I remember when the iPad first came out and there was a bit of skepticism about how successful it would be – some even called it a large, more expensive iPod. Well, it’s no secret that the iPad and tablet computing in general have taken off. And with more construction apps and cloud construction software available today, more and more tablets are finding their way to the job site.

With so many tablets available today, we thought we’d put together some basic comparisons of what’s out there. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but if you’re like me and still have a few more people to shop for this holiday season, it might give you a place to start.

In my last two blog posts, I discussed some of what I’ve learned over the years about equipment management, most notably from one of the industry’s leading experts in the field, Dr. Mike Vorster. I covered splitting data into owning and operating rates, then about re-combining that data to help optimize machine usage. This week I’ll wrap up by covering some of the issues surrounding data gathering for equipment management.

Last week I wrote about the difference between construction equipment owning and operating costs and how both change over time. This week I’d like to explain why it’s important to know these cost behaviors and what you can do with that knowledge.

I’m fortunate to have made the acquaintance of Dr. Mike Vorster a few years back. Mike is the David H. Burrows Professor Emeritus of Construction Engineering at Virginia Tech and is author of Construction Equipment Economics, a handbook on the management of construction equipment fleets. His ideas and methods regarding the management of heavy equipment are, in my opinion, the gospel for the industry. I’ve even incorporated them in to the software we develop for equipment management.

Over the next few weeks, I’d like to touch on a few of the ideas that are central to Mike’s approach to optimizing investment in and management of heavy equipment. Needless to say my explanations are going to barely scratch the surface, but the good news is that there are a number of ways to learn more – I’ll provide them at the end of the blog.

Last week I went along with one of our product managers to visit a local client – a large general contractor in the Seattle area. The purpose of the visit was to get some feedback on a few new construction management software features we’re developing. As always, these folks gave us great input to help prioritize our efforts. But in talking to employees from both the business management and operations sides of the company, I also came away with a new way of looking at an old issue.