TECHNOLOGY TRENDS


Which Mobile Device To Buy for Your Construction Company?


By Ashley Organ, HCSS I


f you’re wondering what kind of iPad or tablet to buy for your crew, you’re not alone. HCSS customers


often ask this question. While it’s important to do your own research to make the right choice for your company, here are our recommenda- tions on what we at HCSS have found to be the best current tablets for the construction jobsite.


Apple to the Core More than three million time cards


have been entered on iPads by HCSS customers, including 10 of the top 15 ENR companies and 1000 heavy civil and infrastructure construction companies. Te most popular iPad among


our customers is the latest generation Apple iPad Air because of its overall user experience, feature accessibility, and size. Even if you typically gravitate toward Android devices, you’ll want to consider going with this Apple tablet.


User Experience Your crews will be able to integrate


iPads into their daily routine with little training or prior experience with mobile devices. Apple prioritizes a user-friendly interface, so your iPads naturally feel fast, fluid, and intuitive, even in the field. Eugene Eshbach, Manager of


Construction Information Systems at Allan Myers, said they invested in the Apple iPad for their 240 foremen nearly four years ago because they saw Apple as the long-lasting and prevalent device for businesses. “In general, Apple devices don’t change often, so you know you’ll get the same intuitive user experience across all of their products,” he said. “If you can use a device at all, you know you’ll be able to use an Apple device for years to come.”


16 September/October 2016


HCSS works to achieve parity with Android


shortly after iOS feature releases, but keep in mind that only 20 percent of our customers currently use Android devices. While you might save a little bit of money at the start, you are likely compromising quicker accessibility to the latest features in the long run if you go with Android.


Feature Accessibility HCSS develops and updates


software for iOS before Android


because 80% of our customer base uses Apple devices. We want to get the greatest number of features to the most customers quickly, so Apple users typically receive the newest HCSS features months before Android users. Lecon Inc. purchased 15 Android


devices for their superintendents in 2013. However, they moved to iPad Air 2s after the HCSS User’s Group Meeting in 2015 where they realized most companies were using Apple devices and accessing the newest features before Android users. According to Caleb King, Project Manager at Lecon, “We wanted more features faster. We didn’t want to be behind everyone else, so investing in Apple devices made more sense as we look toward the future.”


Size Matters Your foremen will be comfortable


using the iPad Air in the field because it’s lightweight and the screen is big enough to easily type on and navigate. Te iPad Mini’s keyboard and screen often is too small for foremen, and the iPad Pro can be unwieldy on a job site


California Constructor


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