McGraw Hill Construction Launches Dodge Global Network Platform

Press Release

McGraw Hill Construction Launches Dodge Global Network Platform

 State-of-the-art technology enables industry-first capabilities to help customers stay competitive and grow

NEW YORK - June 18, 2013 – McGraw Hill Construction’s Dodge, the industry standard for construction information and intelligence, today announced the next generation of its Dodge Global Network platform. New and proprietary features, including many that are a first for the industry, are specifically designed to enable users to find and prioritize prospects, and increase their win/loss ratio for new business. Highlights of the dynamic and easy-to-use features include:

Plan searching functionality that is available nationally. Customers are able to target projects through deep penetration of keywords in the plan documents, breaking the industry’s status quo that has confined business intelligence to spec document searching;Tablet mobility, enabling customers to access opportunities without being hindered by where they choose to work;Seamless integration with business intelligence platforms, including the Dodge MarketShare™ analysis/forecasting tool, the Dodge BuildShare® relationship-building tool, and the Dodge SpecShare® competitive analysis tool for building product manufacturers;Rapid expansion of international opportunities, allowing customers to prospect beyond borders, following architecture, engineering, and owner firms around the world. Since the third quarter of 2012, the number of projects listed in the Dodge International database has grown to more than 11,000 at a value of over $3.5 trillion. The new Dodge Global Network platform employs the latest technology to service customer needs, whether simple or complex. Customers are able to bid immediate leads, find owners, architects, and general contractors with whom to build a relationship, or extract sophisticated data  for use in analysis and forecasting with equal ease.

“We have always invested in the quality of our content and pride ourselves in aligning the data we are capturing for customers with their need to be competitive and successful. The breakthrough of the Dodge Global Network is the result of an aggressive technology investment in our new platform, raising the bar and providing functionality not offered anywhere else,” said Keith Fox, president, McGraw Hill Construction. “The resounding acceptance we are seeing for the Dodge Global Network tells us that our customers trust Dodge to fuel their business intelligence needs.”

“We continue to innovate to ensure our products remain strong and relevant,” said Kate Cassino, vice president, product development, McGraw Hill Construction.  “We are the only provider to offer the ability to search plan documents, and access an ever-growing international database of projects, anytime and anywhere. The at-a-glance nature of the Dodge Global Network helps our customers seize opportunities quickly and grow their top line.”   

The Dodge Global Network was the first to provide a web-based business intelligence platform for construction professionals that integrates projects, plans and specifications, and analytics, when its alpha version debuted in 2012.  Throughout 2012, Dodge launched a series of web-based dashboards that provide seamless access to its MarketShare, SpecShare, and BuildShare suite of business intelligence. 

Dodge reporters located in 80+ major metropolitan areas call on more than 35,000 sources each year and cover 150,000 sources overall.  Dodge's database of projects exceeds 500,000 each year, with more than 5,500 daily updates and 65,000 digitized plans and specs. Two-thirds of international projects are in the planning stage of construction, and 94% of the architectural firms designing these projects are featured in the well-respected list of Top 500 Design Firms published by McGraw Hill Construction’s ENR.

For more information about the Dodge Global Network, visit http://www.construction.com/Dodge/.  Demonstrations of the Dodge Global Network will be available at McGraw Hill Construction’s booth #2103 at the AIA Convention & Expo in Denver on June 20-21.

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About McGraw Hill Construction
McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction (http://www.construction.com/) serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare® and Dodge SpecShare®.

About McGraw Hill Financial
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power & Associates, McGraw Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at  http://www.mhfi.com/.

Media Contact
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Construction Safety Programs Are Yielding Business Benefits for Firms, According to New McGraw Hill Construction Report

Press Release

Construction Safety Programs Are Yielding Business Benefits for Firms, According to New McGraw Hill Construction Report

NEW YORK –June 20, 2013— Contractors are reporting business benefits from instituting strong safety programs, according to a new report by McGraw Hill Construction on safety management in the construction industry, available at http://analyticsstore.construction.com/market-trends/smartmarket-reports/safety-management-in-the-construction-industry-smartmarket-report-2013.html?sourcekey=SMRPRES.

In particular, construction companies report the following benefits due to the implementation of safety management practices: 

·         51% report increases in project ROI; with a fifth of those reporting increases of greater than 5%

·         43% report faster project schedules, with half reporting schedule improvements of a week or more

·         39% report a decrease in project budget from a safety program, with a quarter reporting decreases of 5% or more. Only 15% reported that safety programs cost firms more—debunking the myth that safety has to negatively affect a firm’s bottom line.

·         82% report an improved reputation

·         71% report lower injury rates

·         66% report they have a greater ability to contract new work

·         66% report better project quality 

“Safety programs are not only creating safer places for their workers, but they are also improving firms’ bottom lines,” said Michele A. Russo, director of research communications, McGraw Hill Construction. “Overall, construction companies—large and small—are reporting positive financial impacts from safety programs—and the size of those benefits increase as the depth of the program increases. In an industry that operates on low margins, this is a powerful finding.”

The study also found that 92% of large contractors (firms with over 500 employees) and 48% of smaller firms have instituted fully inclusive and widely observed safety programs, meaning that larger firms are capitalizing more on these business benefits as compared to smaller contractors and subcontractors.

 “McGraw Hill’s report confirms the importance of safety within our industry, and highlights the tangible gains that can be seen across any business,” said Jim Dorris, vice president, health, safety, environment & sustainability, United Rentals, Inc. “United Rentals has found that investing in resources aimed at sustainable safety excellence not only creates a safer work environment, it also increases productivity, reduces costs, enhances the company's reputation, and grows the business.” 

 Firms are reporting that onsite safety training and education programs are currently most widely adopted (reported by 95% of firms) and considered most valued to jobsite workers (82% find it valuable). Online training programs are still an emerging trend, though the increase in mobile tools onsite will likely influence that.

 "Every day in America, an average of 13 workers die on the job from safety-related incidents. An industry-wide culture of safety is essential to eliminating that figure, and this research study proves the many benefits, for our companies and our workers, of creating that culture,” said Brian Tonry, executive vice president and general manager, ClickSafety. "As more and more companies understand and realize the return on investment of safety programs, we will see more widespread adoption of sustainable initiatives throughout the industry, moving us closer to our collective zero-injury goal."      

 Key industry trends—such as the increased use of mobile tools on construction sites, building information modeling (BIM) and prefabrication/modular construction practices—are also helping to improve safety outcomes for firms, indicating the improved safety expectations that will be placed on construction companies moving forward. Notably, the 43% of the industry report BIM having a positive impact on project safety and 49% report the same positive impact from prefabrication/modular construction. Mobile tools, such as Smartphones, iPads and iPhones also are reporting safety as reported by 82%, 81% and 78% of contractors, respectively.

 “The survey results confirm what our research has led us to believe: safety is a sound investment. The firms implementing sound safety practices are boasting leaner project costs overall, faster production, reduced injuries, and better project quality,” said Pete Stafford, executive director, CPWR. 

 The study’s premier partners include CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, ClickSafety, United Rentals, and the National Institute of Building Sciences, its association partner.

 On Wednesday, June 26, McGraw Hill Construction will be presenting key findings at the American Society of Safety Engineers Safety 2013 Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center at ClickSafety’s Booth #1437 at 9:15 am and 2:00 pm.

 To download a copy of the Safety Management in the Construction Industry SmartMarket Report, visit http://analyticsstore.construction.com/market-trends/smartmarket-reports/safety-management-in-the-construction-industry-smartmarket-report-2013.html?sourcekey=SMRPRES.

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare® and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets.  To learn more, visit http://www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, McGraw Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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