Press release issued by CDP partner, Dexter + Chaney

Spectrum Construction Software chosen for its ease of use

SEATTLE, May 31, 2012: Metal Trades, Inc. (MTI) joins the growing roster of contractors who have selected Dexter + Chaney’s (www.dexterchaney.com) Spectrum® Construction Software to address their evolving business and document management needs while looking ahead towards potential growth.

MTI’s need for new software corresponded with a major change to its clientele, specifically the closure of the Charleston Naval Shipyard in 1996. According to Shaun Flynn, president and chief operating officer, “With the shipyard closure, we began to perform ship repair in new percentages. Government ship repair went from 70 to 20 percent of our business and commercial work became 80 percent of what we do.” With this substantial change in MTI’s business model, the company made the decision to start evaluating new construction management software. “We just felt it was time to move on to a system that was conducive to what we do; the previous software was not conducive to both business segments,” said Flynn.

MTI wanted to replace their outmoded software that required reliance on numerous standalone spreadsheets and caused significant delays in vital business functions. “With the previous software, we could not close the books until three to four weeks after the end of the month,” said Flynn. “With Spectrum, we can close them almost immediately.” This efficiency doesn’t stop at the accounting side of the business. MTI also benefits from the insight provided by Spectrum’s Project Management. According to Flynn, “Project managers can look at data up-to-the-minute and see costing, materials, subcontractors or labor in real-time. We used to run four or five days behind because of the old system.”

CDP, Inc., Dexter + Chaney’s exclusive partner for Spectrum in the Carolinas, was able to engage with MTI to help them evaluate and decide on Spectrum as the product that would best address their needs as a growing commercial contractor. “Account Manager Mark Jones took a consultative approach with MTI in order to understand where they were and where they were headed as a company,” said Paul Riefenberg, President of CDP. “The collaborative team of CDP, MTI and Dexter + Chaney allowed us to demonstrate streamlined processes and scalability for growth.” MTI will be able to continue to rely on CDP as a local partner addressing their technology needs.

The company purchased 13 modules of Spectrum Enterprise Edition including its popular Document Imaging capability that has allowed MTI to start converting to a paperless filing system. Launched in 1999, Spectrum Document Imaging is the construction-industry pioneer and leader in document imaging, with more than 10,000 individual users at construction companies throughout the United States. Spectrum Document Imaging is used with all the company’s documents and invoicing. “We use a lot of steel and as a result have Material Test Reports. We scan and maintain them within the software, rather than relying on huge file cabinets. With Spectrum, we can go totally paperless and match them up with the PO and it’s all in one place – it has been incredible,” said Flynn.

For all of the new software’s features, Flynn is quick to point out that the decision to purchase Spectrum was based on simple needs: software that has room for growth and is easy to use. “Spectrum Enterprise Edition is a tool that has room for us to grow into. If we open a new branch in the future, the software will accommodate that change. We felt that Spectrum was the best fit because it is very user friendly and it is designed for contractors – that’s what we are and we needed software designed for that purpose.”

For John Chaney, Dexter + Chaney co-founder and president, designing software tailored to contractors’ needs is one of the tenets of his company’s mission. “We’re very pleased to have been considered and ultimately chosen by Metal Trades, Inc. MTI has both accounting and operations needs and we look forward to helping the company address those business functions with a software that we as a company continue to invest in and develop to evolve along with our clients.”

About Metal Trades, Inc.
Located just south of Charleston, South Carolina, Metal Trades, Inc. is a highly capable heavy steel fabricator and shipyard specializing in heavy steel fabrication, barge construction, ship repair, and building large pressure vessels and tanks built to Section VIII of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code. For information, contact Metal Trades, Inc., 4194 Highway 165, Yonges Island, SC 29449; phone: (843) 889-6441; fax: (843) 889-2818; http://metaltrades.com.

About CDP, Inc.
CDP is one of the original founding Oracle Primavera partners and continues to be one of the fastest growing Primavera Partners in the US and Canada. CDP is a leading provider for Dexter + Chaney, Hard Dollar, eTimeMachine and most recently, Phoenix Project Manager. Since 2006, CDP has consistently performed as a top 3 Partner in North America for Oracle Primavera. In 2008 CDP was recognized with the highest 3 year growth average internationally for Primavera. Together with Dexter + Chaney, Hard Dollar, eTimeMachine, and Phoenix Project Manager, CDP has the software tools needed by Project Centric organizations. Their industry expertise, solutions and personal touch leads to business success for their clients. For more information, contact CDP, Inc., 8000 Corporate Center Drive, Charlotte, NC 28226; phone: 800-648-0527; fax: 704-542-0215; www.cdp-inc.com.

About Dexter + Chaney
Dexter + Chaney has been providing complete construction management software for more than 30 years. From the office to the field, from accounting to project management, Dexter + Chaney software is used by more than 1,000 companies. Their clients come from all segments of the industry - heavy highway and utility, general contractors, electrical, mechanical, and specialty subcontractors - and are companies of all sizes, from locally owned subcontractors to some of the world’s largest construction firms. Every client is different, and the modularity and flexibility of Dexter + Chaney software allows customers to create a software solution that suits their needs and works the way they do. For more information about Dexter + Chaney’s products and services, contact Wayne Newitts, Marketing Director, Dexter + Chaney, 9700 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115-2347; phone: 800-875-1400 or 206-364-1400; fax: 206-367-9613; www.dexterchaney.com.