Construction Today, Vol 20 Issue 5 - Sept 2023 | Page 33

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ eMars
For most people , change is ... difficult . Very difficult
Lack of readily available inexpensive computers , manpower and time , dictated a random sampling for the construction industry .
Mr . Umlauf continued : “ Twice a month , 15 employee checks of the 60 to 70 workers were inspected to make sure that the prevailing wage and 31 other compliance issues were upheld . I assure you , we were diligent . A person ’ s paycheck is a serious matter .”
Sometimes FDT employees floated between projects that were federally funded . Other times , a single employee was both a bulldozer operator and a bobcat operator . With each of those jobs there is a unique prevailing wage to match their skill level and seniority .
What happened with employee check information and Davis Bacon compliance issues when matters became very complicated ? “ We interviewed people . We used pencils and notepads ,” was Mr . Umlauf ’ s reply .
How was this information stored ? “ The information was stored in a filing cabinet - with a lock . But , at that time , computers with web-based storage systems were not available . The notes on each employee were stored in a reasonably sensible manner .”
What if the information changed on an hourly , daily , weekly , or monthly basis ? “ We prioritized what we could do based upon federal guidelines , severity of the situation and manpower .”
What does Mr . Umlauf think about the eMars / Compliant Client web-based system ? “ Technology that is easy to use and very accurate is worth the cost .”
Mr . Umlauf , now an avid golfer , uses a rangefinder to tell him the distance to the flag on a golf course that he frequently plays . “ This handheld computer takes the guesswork out of golf . It tells me how many yards it is to the hole from my location on the course . I know how far I hit each club , so this accurate , affordable and readily available technology helps my game .”
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