In the multifaceted world of custom homebuilding and remodeling, the efficient flow of accurate information is key to any successful project, big or small. Less than a generation ago, the daily paperwork involved in tracking, sorting, distributing, and revising inherently complicated projects often bogged down creative workflow and problem-solving. But with leaps-and-bounds advancements in technology — including the ones listed here — all that is changing.
“Information is everything,” says homebuilder Eric Carlstedt, a principal and partner at Giffin & Crane General Contractors LLC. “By using these technologies, we’re able to gather, save, and share a massive amount of useful information in a short amount of time. I think technology is at its best when it both improves your final product while also increasing efficiency and ease of process.”
PROCORE: Headquartered in Carpinteria, this construction management software provides “a centralized database of all the information about a project,” Carlstedt says. “It saves us time in uploading and accessing details about a project and getting the most up-to-date design information to our subs as quickly as possible. It also tracks payroll and site visits, and all the principals get end-of-day project reports for review. Overall, it really raises the level of accountability and makes us all more efficient.” Procore also helps homeowners stay very much in the loop, with notifications about weekly meeting agendas and follow-up summaries — plus photo updates, notes, logs, reports, drawings, and documents — all of it keyword searchable and accessible via smartphone, tablet, and desktop, adds Carlstedt. “That involvement really brings peace of mind to our clients, especially those who are physically not in town for days or weeks at a time.”
