For most of us, technology makes life simpler and more social, as well as keeps us in the know with current news. At KWA, we recognize that this digitally-connected way of life can – and should – also be true for the building industry. To test this theory, KWA has accepted the challenge to implement a digital job site environment and is finding that incorporating these tools are allowing them to work more cohesively, efficiently and increase the quality of work.

To create our digital job site, we have blended a variety of technology solutions including Procore, the cloud-based project management solution, 60” touch-screen smart monitors, as well as personal tablets and computers. The addition of these tools enable our team to work more collaboratively and instantly share documents and updates among team members, managers and owners. Additionally, the digital plan table allows us to video conference and conduct live meetings with KWA headquarters, developers and other field offices. These tools are proving to be extremely beneficial to our clients. Below we have highlighted a few examples of how implementing a digital job site has benefited our company and clients.  

Instantly Up-to-Date

Construction projects inherently consist of numerous stakeholders. To be able to provide an environment in which we are simply better connected with team members is invaluable. The incorporation of digital plan tables, tablets for each of our employees and Procore has allowed our teams to complete projects more efficiently and with increased quality, despite the surrounding fast-paced and challenging environment.

For example, field operations staff no longer need to check in with the office to determine the status of a critical RFI or a pending submittal. With just a few clicks they have instant updates on all construction documents, regardless of where they are on the jobsite. This has cut down time required for project team members to receive updates, as well as increased our ability to devote our time where it matters most – walking the jobsite.

Additionally, having the digital plan tables onsite has increased efficiency in subcontractor communications. Meeting minutes, plans and specs are all able to be accessed instantly, and the large screen allows for easy collaboration. The online-based translation tool even helps our non-Spanish speaking employees communicate with tradesmen more easily.

Paperless Project

Perhaps one of the most bothersome aspects of a general contractor’s job is having to use and store numerous large printed documents in the field. By managing construction documents electronically, we have been able to drastically reduce the number of printed plans and documents needed on site. As a result, our projects have experienced the benefits of maintaining changes more efficiently, improving the flexibility and organization of work spaces, the ability to move freely from point A to B without huge amounts of paper in tow and ultimately saving money on something that could not be incorporated into our client’s product.

Digital- The New Way of Life

With consistent developments occurring on construction sites, it is imperative for team members to be able to provide each other with updated information in a timely, convenient manner. The implementation of the digital job site has vastly increased our team’s effectiveness and streamlined our communication processes. Overall, the digital job site has proven to be an extremely helpful infrastructure, and in turn, the new way of life for both our project teams and satisfied clients.