Four Contractors Earn Awards for Innovation

Four contractors were recognized by heavy construction management software company B2W Software as part of its 2022 Innovation Awards for the return on investment results using B2W solutions for estimating and operations. The contractors were presented their awards during the company's annual User Conference in California, in February 2022. 

Judges selected winners based on applications submitted by contractors throughout North America. B2W established the Innovation Award program in 2017. In the past six years, 20 contractors have been recognized for exceptional ROI results using either a single element or multiple elements of the ONE Platform in combination.

The Vortex Companies

Texas-based The Vortex Companies and Colorado’s 4X Industrial were recognized for success with the unified B2W ONE Platform, which includes applications for estimating, scheduling, field tracking and fleet maintenance. Roto-Mill, based near Toronto, won for best use of a single B2W application for the company’s success with B2W Schedule. New York City’s C.A.C. Industries was cited for a unique application of B2W Track.

 “B2W has shifted the mindset of our operations people,” explains Vortex CIO Ram Vela, who accepted the 2022 award for Best ROI with the ONE Platform. “In the past, we were trying to fix things that already happened. Now, the mindset is being able to fix things as they are happening.” 

After rapid growth and multiple acquisitions, Vortex standardized with B2W Estimate and then rolled out the entire B2W platform for business units operating throughout the U.S. The company is based in Houston and provides utility services, including specialized, trenchless pipe renewal processes. Vela says getting and using timely data, consistency and operational efficiency across business units, and a reduction in equipment maintenance costs are the major advantages with the B2W platform. Phil Osler, Manish Parajuli and Shawn Smith (left to right) of 4X Industrial in Colorado accept the 2022 B2W Innovation Award for the company’s success with the unified B2W ONE Platform.B2W Software

4X Industrial

Colorado-based 4X Industrial grew rapidly as a provider of heavy civil construction services across multiple U.S. states. The company adopted the ONE Platform to make data-driven decisions and achieve a more collaborative environment, according to Shawn Smith, estimator. Smith says the platform has allowed the company to estimate more accurately, deploy resources more efficiently, and use daily production data to improve operations.

“B2W gives us structured technology for estimating, dispatching, and field operations, continuity across these workflows, and more scientific decision making,” according to Smith.

Roto-Mill

Mike Smith, Josh Guest, Steve Smith and Kevin Snider (left to right) of Roto-Mill accept the 2022 B2W Innovation Award for the company’s success with the B2W Schedule application for resource scheduling and dispatching.B2W SoftwareRoto-Mill specializes in asphalt recycling throughout Ontario and other areas of Canada. The company, which won for ROI with a single B2W application, relied primarily on whiteboards prior to deploying B2W Schedule for real-time scheduling and dispatching.

“Schedulers used to spend two to three hours per day calling or texting up to 150 field employees to notify them and sort out resource requirements,” explains Josh Guest, manager of innovation and fleet operations. “Now, assignments are communicated with the click of a button, we can forecast one or two months in advance instead of one or two days, and we have a better understanding of equipment and operator requirements.”

C.A.C. Industries

Michael Capasso, president and CEO of C.A.C. Industries, (left), and his team accept the 2022 B2W Innovation Award for the company’s customization of the B2W Track application for field tracking and analysis.B2W SoftwareC.A.C. Industries was recognized for a unique customization of the B2W Track field tracking and analysis application. Because creating traditional field logs for a high volume of small, location-specific jobs under a single long-term contract was cumbersome, C.A.C. teams worked closely with B2W to configure a solution that allows location-based tracking within a master contract.

“We can now see site-specific information and also roll all the jobs up to see projects from a macro perspective,” explains John Curley, project executive. “We can leverage B2W Track across our entire work portfolio, track and compare actual versus estimated costs, and fine tune quotes accordingly for future bids.”

C.A.C Industries specializes in water main and sewer installations for utility owners in the New York City area. The company also completes a wide range of paving, grading, pile driving, dewatering, excavation and other utility projects.