Frequently asked questions about H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer

Q:

 What is the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer?

A:

 The H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer is an optional module intended mainly for use at construction site offices. It displays and reports all construction related information for all lots/units in the project in a read-only fashion, with the exception of the completion status of work represented by purchase orders issued. No financial information is displayed.

This module may be used with the H.O.M.E.S. Purchase Order system to track the work completion status for each lot/unit by trade and print completion certificates on site. Updated work completions or partial completions are then automatically relayed back to the head office so the accounts payable department is kept up-to-date. This ensures contractor payments are not made prematurely.

Although the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer can also be used at the head office for personnel who do not require data entry capability or access to financial information, the system is ideal for site offices, and the Standard Edition comes with its own data exchange system to ensure the construction site office is kept "in the loop" for all construction related aspects of the project(s).

 
Q:

How does the H.O.M.E.S. Standard Edition's Lot Information Viewer link to the head office to collect project information? Do I have to add another phone line or full-time internet connection?
A:

The H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer (Standard Edition) has its own data exchange system that connects to the head office through a standard telephone, fax line, cellular phone or internet connection. This data exchange does not need a full-time connection, and since it just takes a few minutes you can use the pre-existing telephone or fax line to connect to head office from the site office. No additional lines are required. You just click on an icon to automatically connect to head office and collect updated information, typically once at the start of the day although you can run it more often if you like.

(For those who would prefer to run the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer through a full-time internet connection, the Terminal Server Edition is available which enables operation from anywhere in real-time and reduces system administration since the system need only be installed at the head office.)

 
Q:

What if the phone line gets cut at the construction site?

A:

The H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer (Standard Edition) actually maintains a copy of the database's construction related  information for local use. The system will keep working with the most recently downloaded information until such time as the phone line is fixed, or you use another method to connect such as a cellular phone.

If you prefer real-time access via the Internet but are concerned about losing Internet access if a cable gets cut, we recommend the H.O.M.E.S. Terminal Server Edition using a wireless Internet provider if available.
 

 

Q:

 What if we have no phone lines at the construction site office?

A:

 You can also connect to the head office via a cellular phone or wireless connection.

 

Q:

 What if there are unauthorized changes to project information at the site office?

A:

 The H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer only displays and reports information. The only information that may be changed is the completion status of work, and you can define who may or may not edit work completions as with all features of the H.O.M.E.S. system. You cannot change original offer/purchase agreement information at the site office.

 

Q:

 What about security? There are many people coming and going at our site offices all day, most of whom should not have access to the project's information. Won't this leave the project's information open to prying eyes?

A:

 No, the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer has built in security to deny access to unauthorized personnel, and even secures the raw data to ensure no unauthorized back-door access.

 

Q:

 Can we use the Lot Information Viewer to report all jobs for a particular trade/contractor by lot/unit, without access to the H.O.M.E.S. Purchase Order System?

A:

 Yes, the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer includes the 'Changes By Lot/Unit' and 'Changes by Trade' reports similar to the main H.O.M.E.S. system, but without costs. These list models and all upgrades and extras for each lot/unit sorted by lot/unit and by trade respectively. While you can list jobs by date(s), this is not a true replacement for the purchase order system since these reports don't guarantee proper notification to contractors.

 

Q:

 We are running 2 project phases simultaneously from the same site office. Can we use the H.O.M.E.S. Lot Information Viewer to manage multiple projects?

A:

 Absolutely. The only limit to the number of projects is the available disk space on your computer or server. In addition, as with all H.O.M.E.S. modules, the Lot Information Viewer is a multi-tasking program. You can either alternate between projects, or load multiple projects simultaneously in separate instances of the program.

 
Q:

When I run the Standard Edition's 'Site Office Data Exchange' to collect project information for the first time at the site office, only the Sample Project is available for download...why?
A:

Once you are ready to collect information for a new project from the head office, you must first create the project at the site office before running the data exchange. Just select 'Add a New Project' on the Lot Information Viewer's Project menu, and enter the project name using the exact same spelling as was used at the head office. This adds the project to the selection list for the Site Office data Exchange. You may then run the data exchange for the new project, at which time all construction related information for the project will be automatically brought to the site office. (This is fully documented in the on-line help.)

 

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