaptor to connect Procore and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain management.

Industry

Concrete and civil services contractor

Solutions

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SIS Construct 365 IP

Project Cost Management
Advanced Labour
Procore Connector

SIS Team

Chris Kouloukas – Director, Business Development

Rick Crowley – Director, Solution Engineer

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Iron Woman Construction Goes Live On Microsoft Dynamics 365

SIS — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:09:59 +0000

Iron Woman Construction and Environmental Services Invests Forward with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 ERP & CRM Solutions

SIS, a leading implementer of ERP|CRM|BI solutions for construction and other project and service-based companies, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, is pleased to announce:

Iron Woman Construction and Environmental Services is live on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, Sales Enterprise, and SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management, Project Management, and Advanced Labour industry solutions for their ERP and CRM platform. This Microsoft and SIS cloud-based solution will help Iron Woman continue its unprecedented growth without adding headcount and enables many business processes to be automated at scale. This forward investment positions Iron Woman to leverage automation as their business continues to grow and diversify.

It was imperative that Iron Woman have an ERP and CRM system capable of changing dynamically with their ever-evolving business needs. Considering this, Iron Woman made the decision to invest forward with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365. The decision was made because SIS Construct 365 is the only end-to-end construction solution built for Dynamics 365 and is the only tightly integrated platform purpose built to manage multi-union and multi-state payroll environments with native support for certified payroll needs.

“By making this move, Iron Woman faced construction industry challenges head-on in terms of current technology and labour needs. Iron Woman made the decision to modernise its organisational systems with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Construct 365 to ensure the latest technological user needs are in place for complete project profitability. This now provides a modern technology roadmap to an ageing construction industry and will differentiate Iron Woman as an employer of choice by helping attract and retain younger workers who demand the latest technology be present in their career choice,” Mark Kershteyn, Managing Partner, SIS.

“Today, Iron Woman officially went live with our new Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP system. Our teams will now be able to work and collaborate from a centralised state-of-the-art ERP system that provides improved usability for end-users, greater visibility and reliability for our project operations, and better overall protection of our vital company assets. While we managed to complete the rollout successfully, it was far from an easy project. We faced many challenges along the way – integrating the different needs of our key business stakeholders, agreeing on common processes, and cleaning up incredible amounts of historical data. None of it would have been possible without the efforts of the Iron Woman and SIS team who did all of this at a time when we were busy with so many things. Together we made it happen, and we are very proud of what we have achieved,” Andrew Bachman, Director of Project Controls.

About Iron Woman

Iron Woman Construction and Environmental Services is a multi-faceted, self-performing civil general contractor, specialising in heavy haul trucking, underground utilities, and environmental remediation. Headquartered in Denver, CO, Iron Woman supports its customers in the following areas: wet utility, transportation and logistics, environmental remediation, mine reclamation, mine services, and civil general contracting. https://ironwomancon.com

About SIS

SIS, based in Atlanta, GA., with a presence in Canada, India, Poland, and Ukraine, has been delivering ERP|CRM|BI solutions to construction and other project and service-based companies for more than 25 years. All SIS solutions run on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SIS Industry IP. As a full-service technology consultancy, SIS delivers end-to-end digital transformation solutions. Our comprehensive range of services includes ERP & CRM Implementation, Rescue and Assessment, Business Intelligence, and Managed Services. https://sisn.dreamhosters.com

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Clyde Companies Selects Microsoft & SIS for Digital Transformation

SIS — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:34:17 +0000

5000 Employee U.S. Heavy Civil firm, Clyde Companies, Selects SIS Construct 365 with Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP for Digital Transformation

Clyde Companies has selected SIS Construct 365 applications including Construct 365 Project Cost Management and Construct 365 Advanced Labour built for Microsoft Dynamics 365, for their future ERP and BI platform. The SIS cloud-based solution will enable Clyde Companies to move away from legacy ERP solutions and reach the efficiencies of a cloud-based environment and move toward digital transformation.

“We are proud of Clyde Companies’ vote of confidence,” SIS Partner, Mark Kershteyn, said, “SIS is committed to working with Clyde Companies to deliver nothing short of groundbreaking value. We are fortunate to be able to leverage the Microsoft Technology Stack to deliver a full-featured end-to-end technology platform that will provide a competitive advantage to Clyde Companies by enabling efficiencies that can only be gained through real-time, actionable business insights and utilisation of cloud-based processing. We are looking forward to SIS Construct 365 becoming an industry standard platform for large heavy civil enterprises like Clyde Companies.”

“Clyde Companies’ is moving to the next level with exciting innovation, in both operations and customer experience,” Jeremy Hafen, Clyde Companies CEO, stated, “This partnership with SIS Construct 365 will not only support our diverse business needs across multiple states and hundreds of worksites for nearly 5,000 employees, but it will also generate cutting-edge, next-generation solutions to help Clyde Companies continue to deliver quality services and products for another hundred years.”

About Clyde Companies

Clyde Companies is an Intermountain West premier provider of construction products and services. Clyde Companies offers high-quality products and dependable results for projects of all sizes. Specialities include heavy civil, earthwork, ready-mixed concrete, sand & gravel, asphalt & paving, building materials, and more. https://www.clydeinc.com/

About SIS

About Construct 365

Industry

Heavy Civil Contractor

Solutions

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SIS Construct 365 IP

Project Cost Management
Advanced Labour

SIS Team

Chris Kouloukas – Director, Business Development

Rick Crowley – Director, Solution Engineer

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THESIS Q&A: It’s All Misson Critical

SIS — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:17:47 +0000

Ravi Kannan | SIS Partner

Interview by: Sarah D. Morgan, SIS Senior Marketing Manager

When I sat down to interview Ravi Kannan, SIS Partner, my first question was, “What aspects of our SIS IP are most mission-critical for construction and project services companies?” His answer was clear, “Everything in our SIS Construct 365 IP for Microsoft Dynamics is mission-critical for construction and project-based companies.” In this dialogue, we will delve into his answer.

Q: First, how did you get into Dynamics?

A:
My background is in manufacturing. I started with a consulting company and then became VP of Information Services for the Simmons company helping them move from make-to-stock to just-in-time manufacturing. Later I met my partners, Mark Kershteyn and Steven Mulka, who had similar backgrounds, and we started SIS in 1998.

We started in project services with Solomon, and one of our earliest clients was a construction company. We persuaded the software manufacturer of Solomon (Pre Microsoft) to add functionality for construction. One piece of functionality was to do with the core business process in construction for professional services and all fixed fee projects.

We started with at-risk projects. Management of at-risk projects has its own life cycle all the way from budgeting to procurement, human resources, payroll, and then certainly billing, and revenue recognition. All of that is unique. And there is the forecasting of course, critical and, ECAC, etc. We invested resources and effort to build the critical components to get into the construction space.

We grew from there, and our products have expanded substantially in functionality and depth. We are the only Dynamics Partner in the Microsoft ecosystem that is 100% focused in this area. We are the strongest in terms of the functionality we have created.

Q: Who do we run into outside of Dynamics?

A:
Our competition outside the channel is SAP, IFS, and Oracle in the enterprise space.

None of the mid-market products scale to what enterprise companies need effectively. Microsoft technology makes the Dynamics story a compelling alternative for enterprise organisations.

Q: I would like to offer our readers a quick view of what mission-critical elements are in our solutions? Why do they need our solutions?

A:
I think all our IP is mission-critical after years of perfecting solutions for the construction and project services businesses.

From a purely functional viewpoint, Microsoft does not have the functionality out of the box to support construction companies. Our mission-critical applications are in two areas:

All requirements for union labour and payroll. In construction, the ability to manage labour costs is critical. That capability does not exist in base Microsoft Dynamics 365. That is true even from a competitive viewpoint. Many construction software providers struggle to fill that pocket, but we have a complete integrated solution for them.
The second one is our SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management solution. We deeply support all the construction finance and accounting business processes. This is critical because they cannot execute projects with Microsoft Dynamics 365 out of the box. It takes every component of the business process to manage at-risk projects, which is 90% of all projects in enterprise companies. That is what they call lump sum fixed fee or lump sum cost plus guaranteed projects. We support all end-to-end business processes from business development and bidding and preconstruction with project management all the way through execution and project close-out. Then we can surface all the KPIs and analytics to the end-users through Power BI analytics and reporting.

It is the entire solution that is important. Labour costing is critical. Budgeting is critical. Forecasting is critical. Revenue recognition is critical as well as support for a resilient supply chain.

Q: In the area of mission-critical, let us talk about field services as we have just announced SIS Construct 365 Advanced Field Services? How do we compare with other Field services in Dynamics 365?

A:
I think historically, the integration of field service has been a standalone application. If you look at legacy field service applications in every company being implemented, it is often disjointed.

Those companies do field service primarily for operational needs because they are unlike construction field services which are a real-time business. Meaning that you have a technician and a work order that has a noticeably short life cycle, and they need to manage it on their remote device and collect data. Microsoft does that well as part of their piece of the solution. When you focus on our clients who are speciality contractors, these are companies with the most complex processes.

SIS Construct 365 Advanced Field Service (AFS) is not a standalone solution. It is a tightly integrated solution to provide the front-end field to be tightly integrated with the back office whether that is credit cheques, customer onboarding, credit and rebills, or a hierarchy of customers worksite versus billing site. You have construction companies with field service as a business line, or it is a profit centre. And they are very tightly integrated as a speciality contractor. As a matter of fact, their margin is larger.

From our solution, we have extended the solution with our SIS Construct 365 so that we have business processes all the way from business development to the billing – the lifecycle of the service experience. AFS is tightly integrated to finance and operations and is a specific product. The field service framework is integrated with construction due to the fact the field service staff also does work for the construction department. They execute service contracts while the construction project is in progress.

Q: What does the future hold for SIS in our product category?

A:
SIS is now supporting the Heavy Highway vertical, another large enterprise market, where there is a demand for digital transformation and acceleration. We feel that we are in the right place at the right time. For us, we are going to continue to create enhancements for this market. Just like we are doing in the speciality market, which covers Mechanical and other specialities.

We have all the pieces, including HR and payroll, that the heavy highway/civil industry needs because they are Union-based contractors and heavy civil/highway. We have an exceptionally large chunk of what we call the speciality marketing industry. Within these two markets, SIS has developed solutions that can be t-shirt sized for any project-based organisation to manage the complexities that are inherent to the construction industry. We are confident that the future of SIS and its IP will drive large enterprises to their digital transformation.

Q: How can people reach out to you for more information?

A:
They can visit our website at www.sisn.com and complete a contact form or email info@sisn.com.

Q&A Blog Categories

Supply Chain

Sheldon Bloom

Change Management

Katrina Kostes

Business Intelligence

Scott Graham

Project Cost Management

Ravi Kannan

Managed Services

Jed Hall

Enterprise Asset Management

Jim Nelson

ERP Implementation Projects

Dr. JT Gorrell

Construction Finance

Chelsey Stevens

ERP Project Managers

Matt Morey

Construction ERP Pain Points

Dave Wolff-Pellingra

Women in construction and why it matters – to everyone

Laurie Jiminez

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CRB Selects Microsoft Dynamics 365 & SIS Construct 365

SIS — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 17:40:15 +0000

Industry

Construction/Facilities Planning

ERP Solutions

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management

SIS Team

Chris Kouloukas – Director, Business Development
Rick Crowley – Director, Solution Engineer

CRB Group, Facilities Design & Build Planning Firm, Selects Atlanta Based, Microsoft Partner, SIS, LLC. to Implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 & SIS Construct 365

SIS, a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications, and leading implementer of ERP/CRM solutions for Contractors and Professional Service firms built on Dynamics 365, is pleased to announce:

CRB has selected the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP/CRM platform, as well as the SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management solution, built for Microsoft Dynamics 365. The SIS cloud-based solution will help CRB continue its exponential growth and provide a flexible, robust, and connected system.

“CRB is excited to work with SiS as we advance the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management Solution,” said Sue Dreckman, CRB’s Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “This will support our long-term growth plans and help us achieve a more robust business model.”

“It is with great pleasure that we announce the agreement between CRB Group and SIS to digitally transform CRB’s Engineering, Architecture, and Construction organisations utilising Microsoft Dynamics 365 layered with SIS Construct 365 Project Cost Management (PCM) solution. The implementation is our extremely successful remote model leveraging efficiencies allowed through remote workstreams. After a yearlong analysis of platforms and partners to support and transform the CRB Group’s business, it was clear that Dynamics 365, along with SIS industry knowledge and software, would propel CRB Group’s ongoing business, as well as their growth strategies for decades to come.” Mark Kershteyn, Partner SIS, LLC.

About CRB Group

CRB Group is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction and consulting solutions including, facilities planning, to the global life sciences and advanced technology industries. CRB Group has more than 1,600 employees that provide best-in-class solutions that drive success and positive change for their clients, their people and their communities. CRB Group is a privately held company with a rich 35-year history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity and execution. www.crbgroup.com

About SIS, LLC

SIS has been successful in delivering ERP, CRM, and SharePoint solutions to Project and Service based companies for more than 25 years which have all utilised on Microsoft Dynamics and SIS Industry IP. As a full-service technology consulting firm, we offer, implement, and support end-to-end solutions that work for our clients now, and in the long term. Our comprehensive range of services includes: needs assessments, management consulting, system design and configuration, training and technical support in ERP, CRM, and Project Management.

Construct 365 Project Cost Management

Construction Focused Project Accounting/Job Cost functionality that manages project budgets, revisions, change orders, subcontracts, reporting and more to give contractors much needed ease of use, with the ability to manage projects profitably.

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SIS Expands European Footprint in Poznań, Poland

SIS — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:33:17 +0000

SIS, Expands European Footprint With The Opening Of A New Microsoft Dynamics 365 Service Centre in Poznań, Poland

SIS, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), & PM (Project Management) software solutions provider for project operations & service-driven organisations, has opened its second European service centre in Poznań.

This opening of the Poznań office is part of an ongoing strategy to expand the SIS Microsoft Dynamics 365 operations to meet client demands. The Poznań office will support the overall SIS operations. This move supports our existing presence in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Viktor Lesiv, Vice President Professional Services, and Mark Kershteyn, SIS Partner, travelled to Poznan, Poland to meet with representatives of Poznan to discuss SIS plans for European Union expansion strategy.

– This move has long been planned and like our other office locations, our strategy includes working with local universities to create a Microsoft Dynamics 365 academy. We expect the office to operate with 100 individuals by the end of 2023. The Poznań office will be fully operational by the end of Q2, 2022 – Viktor Lesiv comments.

Poznań will become a main European Service Centre, helping SIS to provide service to support the US as Global rollouts for SIS projects.

About SIS:

SIS (Strategic Industry Solutions) helps project and service focused companies manage every stage of the delivery and service life cycle. The company provides complete Project Management, Project Accounting, Job Costing, Business Intelligence, and CRM Software built on Microsoft Dynamics. It helps our clients manage cost and risk and deliver a unique value proposition to their customers with proven software and 25 years of Industry Experience.

The SIS Construct 365 solution is built in Microsoft Dynamics 365, and is the most complete and integrated solution in the A/E/C – Professional Service marketplace today, focusing on mobility, ease of use, and integration.

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SIS Launches Civil-Highway Software that Extends Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance

SIS — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:08:45 +0000

SIS LLC adds specialised functionality to its Construct 365 product for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance to get in front of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

March 31, 2022 | by Charles Rathmann

This article was originally published at:
forconstructionpros.com

While construction software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors are enjoying a heavy influx of venture and private equity capital, and legacy software products are being rolled up into portfolios by companies like Trimble, Foundation, Sage and others, Microsoft Dynamics 365 independent software vendors (ISVs) are in an excellent position to serve contractors with solutions built on the software giant’s multi-tenant enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.

Duluth, Ga.-based SIS, LLC, for instance in March released to market a civil-highway version of its Construct 365 product suite.

While SIS has served the construction space with solutions that extend Microsoft Dynamics for years for industry-specific project management, project accounting, job costing, business intelligence and customer relationship management, they added new capabilities aimed squarely at heavy and civil contractors.

In an editorial debriefing call with ForConstructionPros shortly after the launch announcement, SIS Partner Mark Kershteyn described their core construction offering and the decision to offer a product specifically for the heavy-highway-civil market.

“We are the first modern technology-based solution that addresses this functionality,” Kershteyn said. “There are some great companies that have strong functionality for civil and highway, but they are lacking the technology underpinnings we have with Dynamics 365. Especially when it comes to a large enterprise, where they can do everything they used to do in their tier II system except we can do it better, cheaper, faster and more effectively and help transform their business into the future.”

The SIS solution overlays a customer’s subscription to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, a powerful multi-tenant SaaS application, built for and tightly interwoven with the Microsoft Azure Cloud computing environment and relying on a Microsoft SQL Server database. The broad adoption across multiple sectors, with help from vertically-focused ISVs like SIS, have pushed the Dynamics product line to about $4.3 billion in revenue. This broad market acceptance and a deep and broad ecosystem of consultants and complementary partner solutions make Dynamics 365 a safe bet for a large contracting business system of record.

“We have always been focused on construction, specifically speciality contracting—mechanical, electrical, plumbing, at the very large enterprise level,” Kershteyn said. “We address everything from the project management, submittals, requests for information, nonfinancial control all the way to core project accounting, revenue recognition and change orders. We have a solution that addresses organised labour as well as Davis-Bacon compliance for certified payroll. We handle multi-job, multi-union, multi-state requirements with integration to most of the payroll providers like ADP or Ultimate.”

The broad application set SIS already had built out, with its ability to handle union rule and wage requirements, put them in easy striking distance of also delivering a powerful platform for civil-highway. This, combined with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, prompted SIS to close the functional gaps required to deliver a thorough solution for the sector.

New Civil and Highway Software Capabilities

To deliver a truly complete heavy-highway-civil solution, SIS augmented its project cost management software with enhanced ability around labour cost, managing pay items and integrations with popular estimating systems HCSS HeavyBid and B2W, formerly Bid 2 Win.

“Now, we can seamlessly take the estimate and get it into our system as a budget and get the material requirement as well as the subcontract requirements, so we can automatically create material requirements inside of the ERP which later could be used for procurement,” Kershteyn said. “Or we can create the subcontracts in our system, by exporting information out of the estimating system, as well as the budget. We have added functionality around equipment. We already had solutions native to Microsoft that managed equipment maintenance—everything from preventive maintenance to internet of things (IoT) connection to geosynching and telematics. We had our own solution that allowed us to charge equipment to a production job. But we added capabilities around how the equipment gets charged, how that data is captured, geofencing and IoT cloud solutions. We also enhanced our labour management solution, so when someone’s labour is captured in the field, we can attach that to a piece of equipment.”

Attaching labour to a piece of equipment improves the ability to assign the right labour code based on the equipment an employee was using. While SIS software does not run payroll and must be integrated with an external platform or service, it records and manages the complex web of union agreements, union reciprocity and certified wage codes. The software can capture gross pay based on all of these factors. Once they get a statement back from a payroll processor, SIS can report labour cost back against jobs for project cost management and tracking purposes, using either standard labour or actual cost, which would include taxes and benefits. SIS software will also use payroll data to create payments for union dues.

While SIS depends on external payroll technology to generate actual cost, the actual cost can still be reported in real time thanks to a single sign-on with the payroll system, if that is the method the contractor uses to track project cost.

Thanks to the well-structured nature of the application programming interfaces it relies on to communicate with any number of payroll systems the solution can integrate with a variety of other applications. And while SIS is a dedicated Microsoft Gold Partner, Kershteyn says they could easily use their tech to also extend other cloud-based ERP applications in addition to Microsoft Dynamics, including those from SAP, Oracle, IFS, Workday or others.

There may be a market for SIS labour management functionality among other ERP vendor customer bases given that most ERP came from the manufacturing sector, where employees are working from a set location, and if they belong to a union, these rules too are static. Construction, particularly heavy, highway and civil work, often crosses jurisdictional boundaries, triggering shifts in regulatory or union rule requirements that affect rate of pay and work rules.

Market and Price

While years ago, Microsoft Dynamics solutions were aimed at small to middle-sized businesses, the solutions have grown in sophistication, and the size and reach of Microsoft services and implementation partners have also increased to a point where a solution like Dynamics 365 Finance, which SIS extends with its ISV solution, will be a fit for the top end of the middle market and well into the largest enterprise-sized construction companies.

This means SIS and Dynamics 365 will, in a sales setting, compete with Oracle Cloud ERP, SAP, IFS and other up-market enterprise solutions. With its new heavy-highway and civil capabilities, it could also bump heads directly with Viewpoint, now part of the Trimble Construction One product line, countering that solution’s deep and proven tool set with a more modern multi-tenant SaaS architecture and a technology backing from the largest software company in the world.

Intacct Construction, UK-based Sage’s flagship product for the sector, is also a multi-tenant architecture but will be relying on an external solution to complete the union labour rule functions delivered directly by SIS.

The company plans to complement rather than compete with solutions from HCSS and B2W, with which it will integrate for estimating. But there is some overlap with these two solutions, both of which have grown over the decades past estimating to handle things like field data capture, which Construction 365 also addresses.

SIS has already developed an integration with the industry’s standard project management solution, Procore, that is heavily used by their mechanical contracting customers. The Construct 365 product also has a lighter weight project management tool that will not compete directly with Procore.

With its Construct 365 application, SIS follows a standard MS Dynamics pricing model where their subscription cost is based on a percentage of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 subscription. That price is also influenced by a per-employee cost component for the labour management functionality, a cost component for every user of the field data capture functionality, and other factors. According to a pricing guide from Microsoft services partner RSM, Dynamics 365 Finance pricing starts at $180 per user per month, with the total cost for a subscription scaling based on the number of users and modules.

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 ISV approach

Microsoft has long relied not only on services and consulting partners, but ISV partners to build out solutions for specific vertical needs. In this way, Microsoft offers a classical software platform strategy, creating a sandbox for their partners to play in, building new solutions and bringing the horizontal Dynamics 365 into vertical industry deals where they otherwise would not have a complete solution. This pattern is also common with Oracle, Salesforce and other enterprise software vendors, but Microsoft is perhaps the most prolific.

“With our product, Microsoft can go confidently into heavy civil construction,” Kershteyn said.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, SIS also resells Dynamics 365 and can therefore deliver a complete solution on their own. As is often the case with ISVs, other Dynamics partners can pull them into deals, as has according to Kershteyn been the case with RSM, Avenade, Microsoft Consulting Services, and others.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite the amount of entrepreneurial activity taking place in construction technology, Microsoft Dynamics 365, paired with an ISV solution for construction, may be one of the most solid solutions for large contractors. Venture-backed companies and smaller bootstrapped or private equity-funded companies will likely be a part of merger and acquisition-based consolidation as the market for construction technology matures. That might bring some disruption for software users, and as multiple software companies roll up into a product line, certain products may fall by the wayside. That is not likely to happen to Microsoft Dynamics 365. In selecting an ISV solution, the stability and size of that partner firm speaks to its staying power—there has been consolidation among Microsoft partners in recent years as well. Adeaca, also based in Atlanta, has a construction offering, as does Dayton, Ohio-based Ellipse Solutions. CEM Business Services out of Montvale, N.J. has a solution heavily targeted at engineer, procure, construct (EPC) contractors. Western Computer, located in Oxnard Canada has its 365 Homebuilder product, aimed at residential construction. But SIS is larger than them all and contractors should feel they are standing on very solid ground opting for Dynamics 365 augmented by Construct 365.

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SIS expands its offerings to address Heavy Civil Construction

SIS — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:26:01 +0000

March 17, 2022 – (Duluth, GA)

SIS, LLC, expands its offerings to address Heavy Civil Construction with its Construct 365 suite of products built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Technology Platform

Construct 365 suite of products, by SIS, provide the Heavy Civil Construction industry with the technology infrastructure needed to compete in today’s construction opportunities.

“We are excited to bring our 25 years of experience in the Construction ERP industry into the Heavy Civil sector. Construct 365 PCM, Construct 365 PM, Construct 365 Advanced Labour, and Construct 365 Field Operations, comprise our existing Construct 365 solution that is being offered for Heavy Civil Construction.” Mark Kershteyn, Partner, SIS.

Steve Hathaway, a Partner at Construction Software Solutions and formerly with Viewpoint, states, “It is exciting to see SIS enter the Heavy Civil Construction market! This adds a strong offering to those firms seeking to leverage Dynamics 365 technology in the Azure Cloud, and greatly enhances the capabilities of a modern ERP solution. This will allow companies to take full advantage of tools such as Microsoft Power BI for dashboards providing greater operational insight “

Construct 365 is bringing rich functionality including: estimate import (Heavy Job and Bid to Win (B2W)), job costing, core financials, and advanced labour. Additional functionality includes Unit Based Projects, Pay Items, Equipment Management, Union and Certified Payroll, all seamlessly working within Microsoft’s flagship ERP, Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain.

About SIS:

SIS (Strategic Industry Solutions) helps project and service focused companies manage every stage of the delivery and service life cycle. We provide complete Project Management, Project Accounting, Job Costing, Business Intelligence, and CRM Software built on Microsoft Dynamics. We help our clients manage cost and risk and deliver a unique value proposition to their customers with proven software and 25 years of Industry Experience.

Learn More HereLearn More Here

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HEICO partners with SIS to enhance the capabilities of Dynamics 365

SIS — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:50:32 +0000

SIS, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and leading implementer of ERP/CRM solutions for Contractors and Professional Service firms built on Dynamics 365, is pleased to announce:

HEICO Construction Solutions Group (CSG) has selected Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP/CRM platform, as well as the full suite of SIS Construct 365 solutions, built for Microsoft Dynamics 365. The SIS cloud-based solution will help HEICO CSG continue its growth and focus on the company’s efficiency and bottom-line performance.

“All of us at SIS are very proud of the trust that HEICO has placed in SIS, by selecting SIS as their Digital Transformation partner. This decision was made after a thorough and careful selection process that took over two years. We are very confident that Dynamics 365 coupled with SIS Construct 365 solutions will provide the technology platform that will support HEICO growth for many years to come.” Mark Kershteyn, Partner SIS, LLC

About HEICO CSG:

CSG is a group of heavy construction companies focusing on Commercial and Industrial construction projects in North America. CSG consists of about 8 companies focused on concrete, fabricated structural steel, construction equipment and electrical contracting. CSG employs over 2500 team members in North America and is a subsidiary of HEICO Companies. The HEICO Companies is a family-owned enterprise that for over 40 years has employed over 9,000 people and operated over 70 companies on 5 continents.
https://www.heicocompanies.com/construction-solutions-group

About SIS

SIS, LLC has been successful in delivering ERP, CRM, and SharePoint solutions to Project and Service based companies for more than 20 years which have all utilised on Microsoft Dynamics and SIS Industry IP. As a full-service technology consulting firm, we offer, implement, and support end-to-end solutions that work for our clients now, and in the long term.

Our comprehensive range of services includes: needs assessments, management consulting, system design and configuration, training and technical support in ERP, CRM, and Project Management. SIS is currently serving over 200 customers with our software and consulting services, with over 300 successful implementations. www.sisn.com

Construct 365: Project Cost Management

Construct 365: Advanced Labour

Union-Certified Payroll integrated to Projects, 365 Payroll, HR, AP and GL. Built to manage and process all Union-Certified Payroll information, all automated and simplified at the point of time entry.

Construct 365: Project Management

Project Management for Construction built in D365 Customer Engagement. Manages key documents, RFI processes, tasks, resources, communication and more required to manage the Project Life Cycle.

Construct 365: Field

Construction Focused, natively integrated field data solution that manages workers and crew time, expenses, production, and equipment usage through phone or tablet app with biometrics, geofencing, and other leading technologies.

Industry:

Construction

Solutions:

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SIS Construct 365 IP:

Advanced Labour
Project Cost Management
Project Management
Field

SIS Team:

Mark Kershteyn – Partner
Rick Crowley – Sr. Solutions Engineer

The post HEICO partners with SIS to enhance the capabilities of Dynamics 365 appeared first on ERP | CRM | PM for Construction.

SIS Joins ADP Marketplace to Simplify Solutions for Organised Labour

SIS — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 19:54:49 +0000

August 2021 – (Duluth, Ga.)

SIS, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), & PM (Project Management) software solutions provider for project & service-driven organisations, has partnered with ADP. ADP offers the largest HCM digital storefront where companies can tailor their HR solutions through apps that leverage ADP platforms and data. The power of ADP HR Payroll platform with the construction domain expertise of SIS makes this a powerful partnership. Seeing the trend of companies moving to payroll providers, SIS chose ADP.

SIS developed Construct365 Advanced Labour app to enable Project Driven organisations to drive revenue, manage costs, and easily handle Union and Certified payroll processing. The SIS Advanced Labour solution eliminates the need for the HR and Payroll Departments to maintain Union information and manually calculate Union deductions and Fringe benefits. SIS Advanced Labour app will work with any ERP system or Excel uploads and has a native tablet mobile application for time entry, equipment usage, production reporting, and much more.

View our Construct 365 Advanced Labour ADP listing here.

“Our relationship with ADP was strategic. ADP has the APP Store infrastructure and strategy that allows SIS to bring our Organised Labour Solution to Project-based and Construction enterprises around the globe. We are excited to work with a world-class sales organisation like ADP to solve complex labour calculations for customers everywhere.” Chris Kouloukas, Director, Business Development

About SIS

SIS (Strategic Industry Solutions) is a Microsoft Gold Certified partner and has successfully delivered ERP, CRM, and SharePoint solutions to Project and Service-based companies for 25 years, all of which were built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and SIS Construct365 Industry Solutions. As a full-service technology consulting firm, we offer, implement, and support end-to-end solutions that work for our clients now and in the long term.

About ADP

ADP is a comprehensive global provider of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solutions that unite HR, payroll, talent, time, tax and benefits administration, and a leader in business outsourcing services, analytics and compliance expertise. ADPs unmatched experience, deep insights and cutting-edge technology have transformed human resources from a back-office administrative function to a strategic business advantage.

ADP is a registered trademark of ADP, LLC

The post SIS Joins ADP Marketplace to Simplify Solutions for Organised Labour appeared first on ERP | CRM | PM for Construction.