AGC'S Contractor to Contractor Webinar Series:
ERP TECHNOLOGY ON YOUR BUSINESS SIDE
Don Gregersen
IT Director
Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
Steve Gross
VP of Client Solutions
Computer Guidance Corporation
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Discussion Points
Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
Thorpe Within The Construction Industry
Special considerations for acquisitions
Leveraging technology as a backbone to support their infrastructure
Specific business needs and requirements
Utilization of ERP software and other applications
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Don Gregersen
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IT Director for Thorpe Specialty Services
Corporation
Mr. Gregersen has an extensive background in
IT infrastructure management, strategic
planning and execution as well as
organizational change and process
improvement management.
Prior to joining Thorpe PME, Mr. Gregersen
has held executive IT positions for AIG, United
Companies, and Plant Performance Services,
amongst others.
He attained his BBA, Management Information
Systems Degree from the University of
Houston with honors and has served as an
Adjunct Professor teaching Systems Analysis
and Design and Project Management.
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Steven Gross
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[email protected]
480.444.7026
Responsible for directing initiatives designed to
maximize the effectiveness and utilization of
Computer Guidance software applications at
customer environments. His extensive expertise helps
customers in realizing the highest levels of ROI from
Computer Guidance ERP solutions
Steven delivers expert review and analysis of system
usage, gap analysis and best practices consulting.
Steven has over 20 years of experience working with
and advising construction companies on successfully
implementing accounting and project management
systems
Steven holds a BS degree in Business Information
Systems from Illinois State University.
sponsored by
sponsored by
Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
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Thorpe SSC provides plant maintenance and engineering services to
industrial customers world-wide.
Thorpe SSC is a fast-growing specialty construction company based in
North America focusing on engineering, manufacturing and field
construction of corrosion, refractory, insulation, fireproofing, industrial
flooring services, high-temperature products and non-metallic equipment.
The company is structured as individual business units addressing
refractory (heat management), corrosion, insulation services inside the
fence of chemical and oil / gas manufacturing plants.
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Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
JT Thorpe Company
Thorpe Plant Services , Inc.
Industrial Flooring Services, Inc.
Refractory BU
Corrosion BU
Flooring BU
Refractory BU
Insulation BU
Thorpe International Services, Inc.
Clayburn Refractories Ltd.
Thorpe Engineered Products Company
Refractory BU
Refractory BU
Technical Services
Corrosion BU
Engineered Products Shop
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Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
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Currently 15 locations in the United States and Canada
Approximately 350 office and field management employees and employ
several thousand of craft and specialty skill workforce
Manufactures custom products for both corrosion and manufacturing
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Thorpe Within The Construction Market
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5,400 jobs a year
Duration can be a few days to several months
Projects include engineering, project design, project management and
supplying craft personnel to execute
Jobs can be a few thousand to several million dollars
Very labor-intense jobs requiring constant collection of time and material
information from the field
Need for timely information is very important due to quick turnaround time
of jobs
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Thorpe Specialty Services Corporation
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The organization has undergone some recent changes in 2014
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the acquisition of two companies and merging with another organization more
than doubled the size of Thorpe’s business
the merger drove some re-organization
Outlook for 2015 and Special Business Needs
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expected to acquire several other organizations that are complementary
implementation of a variety of technology solutions are put in place or being
studied to support the new company and its aggressive growth strategy
diversification means that technology has to be flexible to take on new
functions and businesses
Thorpe senior management has expressed the desire to standardize certain
business processes but not alter the unique value and business proposition of
the acquired organizations
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sponsored by
sponsored by
sponsored by
Construction ERP Platform
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Business Process Improvements
Collaboration
Communication
Financial Control
Strategic Planning
Operational Execution
Why?
Enhance profits
Improve productivity
Improve cash flow
Reduce costs
Grow the business
Better customer service
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Key Requirements
• Web-Based
• Tightly Integrated
• Construction Specific
• Enterprise-class
• Single Data Source
• Reporting Tools
• Analytics
• Accessible
• Scalable
• Reliable
Construction ERP Platform
How?
Approach as Process
Improvement Exercise
Define Objectives
Assign Capable Team
Develop Cohesive Plan
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The Role of ERP
Capture, collect, store and make
data available for business actions
Bring together all aspects of your
company under a single system
Improve business processes and
manage outcomes consistently
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The Value of ERP for Thorpe
• Tracking all components that drive the 5,000 jobs a year
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Job costing
Payroll
AP / AR
Billing
Rental management
Purchasing
Project management
Exposure to industry and customer across multiple jobs and locations
• Minimizing risks
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Job Management
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Capturing job particulars
Being able to collect all information as jobs are executed
Quickly turn around to produce cost-based and fixed-price billings
Job Cost Reporting
Timeliness
Predictive Analytics
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Payroll
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Ability to collect field productivity information
Ability to process payroll with multiple conditions of the jobs,
pay rates and skill levels and more
Continuous analysis per industry, per jobs, per
crew and business unit
Field Time Entry
Timely Reporting
Man Hours & Units
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A/P and A/R Processing
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Identify and process bills timely in order to continue to receive
goods and services in support of the jobs
Appropriate billing and collections
Automated Approval
Workflow
Timely Billing Cut-offs
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Rental Management
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Keep track of what is being rented and knowing when it needs to
be taken off rent on a timely basis
Ability to analyze equipment rental in order to determine when to
purchase equipment as opposed to continued rent
Job Costing
Rolling Rate Structure
Reporting
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Purchasing
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Track purchases and support quick turnaround for payment and receipt
Enhances control once the purchases appear on the job costs
Requisitions
Commitments
Received / Un-invoiced
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Exposures
• Customer Exposures
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Paid for performance
Number of customers and jobs per customers are defined
Good business practices are critical to ongoing profitability
Exposed to owners by working for multiple subcontractors
• Industry
• Objectives are to diversify into additional and new industries
• Bring additional value to current industries with new services
• Solid partnerships and business practices are essential
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sponsored by
AGC Convention
Puerto Rico
Computer Guidance Corporation
eCMS – Cloud-based Construction ERP Solution
sponsored by
It’s All About Your Data with
eCMS Cloud-based Construction ERP Platform
www.computerguidance.com
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