ATSG News
Grayson Homes Implements Wireless Construction Quality Management™ From ATSG, Inc.
Baltimore, MD – July 14, 2004 Advanced Technologies Support Group, Inc. of Owings Mills , MD has developed and is now hosting for Grayson Homes, the Construction Quality Manager® (CQM), a full function mobile application based on Blackberry® Wireless Handheld devices and powered by Microsoft and Flowfinity software. With CQM, construction companies can speed the communication of defects and schedule requirements to subcontractors, reducing resolution time and increasing product quality.
CQM enables supervisors to capture defects as they inspect. Using screens on the handheld, information is organized by lot, construction phase, room, contractor, and defect. Leveraging BlackBerry's wireless platform, trade contractors and suppliers are notified instantly by email, fax or phone. Data is available for subcontractor management, reporting, and quality improvement analysis. CQM makes users more productive by eliminating paper notes, repetitive data entry, and over-reliance on phone communication with subs. The basic BlackBerry functions - wireless email, calendar, contact management, and phone - add further to user productivity.
Cindy McAuliffe, President of Grayson said, “ATSG did a great job helping us define our requirements, and with the overall design and implementation of the new system. They spent time in the field with our construction supervisors, walking through inspections, and other tasks, customizing the application to our work processes. They made sure the handhelds were easy to use and met our requirements. The new system is helping us improve quality and will reduce our overall time to build a home. CQM provides tangible and measurable cost savings. This new system will translate into increased value for our customers and increased competitive advantage for Grayson.”
ATSG approached Grayson with the concept for the CQM mobile application in the fall of last year. Grayson Homes, a 2004 Silver Winner of the National Housing Quality Award, has been a customer of ATSG since 2001. “ATSG has done a great job managing our network and hosting our core applications. Their support frees me up to focus on management reports and special IT projects. ATSG really delivers. CQM is another example of the value they bring to our relationship”, said Doug Corbin , Information Systems Manager for Grayson.
ATSG, a BlackBerry Select Alliance member and partner since 2000, has sold BlackBerry wireless email to thousands of users across the country. The company represents all major U.S. wireless carriers that support the BlackBerry. ATSG specializes in BlackBerry solutions, helping customers get up and running quickly, and providing ongoing support as needed to ensure users enjoy trouble free reliable communications when away from their desks. “BlackBerry email generally pays for itself in a few months, however, the real payoff comes after email through the deployment of field force applications like CQM,” said Steve Landsman , Vice President of ATSG.
ATSG showcased the Construction Quality Manager (CQM) Application at the Wireless Enterprise Symposium, held this year in Chicago May 18th and 19th.
About ATSG
ATSG is a full service Blackberry integrator, collaborating with customers, carriers and other RIM ISV partners to create new business applications or extend the availability of existing systems to the BlackBerry platform. Founded in 1994 and based in Owings Mills , Maryland , ATSG services include handheld and software provisioning, planning, deployment, application development, project management, help desk, technical support and hosting. For more information, visit www.atsgi.com.
About Grayson Homes:
For the past 25 years, Grayson Homes has been building homes—building communities—of enduring value, providing people outside and inside the company with experiences that exceed expectations and improve quality of life. Its success is directly attributable to the work ethic and expertise of its craftsmen, the quality of materials used, and the prime land chosen. All of these aspects combine to provide remarkable homes for Grayson clients. Today, over 2,900 families throughout Maryland come home to a fine Grayson Home.
Media Contact:
John Heinz
ATSG Wireless Solutions Marketing
410-654-9595
john.heinz@atsgi.com
www.atsgi.com