Bespoke software specialist Web Alliance has launched WACRAD (Web Alliance Construction Rapid Application Development), a new platform designed to help SME construction businesses replace spreadsheets and disconnected systems with one flexible platform covering the entire journey from initial enquiry through to project completion and invoicing.

Developed specifically for the construction industry, WACRAD brings together prospect management, site surveys, quotations, job scheduling, labour management, timesheets, stock control, project reporting, health and safety documentation, client communications and finance within a single system.

The platform has been created for growing construction businesses that need greater control and visibility across their operations but find traditional construction ERP systems too rigid, costly or complex. In particular, WACRAD is for small to medium SMEs, including construction companies, sub-contractors, general fit-out businesses and installers.

WACRAD enables businesses to manage a prospect from the first enquiry and site survey through to the creation and issue of a bespoke quotation. Once approved by the customer, the quotation can automatically be converted into a live job, reducing duplication and helping information flow through the business without being repeatedly re-entered.

Project managers and labour can then be allocated to individual jobs through the system, with site-based employees able to clock in and out to automatically create timesheets.

Progress can be recorded through image uploads, while project information and automatically generated documentation can be accessed centrally. Health and safety documents, including Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) can also be generated and made available to teams on site, helping businesses keep essential project information accessible to the people who need it.

Clients can be given access to their own portal, providing regular visibility of project progress without relying on phone calls, emails or manual updates from the contractor. Progress updates includes photos, timesheets, milestones, invoices and tasks.

WACRAD also incorporates warehouse and inventory management. Materials and equipment can be recorded against specific shelf and bay locations using an IKEA-style location system, helping teams identify exactly where stock is stored. Stock levels can be manually adjusted when required, with changes recorded through an audit trail to improve accountability and provide businesses with a clearer picture of inventory.

The platform extends through to other applications and can connect with Sage, Xero or QuickBooks, reducing the need to transfer financial information manually between separate systems. Bespoke dashboards can be created for business owners, managers, employees and clients so that each user sees the information most relevant to them.

A traffic-light monitoring system also highlights projects requiring attention because of potential time or cost overruns, helping managers identify issues earlier and take action before they have a significant impact on profitability or delivery.

WACRAD is available with a £300 one-off setup fee and a £300 monthly subscription for up to 10 users, with additional users priced at £10 per month. Once initial business data has been uploaded, the platform can typically be operational within approximately one week.

Ashish Kumar, director of Web Alliance, said: “Construction businesses can have an enormous amount of information moving between the office, project managers, teams on site, customers, suppliers and accounts. When different parts of that process sit in spreadsheets, emails and separate software packages, it becomes much harder to see what is happening across the business.

“WACRAD is designed to connect that whole process. A prospect can become a quotation, an approved quotation can become a job and that job can then be managed through labour, timesheets, site documentation, stock, progress updates and ultimately invoicing without repeatedly entering the same information.

“For business owners, the biggest benefit is visibility. They can see where projects stand, what needs attention and where time or money may be running over before those issues become bigger problems. We also wanted to make that level of system accessible to smaller construction companies. Businesses can be up and running in around a week and then build on the platform as their needs become more complex, rather than having to commit from day one to a lengthy and expensive software project.”

At its core, WACRAD uses Web Alliance’s Rapid Application Development approach, combining a ready-to-use CRM foundation with modular functionality that can be adapted around the individual processes of each construction business.

Rather than forcing contractors to change the way they operate to fit a standard software package, the platform can be configured and expanded over time, enabling businesses to move towards a fully tailored ERP-style system as their requirements evolve.

The launch follows Web Alliance’s introduction earlier this year of WAMRAD, its Rapid Application Development platform for SME manufacturers, and forms part of the company’s strategy to make sophisticated, tailored business management technology more accessible to smaller organisations. Soon to be launched is WAFRAD, Web Alliance’s Rapid Application Development platform for franchise businesses.

WACRAD is now available for demonstrations.

For more information, visit www.web-alliance.co.uk/wacrad