- [Man] I've been talking about going digital,
getting rid of the paper drawings.
And then after we make that switch to digital drawings,
how do with we then use those digital drawings
to improve our overall construction management processes?
Now as you start considering your move to digital drawings
and digital construction management processes,
there're probably some things
that you should carefully consider as you decide how
you're going to progress, what software you're going to use,
and what hardware you're going to use,
both in the office and out there on the job site.
Now of course there's going to be costs involved in this,
and that's always going to impact your choices.
Yes, I don't think that it will take that long
to realize a net gain after you spend this money,
but then your people start to save time and money
and start to see improvements in productivity.
And I really do believe that if this is done correctly,
your productivity will improve.
But that still doesn't help you when you're trying
to come up with the cash today to fund this change, I know.
So when you're look at what this is going to cost,
I would really encourage you to consider three items.
Number one, of course the cost of the software.
And this might be a monthly cost
or it might be a lump sum upfront purchase.
Number two, the cost of the hardware,
if you've got to purchase new hardware
that's probably going to be an upfront cost.
Number three, don't forget about the training
and the time and the costs
that will be involved with training people
on this new system.
And you better believe
that there will be some training needed here.
Especially when these changes start
to impact some individuals
that might not be very experienced with technology,
and the technology and systems
that are going to be involved
with making this switch to digital.
And you really do need
to think about this from that approach
and think about it from a very realistic view.
Give an example, a while back I started
to do some training on the Bluebeam software
for a client of mine that is a general contractor.
They're a great general contractor
and they needed to adopt Bluebeam
because one of their big repeat clients was mandating
that software's use on all of its future projects.
And like I said, this is a really good company
but their staff as it turned out
was just not very tech savvy.
The Bluebeam training
that I was trying to do really lagged behind
and it took much longer than any
of us anticipated because what I found out was really
what some of the staff needed first
was actually some basic computer training
and basic training on the Windows platform
so that we could even get to the point where
we were talking about this new, digital drawing system.
So really think about the complexity
of the systems that you're considering,
think about who needs access
and what level of training each
of these individuals might require.
Now one approach here I think is if you have access
to other companies, contacts in the industry,
talk to them, talk to companies
that have adopted the system or one of the systems
that you're considering.
Ask them how complicated it was to get up and running
and what resources were involved,
and what was available.
When you consider training and start
to investigate that level of complexity,
I would next consider the hardware.
Since many of the solutions out there are cloud based
and they do have apps for many different platforms,
that can make things easier.
Think about it, personally I have an Android phone
and that's what I've always had
and that what I use every day.
I know how it works so I can load a new app on it
and my learning curve is not going
to be as steep as it would be if you told me
that I had to switch to an iPhone
because that's the only platform your solution works with.
In that case, I'd have to learn how to use the iPhone first.
I'd have to set up an iTunes account,
bring my other apps over to the new platform.
Now even though I'm pretty tech savvy
and I probably wouldn't need any in person training
to figure that out, it's still going to take me time.
Now back to my example with Bluebeam.
The first step in training was the office
but then the field came into play.
To use Bluebeam in the field you either have
to use a full Windows tablet or an iPad.
Both require training for many
of the field people who weren't experienced on either one.
So you really do have to consider what type
of people do you have in the company,
what is their level of technology knowledge and experience.
This is just something that you've got to evaluate
for your particular situation.
Of course if we're talking about using these things
in a field environment you also need
to consider durability as well.
Are they rugged devices?
Do you have to buy a case for them too?
I will say that that's one reason I like the apps
that are available for your smartphone.
I see quite a few people out there
already carrying around smartphones
and taking pictures or notes with them on the job site.
If they're in rugged environments, dirty environments,
they've already purchased cases
for those phones to protect them.
Anytime you can use a device
that someone already carries with them at all times,
you might be better off.
Finally on the hardware,
you're going to get questions regarding the screen size,
you just will, yes.
It's hard to go from full size paper drawings down
to looking at a drawing on a five inch screen,
I know it is and that why you might have
to consider those larger tablets for better viewing.
But I would encourage you not
to discount the ability
to view those drawings on your phone before
you actually try it.
The resolution on today's phones does make it a lot easier
to view drawings today than it was a few years ago.
Now on this same topic you are also likely
to get complaints about not being able
to just spread out the big set of drawings on a table
and have a group of people gather around to collaborate.
Look, change is hard,
and this is a huge change for people like me
that have been in the industry for a while
and are used to doing it that way.
But you know what, sometimes we just have to evolve.
Don't give into that temptation to go digital
and keep paper drawings.
That makes it worse,
you end up managing drawings in two formats
and doing more work, not less.
There are large format solutions,
you can project the drawings with an LCD projector
from your laptop onto the wall.
You can use a large screen monitor on the wall,
or even a touchscreen monitor,
something like the Microsoft Surface
that actually lays down flat.
And it'll simulate that look of spreading the drawing sheet
out on a table.
Just make sure to consider cost versus benefit.
And then of course there's the cost
of the system itself, and this varies widely.
And before you look at costs of software,
take a realistic look of how many users
you're going to need to have.
Now on one hand if you're a five person trade contractor,
the monthly per user fee might not make
that much of a difference to you,
except for the fact
that this probably leaves something like Procore out
of the picture since its lump sum subscriptions fees
are not really structured for a company of that size.
On the other hand, if you're a general contractor
and your intent is to go all-in on digital drawings
and processes, and you want your subcontractors
on the system with you, then something like Procore might
be the better options since once you're all set up
and your subscription rate is established,
you can add as many users as you want
and add and delete them throughout the life cycles
of your project without worrying
about additional monthly fees.
So I think those trade contractors,
those of you that are trade contractors,
sized with like 50 crews, you really have
to evaluate costs and look at all the factors.
Especially when you're looking at a lot
of these systems that do have per user monthly fees.
Does 50 crews mean 50 users?
Or do you actually need everyone on the crew
to have access to this system.
These are the things that you need
to chart out and start considering as
you're looking at making this move.
Now of course I would also say please
don't let it come down to the monthly fees
or the cost of purchasing the hardware and software
because you will become more productive if
you pick the system that's really right
for your situation.
Another thing to consider,
if you have have the need to integrate
with other technology, you need to think about that as well.
Maybe it's important for you
to have your digital files live in your Dropbox account
for example, that would be a consideration for you.
Maybe you want to pull scheduling in as an integration,
that capability exists on some and not on others,
so that would be a consideration.
When you're considering all these things,
the hardware, the software, the training, the costs,
make sure to really look at things like what
you expect to get out of your new digital management system,
and what capabilities would have the most positive impact
on your company and your processes.