Smart Solutions Category: Construction Management Software

Boosting Mechanical Revenue 30 Percent

After making the transition from paper recordkeeping to BuildOps software, “our revenue has grown by 30 percent, we’ve doubled the number of tickets that we can handle, and we’re working more efficiently than before,” said Scott Fuksa, president of Jackson Mechanical Service.

Jackson Mechanical has been a cornerstone of the Oklahoma City mechanical services industry since 1957. With a strong commitment to fair pricing, exceptional customer service, niche specialties, and continuous technical training, Jackson Mechanical has grown from a small team of three to a robust operation with more than 80 employees and a fleet of 63 service trucks. Despite their growth, the company was mired in an archaic system of color-coded folders to manage their expansive operations.

“It was very old school,” recalled Travis Fuksa, project manager at Jackson Mechanical. “If something wasn’t on the original ticket, that information would be gone.” The outdated system was not just slow; it was a black hole for data and dollars.

Transformational Change

Recognizing the need for modernization, Jackson Mechanical decided to make a leap to BuildOps. More than just adopting new software, the transition meant transforming their entire operational approach.

“Several members of the BuildOps and Jackson team came in over the weekend to manually enter hundreds of historical records for cost. It had to be done this way because Jackson was completely on paper,” said Thurain Hlaing, BuildOps senior customer success manager. “It really felt like we were one team doing what had to be done for the best result.”

This collaborative effort ensured a smooth transition. No more lost data, no more missed opportunities. BuildOps delivered a single platform where job progress, contract details, and crucial communications converged—in real time. The results were immediate and impactful. The time it took to schedule jobs was cut by half. The team managed to handle double the number of service tickets. As a result, revenue grew substantially.

“With BuildOps, we feel like we can go after anything,” Travis Fuksa said. “The sky’s the limit as far as the size of the project.”

Communication That Connects

BuildOps redefined how the Jackson Mechanical team interacts, especially when every second counts. “BuildOps has helped us streamline our dispatching tremendously,” said Amanda Campbell, customer service manager. “It has taken half the time to create a job and get it scheduled.” Real-time updates from the field keep the whole team in sync and sharp, safeguarding timelines and budgets.

Since implementing BuildOps, Jackson Mechanical is thriving. They’ve expanded into two new buildings to accommodate their growth. “BuildOps helps us grow, helps us keep information flowing properly,” said Scott Fuksa. “We love it here at Jackson Mechanical.”

Check out BuildOps’ Construction Industry Insights and Trends web page.

For more information, visit BuildOps.com.

Software Links Office and Field Saving Time and Hassle

With construction challenges increasing and timelines decreasing, DILFO turned to Trimble’s ProjectSight project management software to improve communication, manage risk, and save time on every project. Based in Ottawa, DILFO is one of Eastern Ontario’s largest mechanical contracting, HVAC services, and plumbing and heating contractors. The second-generation, family-owned business was founded in 1980 and employs more than 200 construction and service professionals. ProjectSight helped them streamline their document control and enhance team collaboration.

Connecting the Office and Field

Director of Operations Brendan Myers oversees day-to-day work, including DILFO’s sheet metal and plumbing fabrication as well as field and service operations. Like many construction professionals, Myers believes, “It’s harder to build these days. Project managers need information in a way that isn’t cumbersome so they can focus on their tasks. It’s also getting harder and harder for our foremen to do their job. There’s more safety requirements, more paperwork, and the schedules are getting shorter.”

DILFO’s previous solution was working well in the field, but they needed a more holistic approach that could tie the office and field together as one with the documentation to run a project successfully. After a thorough review, Myers chose Trimble’s ProjectSight because it was “the one that was best geared for what we needed,” said Myers. “Document control is top-notch, revisions are an automatic process, and there is no concern about human error.”

Managing Risk With Confidence

One of the most important ways ProjectSight has helped DILFO is risk management. The software makes it easier for Myers and others at the company to know they are meeting contractual obligations on a project—and to help them prove it later if necessary. “We’re mitigating risk by tracking everything,” he said. “When an issue happens onsite and impacts or delays our work, we can very quickly capture that and bring it up to everybody. The foreman can send it to the project manager or superintendent, and they can decide whether they want to take action or not.”

That level of tracking and communication helps keep projects moving forward and gives DILFO peace of mind long afterward. “We’re validating that we’re meeting contractual obligations. We’ve done the work, it’s been approved, and the general contractor has signed off on it,” Myers noted.

ProjectSight has helped DILFO foster a sense of teamwork and ownership between the office and the field, so important information does not fall through the cracks.

Working Faster and Better

ProjectSight not only helps protect the company, it also enables employees to do their work faster and better. Everyone knows what information they need to capture and where to store and retrieve it. Myers recalled that before ProjectSight, teams were organizing files differently and there was little standardization. “[Files] were either in a folder somewhere or in email,” he said. “I saw the need for standardization across the company to improve document control and alleviate some of the inefficiencies that can happen with revisions and lots of documents and emails.”

Having a centralized location for documentation means team members know where all the checklists, drawings, and pictures are, and that makes life a lot easier in the office and in the field. Myers elaborated, “Having a spot with all of the history, where you can understand what has happened and write comments, is great. Otherwise, if something happens and I can’t get access to someone’s email, I’m completely out of the loop.”

Promoting Collaboration

Many contractors are good at getting data to the field, but it can be more challenging to get data from the field to the office. With ProjectSight as the central location, the office can see what has been done in the field to track completion. Foremen are seeing that the work they are putting in is making a difference as well, giving them increased peace of mind and job satisfaction.

Myers said ProjectSight has saved DILFO time on every project. “It’s quick and accurate. We are capturing our work onsite each day, and superintendents don’t have to go to the site to see where it’s at. They can focus on other things in the office,” he observed.

Beyond tracking progress, perhaps most important is the sense of teamwork and ownership ProjectSight has helped foster between the office and the field. “Foremen now can see the status of a submittal or request for information. They know whether a decision has been made or not, if so what it is, and things don’t get forgotten or fall through the cracks.”

Supporting Service Teams

Not only has ProjectSight helped DILFO’s construction operations run more efficiently, it has enabled the company to get the most from its service business. With standardization and stronger document control, DILFO’s service division now can quickly access as-built documentation from the construction phase. “Our business model is built around servicing what we construct,” Myers said. “If we don’t have a clear understanding of what was constructed, there’s very little advantage for our service team, because we’re going in blind. By having a solution like ProjectSight, where everything is organized the same way every time and laid out very cleanly, there’s no confusion.”

Looking Ahead

Myers sees a bright future for DILFO with ProjectSight, because the software is backed by a strong company that is continually updating and improving the product. “I’ve always been impressed with our relationship with Trimble. There’s really good communication there, and they always listen to our questions and feedback,” he said. “ProjectSight is not a software that was bought and sitting on a shelf; it’s constantly changing and improving.”

Myers continued, “For what we get versus the other platforms out there, it’s priced right, the support is fantastic, I love all of the guides and videos, there’s a lot of resources there, so I’m happy with it. I am excited about the future with ProjectSight and Trimble. I’ve bought into the ecosystem, and we want to continue to grow with Trimble and take advantage of all the solutions Trimble has that are going to help us be a successful contractor. I think we’re both moving in the right direction, and I’m excited to see where this takes us.”

For more information, visit projectsight.trimble.com.

 

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Maximizing Project Coordination

With 360° reality capture from OpenSpace, UMC is harnessing real-time data and visualization to mitigate risk and optimize workflows. UMC recognizes that effective project coordination and adoption of innovative technologies are critical for success. Complete jobsite capture helps achieve unprecedented accuracy and efficiency in project planning and execution. Here are the most common uses of OpenSpace that help minimize errors and enhance collaboration across the full construction lifecycle.

  1. Requests for information (RFIs): Successful coordination and issue resolution require clarity on RFIs. With photo documentation from OpenSpace, teams can easily pull up 360° captures to view the state of construction and make informed decisions on things like pricing and adjustments. Real-time visibility into a project’s progress significantly reduces the risk of costly changes and saves time. Josh Wilson, project executive at UMC, said, “OpenSpace has quickly become one of our most valuable tools in the field for communication, documentation, and reporting.”
  2. Design intent vs. as-built: OpenSpace helps clarify complexities on the construction site. If concerns are raised about something on the jobsite, the team can simply overlay the model view on the site conditions captured. The team can then quickly identify discrepancies between the design and actual construction and address potential issues proactively, avoiding delays and rework down the line.
  3. Ensuring quality control (QC): Reality capture can also help subcontractors improve QC. Through side-by-side comparisons of models and site conditions in OpenSpace, teams can ensure all necessary elements are in place as per the design specifications. As UMC’s Wilson put it, “The OpenSpace image capture process and user interface makes it a breeze to compare real-world construction progress to the coordinated building information modeling (BIM) and quickly highlight potential quality assurance or QC discrepancies or identify areas in need of an RFI.”
  4. Communication and collaboration: By providing a centralized platform for sharing and reviewing site documentation, OpenSpace facilitates effective communication and collaboration among project stakeholders. Teams can quickly access relevant information and coordinate their efforts more efficiently. This streamlined communication workflow fosters a culture of collaboration and accountability, ultimately driving project success and quick adoption of OpenSpace across organizations.

Wilson added, “The OpenSpace platform has also allowed our team to provide a more robust as-built deliverable to clients by allowing building owners and facility staff to virtually tour their space at any point during the construction process and hit the ground running on day one.”

For more information, visit www. openspace.ai.

 

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Managing Communication, Keeping Projects On Track

Miscommunication and excessive administrative efforts led Modern to adopt MSUITE technology to manage their fabrication operations in unison with other departments. “MSUITE helps prioritize the work for our shop managers to make sure we’re on the right track,” said Jim Tedrow, piping operations leader.

Managing Moving Parts

Modern, a mechanical contractor in the Eastern Iowa market and beyond for over 80 years, has had tremendous growth and built a positive culture with loyal employees who stay with Modern for decades. “I have been with Modern for 23 years and seen its amazing growth firsthand,” said Tedrow. “We’ve moved into three different shops, beginning at a small shop of 27,000 square feet to currently a 90,000 square-foot building with office space and a fabrication floor for piping, plumbing, and sheet metal. Now, that’s grown, and we’re looking at another expansion.”

The high volume of work, combined with shifting priorities, documentation requirements, and staffing and schedule changes, all make production very complex; as a result, in a traditional (highly manual) working environment, communication is either nonexistent or delayed. “MSUITE fills this gap and allows stakeholders to update data that automatically resets priorities and indicates delays or schedule changes. In addition, with all of those moving parts impacting production and deliveries, MSUITE enables real-time fabrication visibility on more substantial projects,” said Tedrow.

“Quality control and quality assurance are always challenges in any business. MSUITE improves quality assurance and quality control through automating digital documentation and tracking, eliminating things we used to do manually,” said Tedrow.

Tracking Changes

MSUITE provides critical visibility and communications between the fabrication shop and workers in the field, designers, engineers, project managers, and customers. The technology offers a single-source platform for collaboration, production, and delivery across multiple stakeholders involved in ensuring project success. For example, staff can update notes, place things on hold, and update due dates, helping the fabrication shop operate in sync with other departments at a high level and keeping everyone on the same page. Tedrow added, “Having complete visibility and tracking work in progress enables us to use metrics for improving performance.”

Read MSUITE’s tips for improving fabrication shop operations: https://www.msuite.com/5-tips-for-mechanical-contractors-enhancing-fabrication-shop-operations/

MSUITE offers several features that help Modern digitize its operation:

  • The Digital Fab Shop means a paperless job floor, where the drawings on the floor are always the most current version. No more losing drawings or building off the wrong document.
  • Weld Log Tracking digitally captures the welder identification, welding procedures, heat numbers, inspector, quality assurance process, and quality assurance results for reporting and administration.
  • Digital tracking makes nondestructive evaluations more manageable; because X-ray testing, welder identifications and numbers, and other data are mapped and captured, generating reports is easy, and manual entry is eliminated.
  • Automatic closeout documentation generates multiple documents, such as a drawing status report, weld tracking, bill of lading, and final drawing markups.

“Creating a paperless job floor, improving quality control, closeout documentation, and Weld Log Tracking are value-added benefits of the real-time productivity gained through enhanced visibility and eliminating communication gaps in one platform—making MSUITE a game-changer for Modern,” said Tedrow.

“The selling point to our team for adopting technology is that it’s hard to estimate the benefits of offsite fabrication construction. Being able to leverage data in MSUITE and provide it to the design and estimating departments enables Modern to win more business,” Tedrow explained.

Improving Worker Performance

MSUITE tracks employee productivity automatically and helps provide Modern with actionable data to help improve employee performance, no matter the level. “Historically, this was a ‘gut’ observation or [involved] manually adding stats to spreadsheets, but these types of tasks are eliminated from managing and helping staff improve performance,” said Tedrow.

The MSUITE team trained Modern staff onsite, and the technology has evolved over the years. “The customer support team is very effective; their support desk is second to none, and they’re speedy to respond. … The key to adoption is leadership communication, adaptability, and explaining how MSUITE improves employee and organization performance. With any technology adoption effort, there’s a cultural and behavioral change.”

Real-Time Transparency

With MSUITE, control and product accuracy processes run as high as 95 to 98 percent, translating to a 2-percent failure rate on parts coming out of the fabrication shop. “If we’re doing a large industrial job, MSUITE offers ‘full disclosure’ of what our fab shop is doing and what we’re working on at any stage,” said Tedrow.

“MSUITE enables notifications to stakeholders, and it’s super easy and keeps all the messages and data in one platform and automatically connected to the production schedule. Archaic data silos (email in-box, spreadsheets, paper, phone calls, product changes, etc.) are nearly eliminated.  Important tasks, messages, drawing notes, deadlines, change requests, and schedule changes that sometimes fall through the cracks are averted because everyone is on the same page with real-time data in MSUITE,” said, Tedrow.

For more information, visit www.msuite.com.

Extra Eyes Onsite, Catching Errors Early & Cutting Travel Time

Thanks to photos and videos captured onsite by OpenSpace technology, U.S. Engineering fixed an error during construction that would have required expensive rework if it had not been caught early. With OpenSpace, U.S. Engineering managers are keeping tabs on projects remotely, saving hours of travel time and costs.

True As-Built View Improves Quality

As quality control manager for U.S. Engineering, Chad Lucks routinely travels across the Rocky Mountain region to oversee projects. He wanted a better way to document the many jobsites he was tasked with monitoring than notes jotted down by colleagues and cell phone pictures, which could be unreliable and inconsistent. He also hoped to reduce his commuting time with technology that would help him stay on top of more than a dozen projects at any given time, even remotely.

“Through the detailed documentation OpenSpace provides, we have a true as-built.”

—Chad Lucks, Quality Control Manager, U.S. Engineering

Lucks started using OpenSpace to capture his projects, including hospitals in North Dakota and Arizona, a Target in Boulder, CO, and a public school system in Denver, CO, with the main objective of reducing risk. He soon began relying on the BIM Compare feature (which shows a side-by-side view of actual site conditions with the model) for day-to-day work. “I switched to OpenSpace because I can be anywhere and reference the drawings and model we’re using in Arizona, for example, alongside what’s really happening onsite,” Lucks explained.

OpenSpace has proved easy to learn, and project engineers can capture sites by simply strapping a 360° camera to their hard hats and walking. OpenSpace automatically generates a Google Street View-style video of the project. Lucks typically plays the video at half-speed to look carefully for discrepancies and issues from his office.

Having a single source of truth helps everyone get on the same page. For example, Lucks recently noticed in BIM Compare that a section of piping and valves present in the model was missing in a ceiling. He created a Field Note in OpenSpace, assigned it to the virtual design construction technician, and linked it to Procore. From there, the team confirmed there was an error in the as-builts, which was corrected. Because Lucks caught the discrepancy before the ceiling was closed up, U.S. Engineering avoided potential rework costs if the mistake had only been noticed months later.

“Paper as-builts are old-school and going away,” said Lucks. “Through the detailed documentation OpenSpace provides, we have a true as-built, which is better for maintenance and the owner at the end.”

“I switched to OpenSpace because I can be anywhere and reference the drawings and model we’re using in Arizona, for example, alongside what’s really happening onsite.”

—Chad Lucks, Quality Control Manager, U.S. Engineering

Streamlining Processes

U.S. Engineering is also using OpenSpace Track to automatically generate completion percentages for sheet metal installation, which facilitates monthly pay applications and saves time. Lucks also thinks it benefits superintendents by helping them understand whether teams are falling behind on a project. U.S. Engineering Project Manager Aaron Denning is using OpenSpace Track to track sheet metal installation and forecast how much sheet metal should be brought to the project, so materials are not sitting onsite for weeks before they are needed.

Lucks is using OpenSpace’s 3D Scan feature to scan electrical and ductwork near ceilings to measure them later—without having to climb a ladder or use a tape measure, saving him time. “Our goal is to have [OpenSpace] on every project where we’re allowed to take photos,” Lucks said.

Learn how to use OpenSpace to create time-lapse videos of your project by clicking here.

Enhancing Communication, Increasing Productivity

Thanks to OpenSpace, Lucks does not need to visit jobsites in person as often, saving him as much as 10 hours of driving per week. Recently, OpenSpace eliminated the need for designers to fly in to visit a project, because U.S. Engineering’s Senior Project Manager Patrick Barnett pulled up OpenSpace captures during an owner, architect, and contractor meeting to address their questions virtually.

OpenSpace helps keep Lucks up to speed on progress at out-of-state sites he does not visit as often, so he can contribute more effectively. “Before OpenSpace, people would be calling me without me having any context,” he said. “It was definitely a lot harder.”

Reliable documentation from OpenSpace has also helped U.S. Engineering manage potential conflicts. When a general contractor recently provided a hard deadline for work completion, U.S. Engineering was able to demonstrate that another contractor had not completed their work, blocking U.S. Engineering from proceeding.

For more information, visit www.openspace.ai.

John W. Danforth Relies on Raken to Capture Detailed Productivity Data

Tracking Unplanned Costs Daily Ensures Contractor Gets Paid

John W. Danforth—a founding member of MCAA—is using Raken’s digital time cards and daily reporting to keep a record of all the impacts the pandemic has had on their productivity—so they can demonstrate what they have done and get paid for it. Construction companies have been forced to change the way they operate to ensure safety and compliance, and jobsite data are critical for contractors to maintain a record of productivity and streamline their workflows.

Digitally Tracking Overtime

From social distancing to health verification paperwork, all the extra minutes and materials spent following new protocols can add up to substantial costs over the duration of a project, negatively affecting both your completion deadline and budgets. When faced with these impacts on planned labor and productivity, you have two choices: pay overtime to get the work done on time or delay the project. Most companies will choose overtime, but who exactly will pay for these extra hours?

Danforth uses digital time cards to track and report unplanned labor and to demonstrate loss of productivity through measured mile analysis. By importing their estimated labor codes and budgets into Raken software, they are able to measure all their labor against the estimate to see what is affected. “Everything with COVID-19 has been an unplanned cost, but we’re able to show the impacts to labor and material, and we’re able to report that on a daily basis to the GCs and the CMs,” said Todd Follis, Danforth’s vice president of Pre-Construction Planning.

This type of documentation gives Danforth reliable standardized data to know exactly how their jobs have been affected. The more accurate the information, the more powerful it is for proving the added costs and pinpointing who is responsible.

Solid Defense

Having labor productivity data and daily reports digitally stored means you have credible evidence to address the inevitable disputes over loss in productivity and improves your chances of getting compensated. No one wants to go into litigation, especially if you do not have incredibly complete documentation. By using Raken, Danforth has a reliable and repeatable method to support claims successfully and avoid litigation in most cases.

Danforth has used Raken to successfully defend contracts on both private and public projects, most recently on a major federal project. Using digital documentation, they have successfully demonstrated and won claims with indisputable proof of what happened and why.

Follis explained, “We’ll continue to win because we’ve standardized our labor metrics and are able to produce reliable data that correlates to our estimates and credible, proven industry databases such as WebLEM. By having reliable, credible data, it’s just a matter of ensuring we maintain accurate schedule data … so when delays and productivity impacts occur, it’s just a matter of providing proper notification and organizing the data to present the costs that are owed.”

Improving Communication

One of the biggest values Danforth sees in Raken is the ability to communicate and catch any issues early on. “If we have a bad week on a labor code, we’ll see the projected productivity start to drift away from the budget,” said Follis. “Most people who don’t have this level of insight will just keep on doing the same thing again and again until someone sees it on a financial statement … and by then it’s too late.”

Strong communication is essential to overcoming challenges. The earlier you can communicate with stakeholders about added hours and potential costs, the less likely a project will come to litigation.

Good internal communication comes from empowering the crews on the job. As Follis stated, “The most important thing we have is communication with our people—they’re the ones doing the work onsite. If we’re not listening to them and can’t react to what their needs are, we’ve really missed the boat. Our project managers and foremen operate as partners, and Raken allows us to respond to daily changes/issues immediately even when the project manager is not onsite.”

Finding software your team will actually use is key. When Danforth implemented Raken, they were able to get all their foremen up and running in just three weeks. Follis said, “They picked it up no problem. Whether they were inexperienced, young, old, it didn’t matter. It was easy for our field staff to grasp since the app was so intuitive.” Giving your team a tool that is easy to use and saves time will improve the quality of data and communication from the field to the office.

For more information, visit www.rakenapp.com.

MCAA welcomes Raken as a new member.

Johansen & Anderson Perseveres Through the COVID-19 Pandemic with Jonas Construction Software

While some businesses struggled to produce the information needed to apply for a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan when the pandemic spread, Rick Cronholm, owner of Johansen & Anderson, was able to pull all the necessary reports in less than 30 minutes, thanks to Jonas Construction Software.

Having already done payroll, time entry, and union reporting in the Jonas software, Cronholm could run reports for any pay period within minutes. The guidelines for comparison for the PPP were not clearly outlined, so the ability to be flexible and run multiple scenarios for the application was a huge win for Cronholm—and one less challenge for him to worry about.

“Since Jonas tracks all visit schedules associated with the maintenance agreements, this allowed us to optimize routes and keep our technicians busy, while rescheduling visits when needed.”

— Rick Cronholm, Owner, Johansen & Anderson

“It’s so easy to pull all the reports for any scenario and to filter them by specific date and different periods,” said Cronholm. “When it comes to job costing or union reports, I could pull any scenario for the PPP loan just by putting the dates in.”

For many businesses, the COVID- 19 pandemic revealed technology and communication gaps across the company as a whole. With construction deemed an essential service, businesses had to react quickly to continue operations safely within government guidelines. Those that did not have the right technologies in place ultimately struggled or failed, while others, like Johansen & Anderson, successfully resumed business with minimal disruptions.

Johansen & Anderson has been using Jonas for over 10 years, and it has made life a little easier for them during the pandemic. The software provided a level of comfort that helped them continue doing business as usual from a technology standpoint.

“A big help to us was having the maintenance agreements in Jonas so we were able to manage visits efficiently,” said Cronholm. “Since Jonas tracks all visit schedules associated with the maintenance agreements, this allowed us to optimize routes and keep our technicians busy, while rescheduling visits when needed.”

Johansen & Anderson has been using Jonas Construction Software for 10 years; Owner Rick Cronholm appreciates that the software provides “a great snapshot of the company financials in order to keep an eye on how well the business [is] doing.”

Even before COVID-19, reporting was important to Cronholm. “The Executive Dashboard within Jonas always gave me a great snapshot of the company financials in order to keep an eye on how well the business [is] doing,” he noted. So when COVID-19 hit, Cronholm already had full insight into Johansen & Anderson’s business and financials.

As the pandemic rapidly spread across the country, states shut down businesses. Cronholm stated, “My first concern was definitely whether we were going to be declared essential or not. When it was decided that we were essential, my concern went straight to the safety of my employees and what we will have to do differently to keep our employees and customers safe.”

Everyone was stocking up on personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves. While Johansen & Anderson had gloves stocked up, it was a problem finding masks. From a technology standpoint, Cronholm was not sure about how the phone forwarding would work or how to keep the communication lines open between departments with everyone working from home. Limited staff could come into the office, but he wanted to make sure all bases were being covered.

Johansen & Anderson relies on Jonas Construction Software to stay on top of the company’s financial status.

Cronholm went on to say that it was overwhelming at first to have to reschedule commercial site service visits. The residential side of business was even more of a challenge, because approximately 30 to 40 percent of clients did not want anyone coming into their homes. “Luckily, we have all of our data in one system [with Jonas], so we could easily see and contact clients with visits coming up,” Cronholm observed.

After surviving the initial impact of the pandemic, Cronholm realized that there were technological improvements Johansen & Anderson could make to better prepare for the future. The first was to review their firewall and network restrictions and possibly move towards using the cloud, as many Jonas clients have already done. The second was to start using the Jonas mobile solution to set up their technicians with tablets to complete work orders from the field. “I think that COVID-19 really showed a lot of companies any holes, room for improvement, and how they can be better streamlined overall,” Cronholm concluded.

For more information, visit try. jonasconstruction.com/mcaa.

Renick Brothers Accelerates Project Delivery Using Trimble’s SysQue Software

Dominick Florentine, director of virtual design and construction at Renick Brothers, was skeptical that Trimble SysQue MEP software would improve productivity, but since trying it out, he admitted, “I’m working smarter because of the features and functionality of the software.” Trimble is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

Florentine explained, “I’ve been drawing in CAD for almost 20 years. A few years ago, the owner wanted to switch to Revit because he saw it as the future. I was not on board because I thought I could draw much faster in AutoCAD.” With the transition to Revit pending, a Trimble SysQue representative encouraged Florentine to give it a try.Today, Florentine is a believer. He noted, “While you can’t draw superfast in Revit, the content it provides down the road saves so much time. Essentially, Revit powered by SysQue shapes a streamlined and automated workflow that isn’t possible in AutoCAD. No matter the complexity, SysQue kicks in and turns simple data into intelligent content.

”Because most of the models Renick creates are designed by the engineers in Revit, they have a lot of object intelligence at their fingertips. These are great starting points, and SysQue does the laborious tasks, such as breaking joints and adding connections.

“The goal is to work smarter, not necessarily faster,” said Florentine. “Revit combined with SysQue empowers our detailers to create constructible models that are ready for fabrication—AutoCAD can’t do that.”

Florentine said his favorite thing about Revit is the scheduling tools. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “Everything I draw is 100-percent extractable, so I always have an accurate count within the schedule direct from the model. That’s the way to accelerate project delivery with intelligence.”

For more information and to request a personalized demo, visit mep.trimble.com.

MCAA thanks Trimble for being a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

Raken Outlines Three Ways to Maximize Efficiency During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the way we work—in construction and beyond. From implementing new safety protocols to navigating delays, contractors have more processes to learn and more variables to consider. Here are three ways you can use digital technology to maximize your efficiency during the pandemic.

1. Invest in Real-Time Production Tracking

Safety guidelines that require social distancing and extra cleaning are affecting jobsite productivity everywhere. Tracking software makes it easier to know exactly when and how productivity is affected.

Invest in software that lets your teams quickly record materials, equipment, and time cards. By digitally documenting how much time and manpower a job takes, you will have real-time data that can help you make better, more profitable decisions for your projects. You will also have powerful evidence and protection in case of a dispute, all without manual entry and cross-checking.

2. Digitize Daily Reports

Comprehensive daily reports ensure that any delays or liabilities do not slip through the cracks. The more detailed your reports are, the faster you can spot any potential issues and address them.

Software lets you store all completed daily reports in one place on the cloud. That way, you can easily access your data whenever you need it. Plus, you can minimize physical contact by keeping everyone in the loop without having to be onsite.

Don’t forget: The best software is easy to use in the field. After all, your crews will be the ones sending you the information you need. Give them a tool they can use as they walk the jobsite—so their focus is on the work, not on figuring out the new tech you provided.

3. Streamline Your Safety Training and Processes

Safety has always been a priority in construction, but now more so than ever. Now is the time to take all your safety training and documentation online. With online talks and safety checklists only a few taps away, your crews can stay informed of the latest safety protocols and the resources they need to stay compliant.

For even more visibility, consider options like digital sign-in sheets and bulk scheduling talks. Because everything is stored in one central place, you will not have to go digging for proof that you followed all safety requirements.

Keep your employees (and your business) safe. Proper, complete documentation is key during the pandemic. Maintain everyone’s safety, health, and efficiency by developing your tech stack.

For more information, visit www.rakenapp.com.

Warner Mechanical Increases Efficiency With Trimble Scanner and Software

Warner Mechanical of Northwest Ohio is saving time and labor resources in many ways since they invested in a Trimble X7 3D laser scanner powered by Trimble FieldLink software. What previously took two to three days onsite using a tape measure and paper is now easily done in one day. The combination of Trimble hardware and software also extends BIM workflows and helps Warner Mechanical precisely capture accurate as-built conditions to facilitate prefabrication, layout, safety, real-time viewing, communication, and collaboration. Trimble is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

Moving Away From Manual

At a Lima, OH, project site, Warner Mechanical used the Trimble X7 Scanner to get precise readings for installing underground sanitary piping, which helps ensure precise prefabrication and layout.

Historically, when Warner Mechanical was working on a prefabrication project, the team would go out to the field with a tape measure and measure the area, take as many notes as possible, and bring the information back to the office. Often, they would then think of other measurements they needed or wanted and would either go back and do more measuring or hope that the prefabrication would work with the existing measurements. If they were not working on a prefabrication project, they would do all of the measuring and fitting in the field.

Doug Riddell, BIM/CAD coordinator at Warner Mechanical, had been doing 3D modeling for two years and was pushing the envelope from a technology perspective. One of the hurdles he faced during prefabrication was that although the 3D model was a great tool, accuracy could vary by about two inches—which is two inches too much when it comes to tight tolerances for prefabricated piping that need to hit a precise point on a coil or boiler connection. Further, the variance can increase by another two inches based on the type of building or where the equipment is installed in the building. So, when all variances are factored in, prefabrication measurements could be up to four inches off on prefabrication.

Warner Mechanical wanted to implement a system that would improve the company’s prefabrication process and get its team up to speed on the latest technology. “The biggest reason we were interested in investing in a scanner was that we wanted to be able to scan the mechanical room on a new construction site once the equipment is installed and set,” said Kevin Phillips, senior project manager of Warner Mechanical. “The goal is to bring that information back into the model to see where the deviations are so we can dial in the accuracy before we prefabricate from the 3D model.” In addition, the company was looking for a way to increase efficiency and save time.

In Bellevue, OH, Warner Mechanical used the Trimble X7 scanner to prepare for underground piping installation. The monitor shows the essential points, and Warner Mechanical can visualize the scan data, model, and field layout points on a tablet controller without leaving the project site.
Ben Little, field technology salesman for Building Point Ohio Valley, surveys a recently completed project using the Trimble X7 3D Scanner, so Warner Mechanical can compare initial job drawings with the as-built drawings for the project, making prefabrication and other processes more accurate.

Optimizing Prefabrication

Working with Building Point Ohio Valley, a Trimble reseller, Warner Mechanical purchased a Trimble X7 3D laser scanner powered by Trimble FieldLink software because of its advanced features and lower price point. By preparing their Revit model with Trimble SysQue and then exporting the data to Trimble FieldLink, Warner Mechanical can use one software application to capture and register scan data, align it with the 3D model of the project, and visualize the scan data, model, and field layout points on a tablet controller without leaving the project site. This workflow enables the team to be efficient with their time while on the job and avoid additional processing time back in the office.

One of Riddell’s favorite features of the X7 scanner is the Trimble Registration Assist for in-field registration that allows for automatic scan orientation and alignment with the last preselected scan. He also likes the ability to customize the scanner to allow for faster scans and the ability to view both scans and 3D models on the tablet controller for onsite viewing.

Once the mechanical equipment is installed in a building or facility, Warner Mechanical can go to a site and use the scanner to capture an area and easily compare the scan data measurements with the 3D model on a tablet controller to see whether there are any deviations between the scan and the model.

“The Trimble X7 scanner allows us to control our working atmosphere for prefabrication while also removing the added variables of a busy construction work area. The scanner also gives us exact information, which greatly diminishes the labor burden,” said Riddell. “It is efficient, user-friendly, and informative.”

Speed, Accuracy, and Labor Savings

Warner Mechanical describes its experience with the scanner as invaluable because of the amount of information gained, which has helped alleviate issues even as they were just getting started with the technology. “The X7 scanner has touched several different areas of our business and improved our operations considerably in just the short time we have had it,” said Riddell.

On a recent project involving the mechanical room for a local elementary school, the Warner Mechanical team used the scanner to visualize the room and see it from different angles to pinpoint the exact systems. After installing the new systems, they were able to go back in and scan everything so they had both the original 3D model and the final installation scan file to overlay. They discovered an issue with the doors of an air handler hitting pipe when opened, and the clearance was accounted for in the modeling. They wanted to find out whether the manufacturer’s model was accurate and also whether their field workers put the pipe in the proper place. Using FieldLink allowed them to see exactly where the equipment was set in the model and compare it with what was actually installed in the field.

The speed and accuracy of the scanner is helping Warner Mechanical save time and labor resources. Further, they are increasing safety for their team by using the scanner to facilitate preconstruction efforts. Because the most dangerous spot on the construction site is the actual field, doing preconstruction in a controlled environment with pinpoint accuracy from the scans eliminates some risk.

Another unexpected benefit was that general contractors now know Warner Mechanical has a 3D scanner, which allows the company to play a major role in creating 3D models for other contractors. This capacity gives them an edge in doing the mechanical portion of projects and enables them to generate additional revenue streams.

The X7 scanner has helped further Warner Mechanical’s mission to embrace technology and facilitate collaboration between the office and the field. “We utilize scans for accurate prefabrication and layout and can also use the real-time viewing feature to quickly show scans to project managers,” said Riddell. “The future looks to be incredibly exciting as we learn more about the scanner, and we are excited to apply this technology on many more jobs to come.”

For more information, visit www.trimble.com.

MCAA thanks Trimble for being a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

Procore Software Boosts Monterey Mechanical’s Productivity, Saving One Day Per Employee Per Week

By installing Procore software, Monterey Mechanical Co. was finally able to offer mobile information access to everyone on its team. The efficiencies gained work out to a savings of one day a week of work per employee. Monterey Mechanical credits Procore with helping them complete projects early, as in the case of a Brentwood, CA, water treatment plant, and under budget, as with a San Francisco wastewater treatment facility. 

Monterey Mechanical had a software solution to manage projects, but it did not offer mobile functionality in the field. “Only the project manager or project engineer had access to the information. The field people didn’t have access,” recalled Division Manager Ed Moore. Moore also noted that the system often crashed. Plus, employees stored documents on their own devices which made collaboration difficult. Moore further explained, “Project managers used their own forms and systems. It was really disjointed. Everybody had their own stuff and it wasn’t shared.” 

A construction manager that Monterey Mechanical worked with recommended Procore, and they implemented it soon after. Procore offered a centralized platform that was accessible to all collaborators—from anywhere. All the project information is now consolidated into one platform. “Procore gave our field team access to information,” said Moore. “Everything that used to be in a file cabinet is now accessible with a couple of clicks.”

Procore helped Monterey Mechanical keep the San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s Southeast Treatment Plant project on schedule and $2.25 million under the city’s revised budget—after tasks were added to the original scope of work.

Not only did field teams have access to important project information, so too did executives, accounting teams, and other project stakeholders—all in one place. They could easily view, update, and share information, regardless of their location. “The president of our company can get access to information, and so can a foreman out in the field. They can both see submittals, RFIs [requests for information], and document photos,” said Moore. 

More importantly, the system was easy for teams to adopt. “The field teams aren’t really used to technology, so we were worried they might struggle with it—but that wasn’t the case at all. When we made it available to them, they latched onto it and ran with it,” Moore noted. That ease of use helps Monterey Mechanical attract and retain top talent. 

“We’re a 77-year-old company, but we like to think we’re on the leading edge of what’s going on. When people hear that we’re using Procore and we’re doing different things with construction technology, they get excited about possibly coming to work for us,” said Moore. “Procore offers their platform to schools, so students are using it now too. It’s great for when we’re recruiting and they hear we use it,” he added. 

Moore said that with a centralized system, Monterey Mechanical is able to maintain consistent processes. “It’s exciting to see how our new talented employees are developing and how Procore helps us with that. With Procore, it’s easy to show them what our standard procedures are.” 

In doing so, Monterey Mechanical not only ensures its success now but also sets itself up to continue its longstanding legacy into the future. “I enjoy seeing these new talented people stepping into important roles in our company,” said Moore. “I can see us being able to turn the reins over to them, hopefully, in the future.” 

See Procore’s ebook, 7 Strategies for Hiring and Keeping Talent During the Labor Shortage: https://www.procore.com/ebooks/7-strategies-for-hiring-and-keeping-talent-during-the-labor-shortage 

Take Procore’s webinar, How Technology Attracts New Talent to the Construction Industry: https://www.procore.com/webinars/how-technology-attracts-new-talent-to-the-construction-industry  

For more information, visit www.procore.com.

Using MSUITE and Prefabrication, Limbach Completes Hospital Project Two Months Ahead of Schedule

With MSUITE’s FabPro software, Limbach successfully streamlined operations in a pop-up fabrication shop with multiple trades working side-by-side, minimizing assembly and installation time. The combination of exceptional teamwork, technology, and advanced planning led to completion of the project two months early and helped the building owner save $5.6 million. 

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Limbach has 1,500 employees nationwide and 10 major branches across the United States. As a leading MEP contractor, Limbach leverages MSUITE to offer integrated building systems solutions with expertise in design, fabrication, installation, management, service, and maintenance of HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and control systems. The firm includes an in-house MEP+C design-build staff and eight fabrication shops with a total fabrication capacity of about 208,000 square feet.  

Facilitating Fabrication 

Although Limbach already uses MSUITE at its fabrication facilities, multitrade usage was a new opportunity. MSUITE’s FabPro software helps manage productivity for fabrication shops. The cloud-based platform offers production tracking and reporting and documents everything from start to installation for multiple trades.  

Once the project team decided to set up a multitrade fabrication shop for the McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project, the team acquired the Pine Tree Shop, a 25,000-square-foot warehouse, to convert into the fabrication facility they needed. It was a huge advantage that allowed Limbach to quickly manufacture and transport materials to the jobsite, which was only two miles away. MSUITE’s expertise in fabrication helped Limbach come up with the fabrication shop layout for optimal flow. Limbach used MSUITE’s BIMPro and FabPro to take model information to the shop floor and track real-time status and productivity. 

Limbach’s team set up 220 total racks and six assembly lines to add 4,400 linear feet of racks with a total of 71,500 linear feet of conduit, piping, plumbing, sheet metal, cable tray, and drywall. All of these were tested, inspected, and insulated in place. The total assembly time in the shop for Limbach’s scope of work was 8,000 hours for a four-day turnaround per line. The entire process per floor was approximately a three-week turnaround, which included the shop assembly line, delivery, installation, and finalization. The environmental control and ability to streamline the work increased productivity and quality. 

From the beginning, the joint venture Barton Malow-Christman and its stakeholders were on board with Limbach delivering the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection aspects of the project. The group (which included the owner, engineer, general contractor, and subcontractors) invested heavily in design-for-manufacturing (DfMA) principles to engineer the building for prefabrication. 

Connecting Design, Fabrication, and Field 

MSUITE’s management software includes design automation capabilities in Autodesk Revit with seamless integration to fabrication tracking software in FabPro and field tracking software in the field. The entire methodology allows continuous feedback into the process for improvement to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and workflow efficiency.

Using a combination of physical and virtual information that incorporated BIM modeling from MSUITE helped Limbach target the best candidates for prefabrication, improving communication and collaboration among designers and fabricators.

Mark Lamberson, CPD, Limbach’s national virtual design and construction (VDC) manager, said, “MSUITE’s workflows helped Limbach track production and provided to the owner real-time reporting of fab shop inventory, including documentation to support monthly billings.” The data captured also provides easy access to the detailed tracking information required by insurers. 

The DfMA process helped the team visualize racks and corridors to reassure the owner that the strategy would meet the building’s lifecycle needs and aggressive schedule. Using “mixed reality,” a combination of physical and virtual information, the owner’s representatives were able to explore the racked systems to simulate the ease of installation and future maintenance. Mixed reality was also used for quality assurance and quality control of modules and allowed the owner to “walk through” virtual racks alongside the fabricated racks. 

The DfMA approach incorporated Lean manufacturing concepts such as identifying high-value fabrication targets—for example, headwalls, wet walls, and bathroom pods. The team employed the “choosing by advantages” technique to select the right modules for the project. Key decision-making factors included the availability and costs of shop space, jobsite congestion, material handling, and delivery. 

Collaboration Saves Time, Labor 

The McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project benefited from considerable collaboration across all trade partners on the jobsite. The shop workforce included just 14 people for all trades, resulting in a 30-percent reduction in trade labor onsite for installation of the racked systems. Installing the racked systems in the building took about an hour per rack, totaling 220 hours. 

The assembly on the jobsite was extraordinarily efficient compared with stick-building, and eliminating the extra time onsite produced significant savings. MSUITE helped onsite and fabrication teams alike track the real-time status and productivity metrics. 

Lamberson noted, “The two-months schedule savings resulted in a $5.6 million-dollar direct return to the owner. Two months of unexpected operational time for the health care facility can mean an indirect revenue impact of $60 million.” 

The prefabrication approach yielded other benefits for the project team. Workers were able to test, insulate, and tag all the products in the fabrication shop before delivering them onsite. Having products ready to install as soon as they were delivered helped mitigate the effects of the harsh Michigan winter onsite. The risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection was decreased because fewer workers had to be on the jobsite and those in the prefabrication shop were separated into workstations. 

Limbach offered the following lessons learned from the McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital Project: 

  • Early involvement: Early team involvement is critical to success. 
  • Building the team: All stakeholders must be present (carpenters, etc.). 
  • Fabrication support: Prefabrication must be supported from the top down. 
  • Mindset shift: The team must adopt the attitude of  “What can’t we fabricate?” 
  • Fabrication shop proximity to jobsite: Consider over-the-road requirements, permits, etc. 
  • Team decisions: Use the entire team for decisions; different stakeholders will perceive different benefits and drawbacks.

Barton Malow-Christman team members—VDC Manager Alan Todd, Project Director Colin Martin, Project Manager Keith Berry, and Project Manager Bob Gallagher—joined McLaren Health Care Vice President Dan Medrano, Limbach Assistant Vice President Kevin Dettling, and Harley Ellis Devereaux Project Manager Eric Wingelaar to present the successful McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital project at the Advancing Prefabrication conference earlier this year.

Watch a time-lapse video of the construction of the new McLaren Greater Lansing hospital from groundbreaking to current day: http://webcams.christmanco.com/McLaren-Greater-Lansing-Replacement-Hospital 

For more information, visit www.msuite.com.

MSUITE–TigerStop Integration Helps Gallo Mechanical Automate Fab Shop Operation, Cutting Costs and Increasing Productivity

Gallo Mechanical, the Gulf Coast’s leading mechanical and plumbing contractor, saw an opportunity to eliminate paper and automate its fabrication shop with advanced technology. After a competitive bid, Gallo selected MSUITE’s FabPro for its ability to integrate with TigerStop and track time and production in the fab shop. “From the start, the integration between MSUITE and TigerStop saved our firm $4,000,” said Ray McDonald, Gallo’s general manager and fabrication coordinator.

Gallo Mechanical uses MSUITE’s BIMPro design automation solution to increase design quality, eliminate the bore of dimensioning and tagging, and improve productivity by automating spooling and sheet creation 10 times faster than traditional methods. FabPro automates real-time production and material tracking for Gallo’s fab shop. The productivity software increases visibility, productivity, and accuracy in the facility, so Gallo Mechanical can better manage production and materials logistics. “FabPro helps us automate production tracking, mitigate schedule risks by predicting whether due dates are realistic the moment our work is loaded and if materials are available,” said McDonald. 

The TigerStop machine accurately positions and cuts various materials, including copper, PVC, Aquatherm, and Uponor pipe and other plastics for Gallo Mechanical’s prefabrication division. “With the BIMPro-to- FabPro-to-TigerStop integration, the automation and workflows replaced several manual steps and take a quarter of the time,” said McDonald. 

Before adopting MSUITE solutions, Gallo was facing a number of business challenges:

Gallo Mechanical is
streamlining its fabrication
processes by using
MSUITE FabPro integrated
with TigerStop, creating
efficiencies that save
money on raw material
purchases and reduce
scrap and waste.
  • Manual processes (in the fab shop and across departments) 
  • Substantial paper and material waste 
  • Administrative time involved in using paper timecards 
  • Fab shop staff’s lack of familiarity with new technology

Now, the efficient flow of information is transforming metal fabrication. Before Gallo Mechanical implemented MSUITE and TigerStop, paper ruled the day. Employees would transfer paperwork orders to the programmer, attach physical nest reports, set up the fabrication book, and carry it to the shop floor. Upon finishing a job, the machine operator completed a job report to update inventory. If any stakeholder (for example, a supervisor, customer, or executive) wanted to know where a job was in production, staff needed to walk to the floor, talk with operators, and continue hunting until they found the work. 

Since implementing MSUITE’s BIMPro, along with FabPro’s integration to TigerStop, Gallo’s design team automatically uploads designs and manufacturing data to FabPro for nesting. FabPro creates the nesting layout built on the sheet inventory as directed but analyzes several available sheet sizes to select one for optimal material utilization. FabPro nests material by company, job, package, drawing level, and sequence to cut materials in the most effective manner—virtually eliminating waste.

“We are saving 10 percent on every single job. The integration between [MSUITE] BIMPro to FabPro to TigerStop helps Gallo Mechanical save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop.” 

— Ray McDonald, General Manager and Fabrication Coordinator, Gallo Mechanical 

Scheduling jobs in FabPro offers superior production workflows. If an urgent request comes in at the last minute for the fab shop, slipping priority jobs into the schedule is much easier for Gallo Mechanical. Notifications are automatically sent to operators to keep them in sync with workload changes.

“I was printing and delivering books the entire day and built up a massive library,” said Byron Sharp, fab shop foreman. “The MSUITE  FabPro-to-TigerStop integration helps me focus on more important priorities.” 

Gallo has a family atmosphere and many long-time, committed employees. Those employees are familiar with tackling complex problems, but the fabrication staff never used any software before. McDonald explained, “I was deeply concerned how our team was going to react to implementing the monitors and tablets at each workstation, but it was for naught. MSUITE and TigerStop were straightforward to train on and use. I would be hard-pressed from the team to ever pull them out.”

McDonald and the team mapped out every manual step in the fab shop to be configured in MSUITE’s FabPro. Spreadsheets and paper were eliminated and replaced with automated production management software and monitors set at each station. 

“We worked closely with MSUITE’s exceptional client success team to eliminate unnecessary steps, and how to set up an organized process for optimizing our workflows and tracking  employee time,” said McDonald. “TigerStop took two days to turn on, and we started seeing results, as well.” 

“With the BIMPro-to-FabPro-to-TigerStop integration, the automation and workflows replaced several manual steps and take a quarter of the time.” 

— Ray McDonald, General Manager and Fabrication Coordinator, Gallo Mechanical 

Gallo’s shop-controlled environment enables them to maintain high quality and constant productivity levels regardless of project site conditions. FabPro automates real-time production and material logistics from the shop floor to take their fabrication capabilities to a new level. 

Gallo is at the forefront of using MEP manufacturing technology to gain strategic advantages. The MSUITE– TigerStop integration connects model data to shop floor cut stations to automate the cut list creation and optimization and nesting processes. No longer do staff have to create and manage CSV files. With this integration, MSUITE and TigerStop eliminate multiple tedious steps and maximize efficiencies of the cutting process. 

“Not only is our MSUITE FabPro-to-TigerStop helping us save on scrap, but it has also saved us an incredible amount of money on raw material purchases,” said McDonald. “We are saving 10 percent on every single job. The integration between BIMPro to FabPro to TigerStop helps Gallo Mechanical save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop,” McDonald concluded. 

For more information, visit www.msuite.com. 

 

 

icon Mechanical Gets Ahead of Schedule by Adding Trimble SysQue to Revit

After losing a large project because they did not work in Revit, icon Mechanical made the switch to Revit in 2014, later adding Trimble SysQue. Tim Riedle, vice president of engineering for icon, credits the addition of SysQue with helping icon get ahead of schedule on their projects. (Trimble is a benefactor of MCAA22.)

In an industry more pressed than ever to deliver jobs on time and on budget, up-to-date technology solutions are no longer a “nice-to-have” extra but a requisite for maintaining competitive advantage. Losing a project made clear to icon that while transitions can be challenging, the design/build industry demands them. 

Over the course of several years, Riedle has participated in icon’s evolution from Trimble EC-CAD to Autodesk CADmep to Revit. Although Revit is a powerful tool for engineering design, icon needed the ability to fabricate from their models, which led them to Trimble SysQue for use with Revit. Riedle said the benefits far outweigh any risks. “SysQue [combined with Revit] gives us everything we need and allows us to  leverage the full capacity of Revit and all of its design functionality, with real-world content and constructability,” he noted.

“[Trimble] SysQue gives us everything we need and allows us to leverage the full capacity of Revit and all of its design functionality, with real-world content and constructability.” 

— Tim Riedle, Vice President of Engineering, icon Mechanical 

The SysQue content in particular has been a game-changer for icon. Built for consistency by a dedicated Trimble team, SysQue includes a catalog of Revit families from over 680 manufacturers, all button-mapped and built to manufacturer’s cut sheets. Riedle estimated that it would take two icon employees working full time to build and manage a similar database. Such an expense makes no sense when content experts are available to help set up systems, train staff, and field requests for additions when something is missing. 

How often has SysQue’s catalog lacked a part that icon needs? “In the year and a half we’ve had Trimble’s catalog, we’ve requested [only] one item,” Riedle said, adding, “It was a very specialized pharmaceutical valve.” 

Transitioning to SysQue and its managed content catalog added a level of efficiency and accuracy that Revit could never offer alone. For icon Mechanical, the evolution beyond Revit has meant an evolution in streamlined workflows and efficient collaboration. As Riedle looked toward icon’s future, he was excited by the additional efficiencies that can be achieved using the newest functionality introduced in SysQue, including model-based estimating and collaboration workflows. 

For more information and to request a personalized demo, visit mep.trimble.com. MCAA thanks Trimble for being a benefactor of MCAA22. 

Auburn Mechanical Overcomes Process Pitfalls With Procore Mobile Solution

Founded in 1975, Auburn Mechanical of Auburn, WA, has decades of experience taking on large, complex projects, but internal processes—communication, documentation, record keeping, and information sharing—can pose the biggest challenges. Justin Pritchett, construction division manager at Auburn Mechanical, points out that the more manual steps involved in such processes, the higher the risk that those steps will not be completed. Procore’s integrated, fully mobile digital construction management solution puts Auburn Mechanical’s voluminous project information literally at the fingertips of craft labor in the field, streamlining processes and reducing the risk of lost, missing, or incomplete data. 

“The amount of information that we need in order to build our projects can be overwhelming at times,” Pritchett said. With Procore’s mobile solution, “you can have it all on a mobile platform that literally fits in your pocket. We definitely believe our adoption of technology is a competitive advantage for our organization.” 

Enhancing Collaboration 

For example, Auburn uses a daily construction report (DCR) to record details of a project’s evolution. A cloud-based DCR produces a much more granular record than its manual paper predecessor. 

Pritchett explained, “Our previous process used Microsoft Office Suite to do our daily construction report—a Word file. We’re a full mechanical firm, so we could have plumbing, sheet metal, refrigeration, and pipe-fitting forepersons on the jobsite, and all of them need to participate in the DCR. When it’s a Word file, it’s either this awkwardly shared document, or it’s, ‘Hey, I did my portion. Now, you all do your portions.’ Everyone drags photos off their phones to a desktop and uses a snippet tool to cut the photo and place it in the DCR. That’s a heavily manual process. The biggest risk is that it doesn’t happen.” 

Procore makes collaboration easier. “Everybody can simultaneously work in the DCR in real time, so when you take that quick photo to document progress and site conditions— that gets into the DCR very quickly and easily, and multiple forepersons can do that concurrently,” Pritchett pointed out. 

Information at Hand 

“Our firm’s operations group has this mission of perfection at the point of connection,” said Pritchett. “This means perfect information in the hands of our craft labor.” Procore’s mobile solution makes all project information available right there in the field. There is no roaming the jobsite in search of an answer. Pritchett stated, “We want our specialized craft labor to focus on production and quality and safety, and not have questions about how the building comes together.” 

In fact, Pritchett continued, “From a field-specific perspective, the usability from a mobile device was hands-down the reason why the field wanted to use it. We pulled up Procore on an iPad, showed it to our field leadership, and they were ready to make the decision right there.” 

Mobile technology has changed the landscape. “On our major projects, our project engineering team is linking the submittal data, the installation manuals, and our spool drawings to the various documents in the shop drawings—all of it accessible on their mobile devices. Today our field can very quickly pull up the shop drawing and look at the submittal—to understand precisely what they’re supposed to install,” Pritchett said. “And then through the Procore Model module, they’re able to look at the 3D model for precise comparison—again, right there in the field.”

“We pulled up Procore on an iPad, showed it to our field leadership, and they were ready to make the decision right there.” 

— Justin Pritchett, Construction Division Manager, Auburn Mechanical 

Partnering for Success 

Pritchett also praised Procore’s certification process for training. “We had all of our major project forepersons, our project managers, and all of our field leadership go through Procore’s certification classes. They were immediately up to speed.” 

Pritchett looked forward to the promise that new technology brings to the field. Recent engineering graduates who are very familiar with new technology are working alongside veterans with decades of experience and institutional knowledge. “When you team those two people together, you’ve got the technology expert learning from the building expert. That’s a natural partnership. At Auburn Mechanical, we’ve been able to pair those project engineers with master builders. This is a digital solution, a people solution, and a process solution. 

“We can leverage technology to build more economical buildings, to produce more affordable housing for those in need. We’re an industry that can leverage technology for the common good,” Pritchett observed. 

For more information, visit www.procore.com. 

A&R Boosts Morale, Productivity, and Profits With Procore Workforce Management Solutions

Since A&R Mechanical Contractors adopted Procore’s workforce management software, project planning has become much less of a struggle, timelines have decreased, and profits have increased. For example, getting paid for out-of-scope work has dramatically improved with the T&M [time and materials] Ticket Tool.

A&R, a specialty contractor based in Illinois, had been using various apps and manual methods for planning, payroll, and scheduling, which was inefficient and complicated. With Procore’s single, centralized platform, A&R has aligned teams, both in and out of the field, so that everyone can easily collaborate and access project information in real time.

Justin Weidner, vice president of A&R Mechanical Services, the civil division of A&R Mechanical Contractors, said, “Procore increases communication across all fields throughout all projects. We’ve got more informed teams, which, in my opinion, increases the morale of the guys in the field. They feel like they’re connected and they know what’s going on. And when you have an informed team, you have a better team.”

Sign up to watch Procore’s webinar, 5 Keys to Implementing New Technology, featuring industry experts: https://www.procore.com/webinars/5-keys-to-implementing-new-technology

Containing the Chaos

As the person in charge of A&R’s self-performing contractors, everything from overseeing scheduling to collecting payments at the end of projects falls onto Weidner’s shoulders. To manage each of these aspects, Weidner implemented a number of different apps, but the technology was actually creating problems instead of solving them.

“I was putting things in places that were tough to access,” Weidner explained. “Our workers were reaching into too many spots for information. We had too many manual methods. Time cards, papers, T&M tickets for change orders, schedules—you’d be amazed how many time cards we got with no one’s name on them.”

Weidner continued, “The field workers are really just trying to get the job done. When you’re a self-performing contractor and you’ve got all these types of projects, you’ve got to be able to adapt and move quickly.

“We needed a way to track the work that we had, obviously. Procore did that for us. We were able to bring everything that we were looking to track under one umbrella.” Weidner observed.

Paying and Getting Paid
Using Procore, A&R has accelerated the overall payroll process, and payroll is more accurate. Instead of attempting to track time manually with paper time cards, employees sign in to their Procore accounts, and, using Timesheets, access their project and enter their hours with cost codes. The days of losing time cards, getting the job number wrong, or simply forgetting to put their name on their card are virtually gone. Taking payroll tasks to a cloud-based platform has enabled A&R to collect more accurate information quicker and pay its workers much more efficiently.

On top of this, A&R has leveraged the T&M Ticket Tool to track, submit, and get approval on out-of-scope expenses, which has improved payment. Employees can track out-of-scope work, then easily request the authorizing signature with just a few clicks. Previously these tickets would have the wrong job number, would lack critical information, or just be lost in the foreman’s truck for months. As a result, the ticket would often be rejected, and A&R would not be paid for extra work.

“With the T&M ticket tool, we’re able to be in the job the moment it’s time to start the ticket. We’re able to put all of the information, pictures, receipts, and anything that you’re going to need to get paid later, and put it right in there,” said Weidner.

“The best part of this tool is that you can import the timesheets for the crew you just used over to the T&M ticket, which eliminates double entries,” Weidner added.

Optimizing Workforce Scheduling
Procore has also helped A&R simplify what used to be a chaotic process. Instead of scheduling using a messy whiteboard that lacks important information, project managers can use the software in the following ways:

Determine the best fit for a task. By clicking on the name of an employee, A&R’s project managers see the employee’s profile page, which contains details that help managers select the right person for the job when scheduling.

See who’s available. For example, Weidner said, “If I schedule Chris for the next couple of weeks, I can see his previous obligations to ensure I’m not creating any conflicts. After I finalize the assignment details, I can ensure all relevant parties are immediately notified of the changes. When we transition to the Gantt view, I can see who should be coming and going across projects and when. I can also see when we need more people.”

Craft an easy-to-view schedule. A&R has saved significant amounts of time just by having the option to create a clean, readable schedule that clearly shows its people, along with their information and availability.

Weidner said that scheduling within the Procore platform “makes it easier for everybody to manage what they need to do. Everybody sees what their assignment is, the project name, address, and any other specific details we want to include.

“With workforce planning, the amount of detail you need on some of these projects and certain nuances make scheduling difficult. Procore gives A&R the ability to act on last-minute things right away.”

Streamlining Communication
Perhaps most important to A&R, though, is the fact that communication has become much more thorough across the board. Weidner remarked, “The biggest advantages we’ve seen from [Procore] are our staff conversations. It’s been phenomenal for us. Our project manager is more in touch with who their teams are. Superintendents know more about the skill sets of field guys.”

With Procore, A&R can share necessary project information with workers before going out to a site to make sure that employees know what is going on. Project managers can even send alerts with updated information via text message. A&R’s project managers and those in the field no longer have to worry about knowing who is working or when and where they will be.

Weidner noted, “We’re seeing more of project ownership. We do a lot with self-performance, which is driven by our project foremen. Knowing their teams helps them to own the project more. They’re more in touch with making sure they’re not adding additional resources and keeping the right people on certain jobs, which results in an increase in productivity for us.”

For more information, visit www.procore.com.

Egan Employs MSUITE to Meet Critical Needs in the Energy Industry

Michigan-based Andy J. Egan Co., Inc., relies on MSUITE software to improve their fabrication operations, which has enabled the company to grow exponentially as it carves out a niche in the energy industry. For example, Egan credits MSUITE with helping them shave three weeks off a major power utility upgrade project.

Energy Industry Insiders

In the Midwest, and specifically in Michigan, a few main utility contractors have aggressive commitments to going coal-free by 2025. Egan performs a lot of work for various clients, including small municipalities and towns, seeking to make the transition to alternative energy sources. Pat Heffron, Egan’s director of fabrication, explained, “They’re shutting off their coal burners and moving over to the combined cycle or a Phase Out Peaker project.” (Phase Out Peakers is a move to replace peaker power plants with clean energy alternatives.) Egan has worked with clients to fabricate and install new piping and equipment.

Industrial fabrication involves very high quality and technical standards, so there is a smaller labor force and fewer companies that can handle the technical requirements. For contractors like Egan, these projects pose a high risk but can also bring high reward if the project goes well.

“Documentation, quality control, and certifications of the welders are critical,” said Heffron. “The difference is in material and metals, such as chrome, and working on projects like pressure vessels. Egan is an ASME code shop, so they build a fair amount of pressure vessels and stamp them for both internal and external projects within the industrial sector.”

Substantial Time Savings

For a major utility company project, Egan replaced significant equipment and associated piping at a compressor station. The $8.2 million project required installation of 6,200 linear feet of piping along routes with 14 different tie-in points.

Without a detailed 3D model, prefabrication would have been impossible, and the crew would have constructed everything in the field. Egan gathered data using laser scanning and converted it into a precise 3D model using MSUITE tools. As result, Egan was able to install 80-foot towers without any connected piping, saving three weeks on the compressed project schedule. Field welds were kept to a minimum, and because so much of the documentation took place in the fabrication shop, paperwork required for quality control was also minimized for the field crew.

Read more about Egan’s utility company project here.

Improving Efficiency

Heffron’s team at Egan used to spend countless hours doing manual inventory to get status updates. They could easily keep track of what had not started production and what was complete, but they had trouble keeping on top of which products were in which stage of production. As a result, consistent and accurate production updates were almost impossible, making forecasting and scheduling extremely difficult. “MSUITE FAB has solved this one for us,” said Heffron. “Knowing where a specific spool or workpiece was physically in the process at any given time” has been a significant factor in Egan’s success.

MSUITE helped Egan standardize workflows to improve throughput, efficiency, and productivity and achieve consistency in fabrication processes. Egan eliminated the master production spreadsheet that required hours of daily updates. They also got rid of paper and manual activity tracking. With MSUITE, Egan also improved quality control and tracking for large industrial clients.

When Egan first encountered MSUITE, said Heffron, “We were impressed by MSUITE being 100-percent dedicated to mechanical contractors, and that was a key decision factor in moving forward.” With MSUITE BIM, Egan is taking advantage of the MSUITE platform to make the transition from CAD MEP to Revit.

Watch how Egan’s teams collaborate to help construct a 250-megawatt combined cycle power plant in Lansing, MI.

Overcoming Apprehension

Once Egan decided to implement MSUITE, leadership had some apprehension about using it throughout the fabrication facility. “We had to be cautious, because we had glaring needs for improvement and employees that were averse to using technology in the fabrication shop,” said Heffron. “Our guys got into the trades because they like building stuff, not using software, but MSUITE’s focus on the mechanical trade and being onsite for training is a big reason for overcoming this culture shock.”

The MSUITE team configured the system correctly to Egan’s exact specifications and mirrored Egan’s process requirements. Holding the team of 30 to 50 employees to that process removed the risk that they might take shortcuts, which could create larger issues.

MSUITE helped Egan fabricate more than 2,500 carbon steel, coated spools for a dry ash system at the largest coal-fired plant in the western hemisphere. The spools were shipped to the project jobsite and installed with a 99.4-percent accuracy rate.

See photos from the coal plant project.

For more information, visit www.Msuite.com.

Althoff Industries’ Revenue Surges With ServiceTitan for Customer Service

Althoff Industries credits their switch to ServiceTitan software with an improvement in customer service that contributed to an increase from $8.5 million in revenue in 2021 to $11.4 million in 2022. Althoff went live with the software in July 2021 after spending decades on a server-based customer relationship management system. It was such a momentous occasion for Blake Wiltshire, director of residential services at Althoff, that an empty bottle of champagne sits on his shelf to commemorate the moment.

Exceptional Customer Service

Exceptional service starts with the first phone call, and Wiltshire loves that he and his customer service representatives (CSRs) can play the role of psychic the second a customer calls in. “Their information pops up, and it’s easy for our CSRs to quickly identify who they’re talking to, what plan they have, and look at open invoices,” Wiltshire said.

He also has heard many compliments about the customer experience component of ServiceTitan. Customers appreciate things like text messages that include appointment reminders and technician bios, as well as tech-tracking features similar to that of Uber rideshare service.

“When we dispatch, it sends the profile of the guy, but also the little button where (customers) can track and see where (our tech) is coming from,” Wiltshire said. “These are just things that you expect today.”

When Wiltshire first pitched ServiceTitan to Althoff’s owners, he emphasized customer expectations around service. He told leadership, “We’re a premium brand in our market, we present ourselves that way. Our processes and our software and the things that we’re doing need to be a premium brand, too.”

Staying Competitive

Althoff recognizes that even premium brands need to offer competitive prices. As a union shop, Althoff has to compete with prices from nonunion shops, which was a challenge until the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago (MCA) stepped in and created a solution.

“The best thing that the union and the MCA have worked together on has been the residential and light commercial, or ‘R card,’ agreement,” Wiltshire said. “They recognized that the union contractors were starting to lose a lot of residential business.”

The R card has given Althoff the ability to be more competitive against the low-cost, nonunion contractors it competes with in the Chicagoland area.

“This has been a game changer for me and my company, and we were early adopters,” Wiltshire said. “We heavily utilize the program, and the majority of my field technicians are R cards.”

Wiltshire added, “The MCA (Chicago) also promotes its contractors to potential customers. This helps provide legitimacy to our claims as the best around.”

Adding to that legitimacy is the newest feature Althoff recently rolled out: rewards points. It’s just one more way that Wiltshire is making good on the promise of being a premium brand.

Althoff aims to reach $14.6 million in revenue in 2023, and ServiceTitan and the support of the MCA will make a huge difference in hitting that number.

For more information, visit www.servicetitan.com.

Therma Bridges Creativity and Collaboration with Procore’s Construction Management Platform

Therma’s steady growth and sterling reputation over the decades has been driven in part by its highly motivated and skilled innovators, each with their own approach to process—which also resulted in a disjointed recordkeeping system. They chose Procore’s scalable construction management platform to standardize their project processes and centralize their document management, creating seamless collaboration, complete flexibility across project types, and a single source of truth and project data accessible to all. Now, workers collaborate through a common platform with deep visibility into all the information they need, all available on mobile devices.

Silicon Valley’s Mechanical Contractor

Founded in 1967 in the area that would come to be known as Silicon Valley, by 1970, Therma’s clients included semiconductor companies before anyone knew what a semiconductor was. Therma made it a practice to put only the best and brightest self-starters in the field, the better to stay atop Silicon Valley’s continually cresting wave. They became known as the go-to specialty contractor for biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies, data centers, and other technologically complex builds.

Compared with other platforms, “Procore is more automated, it’s more collaborative, and it’s a better tool for bridging the office and the field.”

—Greg Conn, Director of Operations, Therma

Greg Conn, director of operations at Therma, explained, “The company grew organically, and its success came from the motivated people who worked here. As the company grew, there were a lot of individual worker methodologies with little standardization. A project’s actual documentation could live on someone’s personal computer or somewhere else. Locating project files and records proved challenging if you were not the author. There were a lot of people doing it their own way.”

Sandra Sherry, Therma’s virtual design and construction (VDC) software manager, concurred. “There was no single standard. Many people used spreadsheets and a variety of different apps that they might personally download to help with documentation. There was no unifying tool or process,” said Sherry.

One Platform, One Standard

For 50 years, Therma’s success has been fueled by their unique ability to do it all—from a one-day fabrication to a $30-million data center job. Therma chose Procore’s construction management platform because it flexes to accommodate Therma’s diversity of projects in a collaborative, transparent ecosystem. Procore automatically standardizes project workflows, streamlines cross-project coordination and communication, and seamlessly connects field and office teams.

Sherry described one example of how Therma leveraged Procore to increase transparency. “I was hearing that the field wanted the ability to view the models on their mobile devices,” Sherry said. “We utilized Procore’s Models tool to train all detailers on how to publish a model, and within an hour of publishing, the field could see the model and walk through it. The feedback was amazing.”

Therma evaluated several other construction-focused software, said Conn. Before they committed to another platform, though, Therma’s CEO, Jeff Sprau, wanted another look at Procore, which seemed more aligned with Therma’s needs and plans for growth. After a thorough leveling process, Procore beat the competition by including the most value in one platform—as well as the best price. “Looking back, we have not second-guessed our decision,” said Conn. “Procore is more automated, it’s more collaborative, and it’s a better tool for bridging the office and the field.”

Download Procore’s Construction Activity Index, which aggregates jobsite activity from Procore as well as publicly available information to measure construction activity across the country: https://www.procore.com/ebooks/construction-activity-index

For more information, visit www.procore.com.

Raken Outlines Five Ways to Manage Generational Gaps on the Jobsite

From apprentices to expert craftsmen, the construction industry employs a workforce that spans multiple generations. While an age-diverse workforce brings well-rounded skills and experiences to the table, it is not always easy to manage efficiently. Employee expectations and preferred communication styles vary greatly from generation to generation. With today’s labor shortages and low employee retention rates, if mechanical contractors want to attract and keep top talent, they need to explore strategies to help their age-diverse crews work together effectively.

  1. Automate Communications

Clear, consistent communication is vital on a construction project but is one of the most difficult challenges of managing a multigenerational workforce. Each age group is accustomed to sharing and consuming information differently and has unique preferences regarding channels, content, and frequency.

The best way to accommodate a variety of preferences is to use technology to automate communications. For example, daily reporting software that provides report templates, checklists, photo capabilities, automatic notifications—and other features that simplify the way data are collected and shared—helps mechanical contractors reduce errors and misunderstandings.

Traditional methods of communicating in the field, such as handwritten reports or Excel spreadsheets, are time-consuming and leave plenty of room for error. Standardized digital reports remove doubt and help employees of all ages share information in a consistent manner. Field contractors can use templates to capture the right data without guesswork, attaching photos and videos for added clarity. They can also share standardized digital reports instantly, so there is no need to scan documents or compose separate emails, and reports can be collected and combined for managers automatically.

  1. Use the Right Technology

Not all technology is created equal. And, just as they have unique communication preferences, older and younger generations prefer to use technology in different ways. When looking for software to improve communications and daily reporting, prioritize ease-of-use to appeal to varying experience and comfort levels. Focusing on solutions that offer intuitive interfaces and simple, easy-to-understand workflows encourages high adoption rates.

Complex software that requires significant training to use may overcomplicate communications instead of streamlining them. Conduct thorough research before investing, and make sure to choose a solution that accomplishes your goals without convoluting simple processes with unnecessary features.

  1. Create a Formal Mentorship Program

Younger and older employees will naturally exchange tips and techniques while working together. Creating a formal mentorship program encourages this behavior and gives employees the opportunity to learn on the job, something that is valued by workers of all ages.

Establish official guidelines for mentorship that include approved schedules and subjects to cover. Determine criteria for both program eligibility and completion, and, if possible, provide incentives for both mentors and mentees to participate.

Your program does not need to stick to the traditional structure of older, more experienced workers taking on the mentor role. Young employees may have skills they can share with older workers. Having a formal program promotes employee retention by demonstrating the company’s commitment to its workers’ professional growth.

  1. Schedule Diversity Training

Providing diversity training helps employees better relate to and communicate with workers from other generations. It promotes empathy and understanding. Many diversity education programs are available in person and online. Some programs focus specifically on age diversity. You may even be able to devote several toolbox talks to this topic.

Training can also teach interpersonal skills that workers can use to identify and resolve conflicts related to age differences. These soft skills help current managers mitigate age gaps in the workforce and help younger employees grow into management positions.

  1. Seek Feedback

Don’t overlook one of the simplest ways to better manage age-diverse employee groups: ask your employees for feedback. While different generations tend to share preferences among themselves, not every member of a given age group feels exactly the same. You may be surprised by some of your employees’ preferences and pain points.

Choose a method—or methods—for gathering employee feedback and invite employees to provide honest opinions about the company’s processes and procedures. Review the information you receive to identify areas for improvement. Address common concerns, and if concerns cannot be resolved, explain why. Employees of all ages appreciate being heard and feeling recognized by their employer.

Read Raken’s blog post for more insights on how communication improves productivity in construction. https://www.rakenapp.com/blog/how-communication-improves-productivity-in-construction

To learn more about field-first reporting that is easy for all generations to use, visit www.rakenapp.com.