Improving Productivity: how we use BuilderTrend to improve our workflow
During a custom home building project, there are numerous ongoing project components, and it’s vital that each part of the schedule runs as close to on-time as possible to avoid incurring additional expense. The homeowners should be kept informed and involved in as many stages of the homebuilding process as feasible. This isn't just essential for maintaining project transparency but also because constructing a home is likely to represent the most significant financial—and potentially emotional—investment of their lifetime. Therefore, active, engaged participation during the journey helps prevent any unexpected surprises from their project manager.
At Lincoln Construction, we value communication and transparency, so when we come across a tool that facilitates this, we jump at the opportunity to give it a try. For the past four years, we have been using a project management software called BuilderTrend (BT). BT is a fully integrated software, and a system we use across the board. Not only are all our Project Managers well-versed in BT, but every member of the Lincoln Construction team uses BT. Crew members and office staff use it to track their time, our accounts team uses it to build financial reports and create invoices, and of course we set up our clients on the platform so they have access to instant updates on the status of their projects.
BuilderTrend provides a strong level of accountability for both parties. You can track the progress of your build with the schedule (which is subject to change throughout depending on the availability of of subs and trades at certain time)
BuilderTrend offers a comprehensive platform that streamlines various aspects of our construction projects. The platform enhances communication, organization, and efficiency throughout the construction process. Key features include:
Daily Logs: Our site supers capture daily progress highlighting completed tasks, sharing photos, and noting the subs and trades that are on site for the day. This information is easily accessible by clients and the wider team at Lincoln Construction.
Caption: A recent daily log from one of our current projects: The Treehouse
Estimation: BT facilitates the creation of detailed estimates, allowing us to build accurate and transparent cost projections directly within the platform and share these at the start of the project.
Scheduling: The platform provides regular updates on project schedules, granting instant access to the planning of each build. This feature ensures that all stakeholders are well-informed and can anticipate project milestones.
Documents & Files Folder: BT acts as a centralized hub for project documents, such as quotes, bills, invoices, and financial reports. This includes valuable estimates vs. actual reports, allowing for easy tracking and analysis.
Change Order Requests and Approvals: The platform simplifies the process of handling change orders, facilitating requests and approvals in a transparent and efficient manner.
Messaging & Commenting: BT serves as a communication hub, allowing clients to reach out with questions or concerns about specific phases of the build. This direct communication channel ensures quick problem resolution and easy collaboration which is vital when building a custom home.
As a cloud-based platform, BT is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. There is also an app which means checking in on the status of your project while on the go is easily doable.
Since adopting BT, we have found that the vast majority of our clients with completed projects have found BuilderTrend very user-friendly with the remainder finding it user-friendly. 66.7% of our clients favourite feature of BuilderTrend is the daily logs - and this is particularly common with our clients who don’t live on the Sunshine Coast.
We believe that the process of building a home for our clients is truly a collaborative effort, and generally we find that our clients who are more engaged in checking the daily logs, reading the financial reports, and familiarizing themselves with the schedule, have a much better experience when it comes to the homebuilding journey. We understand that building a home in a part of the world that you’re not based in has its challenges, but we have the tools in place to streamline the process.
Building a home on the Sunshine Coast? Looking for a custom home builder?
If you’ve got a complex renovation or custom home build project you’re looking to get started with this year Contact us.