Odebrecht puts high-tech tools in the field and the office introducing a new era of construction.

…The Organization borrowed from its parent company’s experience.... to introduce an ingenious method.

Even more innovative is the firm’s time-tracking system that involves a series of hand-held, electronic bar-code readers that replace traditional timesheets. Each foreman is issued a bar-code reader and a set of pre-set barcodes about employees, material costs, and equipment. When member of his crew perform a particular function, the foreman scans the individual’s code, the service cost code and the equipment codes. At the end of his shift, the foreman places the scanner on an optical PC-based cradle that automatically sends the infor- mation to PENTA (financial accounting system). PENTA, in turn, calculates payroll, project cost, and equipment use. "Every day, around noon," says Ricardo Jensen, MIS Manager at Odebrecht, "Our project management staff has an up-to-date status of the project from the day before. It allows us to respond very quickly to correct any significant issues or problems that might occur."

And finally, there is the ominous task of equipment maintenance. Every month, Odebrecht spends approximately $1 million to maintain the conveyors, trucks, loaders, and other piece of machinery. Jansen says: "Any lengthy down time is just not acceptable. We must stay on top of our equipment so that we can better anticipate problems and prepare regular maintenance schedules." Once again, Odebrecht relies on PENTA and the time tracking system. Using bar-code scanners, mechanic foreman record when a piece of equipment is serviced, the type of repair, the component serviced, and the reason for service. Information on equipment availability or down time, "frequently" serviced components or equipment, recurring defects, maintenance quality, and equipment operation quality is automatically recorded and easily accessible.

Jansen concludes, "On a project this size success is measured by how well the project director can find and then respond to a continuously changing environment. Our technology allows us to change faster then ever before, thereby building the best product for the best price."

When complete in 1999, the Seven Oaks Dam will be the 12th largest dam ever built by the US Army corps of Engineers-it will also be the one of the most technologically innovative, bringing people and tools together as never before thanks to innovative thinkers like Odebrecht.