In today’s fast-paced market, companies are setting more aggressive deadlines for their construction projects and are prioritizing speed to market more than ever before. To keep up with this increasing demand, Stellar adopted the Procore construction management software to streamline our project management processes and communicate even faster.
We’ve been using the software for a couple of years, but we’ve truly realized its tangible benefits in the past several months. The bottom line? A more efficient project translates into time and cost savings for the owner. Here are four ways our clients are benefitting from this new process:
1. Owners have on-demand access to more project information
Instead of receiving periodic progress updates or waiting until the project’s completion to receive drawings, owners can use their smartphone, computer or tablet to access a variety of information at any time, including:
- Drawings
- Job site photos
- Specs
- Submittals
- Requests for information (RFIs)
Owners don’t need to refer to paper documents and files; they can quickly pull up the latest digital drawings in a meeting, making it easier to collaborate and finalize decisions. And since Stellar’s crews upload photos from the field every day, our clients can keep up with the project’s progress on a daily basis with just a click or a tap.
In particular, we’ve received a lot positive feedback about the ability to view submittals and equipment specifics from within the software. If there is a piece of HVAC or refrigeration equipment that the owner has a question about, he can quickly view all of its features on his phone. This eliminates a lot of communication breakdown and unnecessary back-and-forth. Of course, if there is a specific question that needs answering, we’re never more than a call or an email away.
2. Centralized project management
Procore allows Stellar to have complete team collaboration from everyone involved in the project, from the owners to the design team to the subcontractors to the field teams. Everyone can view project elements in real time and work together rather than waiting for information to be passed along to them. Now, the various elements of a large-scale project occur simultaneously, not sequentially, accelerating its overall pace.
Budgeting, contracting and invoicing are all done within the software, too. Having all of these moving parts in one central location makes them easier to track and manage, making the project more efficient and transparent for the owner. Again, this is significant, because these time and cost savings are passed on to the client.
3. Increased accountability
Compared to different departments being in their own “silos,” Procore fosters true collaboration and maintains accountability for tasks waiting to be completed. Every team member on the project has documented tasks with corresponding due dates that align with the overall project timeline.
Email notifications also ensure that each individual stays on top of the items on their to-do list. This includes automating the submittal process: Every action item has an owner, which encourages accountability and keeps the project schedule moving forward.
Subcontractors also receive notifications when a new drawing is issued, and they can easily download them at the job site. Our field staff is equipped with tablets so that they always have access to the most up-to-date drawings. There’s no excuse for not having the information needed.
On one recent project, the plumbing subcontractor on site said he couldn’t move forward with a layout change directed by the Stellar field team. We were able to add a markup to the drawing in real time via the app rather than do a full-scale drawing revision. This allowed the subcontractor to move forward with the change that same day instead of waiting for a full-scale drawing revision.
4. Faster response to potential job site issues
Procore makes it easy for our field crews to upload job site photos via the app. Instead of transferring photos to a computer and uploading to the cloud, team members can take a picture with their smartphone and upload it immediately via the mobile app.
Since job site photos are uploaded to the system daily, if something doesn’t look right, we can address it right away. Before Procore, photos would be updated every few days, but with the fast-paced projects of today, a lot can happen in a few days. Instead of walking back to correct an issue that was missed, we can now monitor quality control more frequently and keep projects moving forward.
We’re always looking for ways to save our clients time and money while building facilities of the highest quality — this software is just one of them. If you have questions about Procore, our process and how we can move your next project forward, email us at foodforthought@stellar.net and foodforthought@stellar.net or give our team a call at (904) 260-2900.