A Changing Industry
October 13, 2009
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. While the past year has presented difficult conditions for many companies, it has also brought about the need for a new sense of efficiency—which for some means increased use of construction technology.
Yehudi 'Gaf' Gaffen, CEO, Gafcon, www.gafcon.com, San Diego, Calif., says people have been trying to figure out how to make construction more efficient for decades. But in just the past year the industry is beginning to see progress, employing the use of construction software in many different areas.
"I really feel that in the past year we have started to see (construction become more efficient) and it is really being done through technology--through things like SharePoint and BIM (building information modeling) and other technologies that are out there," says Gaffen. "I truly believe that we are going to see huge advancements in the efficiencies in our industry."
Gafcon--a construction management company with a wide portfolio of projects including educational, residential, government, public works, and private--was founded in 1987 and has always had a focus on technology.
"During the early stages of software development--whether it was the very early programs, entering submittals and RFIs (requests for information) and change orders--we have always had a technology focus."
When Microsoft SharePoint became available, Gafcon saw huge benefits with the technology—namely integration capabilities and document control.
The company began using SharePoint to manage projects. About two and a half years ago, Gafcon developed a separate consulting firm--SharePoint360.
"What we have found--especially competing for other work--the administrative savings on projects that use SharePoint is fairly large," says Gaffen. Now the construction company is paperless and is running $1-billion projects on the Microsoft SharePoint platform, while integrating it with other software.
These days, eliminating as much paper as possible seems to be a goal for many construction companies, as it helps reduce the carbon footprint, save significant amounts of money, and improve efficiency.
For J.M. Coull Inc., www.jmcoull.com, Maynard, Mass., paper was floating around between its home offices and subcontractors during the bid stage. The process of printing and mailing paper plans was costly since each project might require hundreds of drawings, all going to hundreds of subcontractors.
The time it took to send one project out for bid was costing time and money, and if an addendum was released, the process would have to start over again. The solution J.M. Coull found is a Web-based program where users can download project documents and information. But this solution is more than just an online "plan room." The program offered J.M. Coull a customizable, Internet-based solution to manage document flow throughout the bidding process.
Costs have been reduced. In 2007, J.M. Coull spent $12,000 to get bid information out, but in 2008, with the system in place, the company spent just $850 for the same capability.
In addition to saving money, the construction company has found the technology provides new efficiencies. The company can search through all vendors and subcontractors with significant detail to find local, qualified partners for each project.
While the down economy has posed challenges for some companies, many are finding technology can be the solution that helps the industry move toward increased efficiency.