Meridian Systems Case Study - M.J. Harris, Inc.

Situation:

M.J. Harris, Inc. (MJHI) is a leading general contractor specializing in design-build, pre-construction, construction and construction management. MJHI is the successor company to the Harris Construction Company (HCC), formed in September 1989. The principals of MJHI have more than fifty years experience in the construction industry on projects that include large complex hospital projects valued at more than $30 million. MJHI works on these healthcare projects thought out the United States.

HJHI has deployed Meridian Systems’ Prolog Manager and Prolog Website applications company-wide for use on most of its projects. In 2001, MJHI identified the need for an improved system of managing and controlling fast-track projects throughout the country. Many of these were small projects lasting fewer than three months in duration. MJHI averaged approximately 60 of these projects per year.

MJHI project managers needed a single system to manage all critical function, instead of relying on various functional groups within the company. MJHI needed the new system to automate and streamline many manual processes, provide the tools necessary for project managers to have critical decision-making information at their fingertips, and integrate with the MJHI accounting software, Sage Timberline Gold Extended software.

Solution:

In 2000, Meridian Systems and Event 1 Software, Inc. began development of a databridge between Prolog Manager and Sage Timberline Gold Extended. HardHat Technologies, the Birmingham area channel partner for Meridian Systems, was involved in the development process for this databridge, called the Event 1 Integrator. MJHI asked HardHat Technologies to demonstrate the capabilities of Prolog Manager and the ability to integrate with Timberline Gold Extended. Upon reviewing these applications, MJHI realized the potential for streamlining project management tasks and getting critical data into project managers’ hands when needed.

With senior management behind this initiative, Rick Norris, Controller for MJHI, began the process of gathering data located on various computers, residing in spreadsheets, word processor files, and miscellaneous database programs. MJHI worked closely with HardHat Technologies and Event 1 Software to develop an implementation plan that would deliver Prolog Manager, Prolog Website and the Event 1 Integrator to MJHI.

Benefits:

With 10 users actively using this integrated system, MJHI has begun to reap the benefits of sharing information between Prolog Manager and Timberline. The amount of work to generate contracts and change orders has decreased for the accounting staff. MJHI project managers enter information that is shared with the accounting software. Actual costs are being passed to Prolog Manager. This gives the project managers faster access to information and enhances the powerful project control features in Prolog Manager. All project information now resides in one database and can be accessed any time, from any computer through Prolog Manager or Prolog Website.

“Project managers now have more control over their project data. Prolog Manager and the Even 1 Integrator databridge allow project management and accounting staff to share current information in a timely manner. Also, elimination of duplicate data entry, and the possibility of keying errors are a direct result of allowing project management staff to assume responsibility for the real time processing of their subcontracts and change orders”, says Rick Norris, Controller, M.J. Harris, Inc.

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