In the question of “paper or plastic?” the Vecellio Group's answer is “magnesium alloy.”

To save reams of time and cut way down on paperwork, its construction operations have rolled out a rugged laptop-based field reporting system that has been tested for the rigors of construction activity.

Using heavy-duty PC laptops — enclosed in tough metal shells instead of easier-to-break plastic — supervisors and foremen use specialized software and wireless internet access to send daily project details back to the home office, where they are incorporated into the main database. The details include payroll hours, equipment hours, material quantities and other critical data, greatly simplifying the entry process.

The laptops can also receive up-to-date production data, allowing more efficient project management in the field through a much better view of overall job progress.

The zeros and ones started flying through cyberspace last fall at Ranger South's site development job for Vecenergy Logistics in Port Everglades. After initial testing and tweaking, the system was rolled out to the rest of the South division, then to the Vecellio Group’s other construction units, Ranger Central, Ranger North, Vecellio & Grogan, and Sharpe Bros.

“We’re customizing the program to get the most out of it for our specific application,” said Paula Burgess, V.P. of Information Technology. “It’s been a very successful transition thanks to the support from management and the efforts of System Analysts Michelle Tucker and Dennis Brutlag, who have worked closely with the field managers to get things up to speed.”

The system will also be brought online at White Rock Quarries, the Group’s mining operations in Miami, later this year.