NECA 2000: Dexter + Chaney unveils Forefront version 10

Forefront Version 10 offers hundreds of enhancements, including a Forefront Mobile Computing application that allows electrical contractors to input Forefront data on a hand-held computer using the Palm operating system (POS). Version 10 also features a new Work Order dispatch board that shows 30 to 40 work order technicians and their status and automatically sends e-mail messages to technicians with work orders assigned to them.

Accounts Payable
The new Accounts Payable approval process replaces a manual workflow task by allowing you to electronically route invoices. Once you enter an invoice into Forefront, it can be routed to a user-defined sequence of reviewers. Each reviewer is automatically notified by e-mail when they have invoices to approve. They can add remarks and make changes to the coding—entirely on screen. The final reviewer in the sequence is authorized to confirm the invoice for payment.

A simple inquiry in the Accounts Payable approval process allows you to see unapproved invoices and where they are in the approval routing process. Approving invoices electronically is enhanced by Forefront's Document Imaging capability.

Document Imaging
Forefront Document Imaging addresses a painful problem for contractors: the paperwork nightmare of locating, using and subsequently refiling documents. With Forefront Document Imaging, wherever a user looks in Forefront to find a transaction, they'll also find the original documentwithout ever leaving their desk. Informationstored electronically in Forefrontis available at the touch of a computer key for instant retrieval and usage.

Project Management
Forefront Project Management provides a complete solution for generating and tracking all documents required to run a construction project. Because it's integrated with Forefront's 25 other modules, there's no duplication of data when setting up or entering information on jobs, phases of work, contracts, subcontractors, vendors or employees.

Project Management makes communication fast and efficient since information about every project-related topic is entered, tracked and distributed to the design team, subcontractors and suppliers. At any time, a user can pinpoint items that have not been addressed or are awaiting a response that could impact the project schedule.

Forefront Project Management covers RFI tracking, submittals, transmittals, daily project logs, speed memos, project directories, employee hire data, executive summary inquiries and reports. Since Forefront uses Crystal Reports, it's easy to modify any report generated by the system.

Edited by Jerry R. Borland, P.E.
Managing Editor, EC Online