HOUSTON TX, August 8, 2007: HCSS (www.hcss.com) has launched a Small Tools feature for The Dispatcher^™ Resource Management Software that enables construction companies to track the entire inventory of small tools assigned to its employees. The new feature gives a contractor tighter control over its tools, thus reducing costs associated with loss or damage.

The Dispatcher tracks specific tools assigned to individual employees on a daily basis, and maintains a complete history of the company's tool-related transactions. That enhances accountability for employees who use air compressors, jackhammers, generators, chain saws and other small tools.

"Construction companies lose many thousands of dollars annually to replace lost, stolen or damaged tools, or buy them unnecessarily when they can't find them at the moment they're needed," said Steve McGough, HCSS's chief operating officer. "The Dispatcher's Small Tools feature addresses the familiar issues of employees losing tools, bringing them home or leaving them at a job site because they forgot which ones were assigned to them."

HOW IT WORKS

A grid of squares on the screen indicates the foremen or other employees who have been assigned small tools. Each square represents a specific individual and the tools for which they're responsible. When tools are returned, they're marked as available. If a tool is assigned to another employee, it's "dragged and dropped" from one person's square to another.

The company can run weekly reports that show employees the tools that have been assigned to them. If they no longer have a tool, they can explain immediately. "As simple as that may sound, it's a huge improvement over most companies' current abilities to track small tools," said McGough.

The Small Tools feature also offers a transaction history that identifies every move of a tool. Companies can use that information to determine the number of days each tool was used on various jobs and thus create inter-company rental charges.

THE DISPATCHER

The Dispatcher Resource Management Software is designed to replace traditional magnet and dry-erase boards with an easy-to-use, graphics-oriented program that works similarly but has far greater capabilities. In addition to viewing all jobs and resources on a visual screen, resources can be scheduled and viewed on a bar chart and plotted on a map using Microsoft's MapPoint^™ mapping program. The Dispatcher is integrated with HCSS's HeavyBid^® Estimating Software and HeavyJob^® Field Management Software.

FOR INFORMATION

For information about The Dispatcher and its Small Tools feature, contact HCSS at www.hcss.com, 800-683-3196 or info@hcss.com.

ABOUT HCSS

Founded in 1986, HCSS is the developer of HeavyBid^® Estimating Software; HeavyJob ^® Field Management Software; and The Dispatcher^™Resource Management Software. HCSS sets the standard for estimating and field management and dispatching software for the infrastructure construction industry, with instant 24-hour technical support, on-site training by veteran contractors and annual user's group meetings attended by hundreds of contractors. Thousands of contractors, bidding in excess of $300 billion per year, rely on HCSS products for their ease of use, speed and precision in performing estimating, field management and dispatching activities.

HCSS is located at 6200 Savoy, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77036. For more information about HCSS and its complete line of estimating, field management and dispatching products, visit www.hcss.com, call 800-683-3196 or e-mail info@hcss.com.

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