Real-World Examples of the Power of Real-Time, Integrated Construction Data

Why Viewpoint clients Precision Concrete Construction and Satterfield & Pontikes Construction both chose to move to an integrated cloud construction solution.

Most contractors by this point are familiar with how modern technologies are helping redefine construction work and transform operations. Many already have — or are well on their way to — moving at least some portion of their operations to the cloud to take advantage of immediate access to real-time data and automated workflows.

However, still too many contractors are burdened by a reliance on multiple, disconnected software systems to handle different construction needs like accounting, project management or field management. Often these systems do not play well with others, or rely on shaky API connectors between to attempt to share or convert data. That means that oftentimes construction teams in both the back office and the field are spending countless hours re-entering data between systems, chasing down paper forms or trying to make sense of different data segments. In addition to the loss of productivity this creates, having to manually facilitate data between systems also increases the risk of errors, can cause costly project delays and makes it hard for key decision makers and stakeholders to gain a clear picture of exactly how well or poorly their jobs are progressing.

Here are two real-world examples of contractors that decided these hassles were proving too costly to their business, opting for a cloud-based, integrated construction solution instead:

Georgia-based Precision Concrete Construction is a full-service concrete contractor for industrial and manufacturing, as well as multi-family residential, sports, commercial and institutions.

Precision, a long-time Viewpoint Vista™ client, had all of its data and workflows stored on company-owned servers. At jobsites, that data was accessed from the trailer via a VPN. Often the first contractor on site, VPN connectivity issues were common due to limited internet and cell service. A combination of email-centric communication, spreadsheets, double handling of data and manual processes were being used to bridge the gap between apps that weren’t natively integrated with Vista. The use of a Procore® developed Vista connector for job financials, for instance, which was not comprehensively and bi-directionally integrated, resulted in a disconnect between accounting and operations. Needless to say, these processes consumed the back office and field’s time and efficiency.

Precision chose to implement the ViewpointOne™ suite of cloud-based solutions to replace manual processes and software disconnected from Vista. The company transformed its business by hosting data in the cloud. In place of disconnected apps and spreadsheets, data now flows through a single integrated platform, which gives the company unified data and speeds up processes and improves efficiency. “We were drawn to a single source of truth for all data and information, no APIs, connectors or imports, as well as quite a bit of cost savings too,” said accounting specialist, Juliana Ferrara.

Read the full Precision Concrete case study.

Satterfield & Pontikes Construction (S&P) is a Texas based general contractor that provides a range of preconstruction, construction and consulting services to public and private clients. Jobsite safety is core to S&P culture. A dedicated team of highly trained safety professionals leads S&P’s safety program by establishing best practices and constantly reinforcing safe practice and a safety culture. This team regularly visits jobsites to audit practices, preempt hazards and ensure regulatory compliance. The team is augmented by the onsite project team who document safety observations in real-time.

Another long-time Viewpoint Vista client (and also using Procore), S&P was finding that paper-based forms for both safety audits and safety observations created tremendous redundancy by requiring write-ups in the field, manually keyed-in documentation into the ERP, and in the case of safety observations, manually entering data again into Procore®. In this process, forms were compiled and manually entered in batches at week’s end.

S&P decided to try an integration between Viewpoint Field View’s browser, an offline capable iOS and

Android mobile solution. Using Vista’s user data, which enables custom database table creation, the solution was selected to eliminate paper, data silos and the double work that was required to manually enter paper form data into both Vista and Procore.

“Integration reduced the number of applications in use and resulted in efficiency improvements by eliminating double work and manual entry,” said Kym Livingston, corporate trainer for S&P.

And, excuses for not submitting forms were virtually eliminated, as nearly every person on site has a tablet or phone in their pocket. Near real-time data allows safety and project management leaders like S&P’s safety director to quickly identify and address issues such as unsafe work practices by a subcontractor.

Read the full S&P case study.

By moving to cloud-based solutions, both Precision and S&P are building the foundation for future technology advancements that will help them continue to scale operations, realize greater efficiencies and unlock previously untapped potential

After undergoing its digital transformation, Precision is also looking to a data transformation in order to realize further gains in profitability and efficiency. Viewpoint Analytics™ for example, part of the ViewpointOne suite, provides powerful self-service reporting and analytics capabilities. Today, Precision’s SQL reporting skills are concentrated in a few key employees, but the company is excited about what it could do with Viewpoint Analytics.

“Self-serve job financials reporting will give project managers the power to better analyze their data for greater project success,” Jayne said.

Meanwhile, after seeing immediate benefits from digitizing paper forms and integrating mobile devices with the back office, S&P is looking to expand its use of Field View across other areas of the business. The company has begun using Field View for meetings, quality control and project progress photos.

Read more about how the integrated ViewpointOne suite helps each different construction persona work smarter. Or, connect with Viewpoint today to see first-hand how we could help your organization scale for today, tomorrow and beyond.