b'TCA AWARDSOne of the reasons it really stands out is that it gives users the ability to pick and choose what they need, says Dawn Kaasten, PCLs business technology team lead, enterprise development. She points out that it is already compatible with numerous types of security technology: turnstiles and maglocks, facial recognition and economical QR badges. We have big plans for JSA; theres lots of room for it to grow, says Kaasten. One of the things that we embrace at PCL is change and not being afraid to try new opportunities. In the future, well be able to swap in RFID, or something that hasntenables those in management rolesIt is free for both sides to use, explains even been thought of yet. to identify potential issues quickly andBidmii CEO Jon Christensen. We charge resolve them before they become seriousa four-per-cent payment-processing fee SECOND PLACE: problems. Our industry went from hand- (one per cent for wire transfer), and we CORFIX pushed wheelbarrows full of concrete tomonetize off value-add services, like Corfix is a tech company based inhalf-million-dollar pump trucks.promoting a homeowners listing,Kanata, Ontario, and built on onehe says.innovative product: a desktop and mobileNow, stresses Watts, productivity needs application designed to streamlineand regulatory changes are making it hardFor $120 per month, contractors can jobsite management in construction. It isto ignore digital tools much longer: Thissign up for a subscription that gives them tailored to help small- and medium-sizedwas a nice-to-have. Now its a must-have. advance access to job listings and bid companies join the digital revolution, freeing them from the labour ofTHIRD PLACE: ranges. The third thingand it seems maintaining weighty binders full of SDSBIDMII INTERNATIONAL INC. to be the wow factor for contractorsmanuals, company policies, blueprintsIs there anyone who doesnt have a storyis a custom domain name: a website and other stacks of paperwork. Instead,about a home reno gone wrong, whetherthat builds itself, Christensen says. all the companys data can be collected,its a homeowner billed for unexpectedIt automatically updates with before-stored and shared on a user-friendlyfees or a contractor hit with endlessand-after photos. Subscribers also get platform that can be made available tomarketing materials like T-shirts and anyone, anywhere. unplanned-for add-ons? Bidmii aims tobusiness signs.change all that.Yes, there are already products likeBidmii started in Guelph but is growing this in the market, but, explains theBidmii is an online marketplace thatfast and is now available across Canada companys CEO Shawn Watts, the majorconnects homeowners and contractors to(except in Quebec). Contracts have players are really built to service thecomplete renovation and repair projects.literally ranged from $60 to $60,000. larger construction companies. They areGood home contractors are hard to findOne of our favourite stories is the too big and too complex for the smaller(especially in the GTA), and one in every 20contractor who joins our platformcompanies. We are built for the small-to- residential renovation projects in Canadabecause theyre moonlighting, and fairly medium company with fewer employees. ends with a lost deposit. Meanwhile,quickly theyre building a business, it takes an average of two months for Often, when the general contractorcontractors to collect payments owedChristensen says.working on a major software platformfor invoiced work. Bidmii not only helps asks its subs to upload their paperworkhomeowners and contractors find eachIm excited about all the innovation into the system, that subcontractorother, it actually holds project funds inhappening in and around the GTA, notes is still using pen and paper, and is stilltrust, protecting both sides from Christensen, and proud that my team experiencing inefficiencies, says Watts.bad actors. and I get to be a part of it.Corfix streamlines the whole system. For instance, it allows workers to snap a photo of their certifications and upload them to the app from the jobsite, where they can be instantly validated fromthe office.The biggest problem in construction is that the workforce is remote and fragmented, Watts says, so managing data in areas like health and safety can be onerous. Corfix makes it easy to share information instantly and remotely, which BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 4 202217'