Constructech magazine has announced that St. Louis based Paric Corporation earned the 2008 Vision Award.  Paric earned the gold and only Vision Award in its category: Builder/GC Commercial $251 - $500 million.  This is the ninth year that Constructech has presented the awards, which were announced Saturday evening during the closing dinner and gala for the third annual Technology Day conference at the Westin Chicago Northwest. The Constructech Vision Awards honor companies that have realized the advantages of applying innovative technologies to their everyday businesses as well as the technology enablers that have helped them achieve their goal.

Paric Corporation began its search in 2003 for a software solution that offered the functionality and integration to power the general contractor and construction manager to the next level. 

"We felt our software at that time didn't provide the integration needed between financial and project management," said Paric president and CEO P. Joseph McKee.  "Concern grew as we considered where we wanted to be in five to fifteen years and felt we needed a solution that would keep pace with our growth.  Our Paric team found and successfully implemented that solution," added McKee. 

"At Paric, we view technology as an enabler, not a driver," said Brian Paluch, senior vice president and CFO.  "We looked at our own processes and asked ourselves which system will grow with us." 

Paric implemented a CMiC system that has helped consolidate data, standardize processes and streamline the procurement process.  Paric has also used CMiC to become more accurate with forecasting.  Paric is the first CMiC customer to earn a Gold Vision Award.

"We've definitely become more efficient with data and we are gathering and creating more, and better, data. Before we didn't know about a change order until it was signed, but now we can track and review potential change items. We are ahead of the curve and getting more accurate," said Pam Dotson, director of IT systems at Paric.

"Technology within the company is at a high level," said Paluch. "The next step is to take it to partners outside the company. We plan on using portals for owners and subcontractors for a collaborative environment. We want to get all of our partners, including owners and subcontractors, to work on the same database."

The adoption of CMiC at Paric has caused a cultural change as well, one that will continue into the future.

"Currently, 80 percent of our company now uses this system. Our accounting and HR departments use CMiC on a daily basis," added Dotson.  "From a company perspective that is a big difference."