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(Photo courtesy of Monadnock Construction Inc.)

The software, from New York City-based EK Solutions Inc., lets users with portable PCs track outstanding "punchlist" items in the field and download data to office PCs for management and report creation. Using pen-based tablets or other Windows-compatible devices, field users can access a project’s line items and indicate with a simple check box whether each passes muster. Notes can be added to any entry and the data transferred to a server via a network connection.

Inspectors typically track punchlists on paper, requiring someone to type lists for distribution. Punchlister eliminates that and can sort issues by work type or subcontractor. Reports can then be generated for specific parties who have corrections to make. The reports can be either printed or saved as HTML files for electronic distribution.

"What used to take two weeks now takes 15 minutes," says John Nicoll, an early user and a project superintendent with Monadnock Construction Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a builder of residential and office buildings. Punchlister server software, with one field client, costs $7,500. Additional clients are $1,500. See www.eksolutions.com for more information.

he tedium of tying up loose ends on jobs could take a digital twist with Punchlister, a new Windows-based tool for superintendents and inspectors.