HOW THE TRIMBLE X7 BRIDGED THE GAP FOR ARCHITECTURE FIRM, DESIGN DEVELOP

The Bridge Between Uber Practical and Technical

Bob Pineo started his career – and his appreciation for valuable data in the practical world of construction – straight out of high school where Bob and his brother started a construction company. Now a successful Architect/Owner of Design Develop Architect, Bob Pineo strives for precision, efficiency and bringing his client’s visions to life using 3D visuals, virtual reality and photorealistic renderings. With locations in Charlottesville, VA and Baltimore, MD the Design Develop team’s goal is to produce beautiful, logical and buildable designs. In order to build these designs successfully, Bob believes high-level technology can provide exactness and eliminate possible human error. He explains, “My job as an architect and my passion for building things correctly is embedded in the idea of designing to physical constraints, so the more I know about what I’m designing to, the better.” This all led to why Bob gravitated towards the Trimble X7 3D Scanner.

Design Develop projects include commercial, residential, industrial, and developer work. However, his day-to-day work typically consists of heavy collaborative relationships with General Contractors. He believes that at times the role of the contractor and the architect have some gaps which can unfortunately lead to rework. The Trimble X7 is one of the tools they use daily to help bridge that gap.

If you look around us, technology is revolutionizing everything we do. From smart phones, drones, social media and beyond, the technological world has no plans of slowing down and that is no different for the construction industry. As an Architect, Bob knows having accuracy in your work is crucial and adds a ton of value to his clients.

He wasn’t interested in ballpark measurements; he was looking for exact. Lucky for him, the X7 Scanner gave him the precision he was looking for. Along with the Trimble X7, Bob & team use the plugin SketchUp as their modeling software to handle the millions of points they are collecting.

The future is real. It isn’t a magical pill that you take. You have to understand where you want to go for your workflow. If you’re excited about growing your business, growing out of traditional architecture service modes and want to be better, then the Trimble X7 ticked a lot of those requirements.

 Bob explained when he’d talk to others in the industry about the X7, he’d quickly get hungry eyes. With that said, we understand that technology of any sort comes with intrigue as well skepticism: “Is it too good to be true?” Bob believes that the Trimble X7 is an investment that pays for itself. He took the leap of faith, adapted quickly and is now reaping the reward.

However, his success with the scanner did not happen overnight. Bob had been on the hunt for technology that was going to give him results. Bob spent time becoming more familiar with Trimble technology, and he also took advantage of the assistance and knowledge of his BuildingPoint SouthEast rep, Jeff Soscia. Bob felt confident in the X7 being the solution that could take him to the next level. Bob shared his transition experience from traditional methods to technological. He explains, “When I purchased the X7, it was like I went from caveman to astrophysicist. I had no idea what I was doing at first, but if I had any issues, Jeff would help me out instantly.” BuildingPoint SouthEast believes that the relationship between the customer extends beyond the sale; we are with you every step of the way.

Want to learn more about Trimble Laser Scanning or other Field Layout Technology? Click here.

5 PROVEN WAYS TO INCREASE PROFITS WITH A PROPER COST MANAGEMENT PLAN

The world of business can get very tough when you’re low on profits and costs keep on increasing. That is why a proper construction costs management plan is essential for the long-term success of any business. A successful cost management plan incorporates technology and the best practices of any industry. See below for five ways to ensure your cost management plan is the most effective.

Access your Strategic Costs

You need to identify all the elements that bring in the most money and the ones that eat up most of it. Once you have a better understanding of your businesses’ expenses, you’ll be in a better position to cut off overhead costs. This will give you the opportunity to use that saved money for your strategic expenses such as product quality, new sales, and customer service.

Create a budget and stick to it

Having a monthly and yearly budget is imperative for a successful cost management strategy. But it doesn’t just end here. You can’t just create a budget and forget about it. You need to ensure that your business operates within that budget every single month. For that, you’ll have to monitor your project costs and cash flow closely to prevent overspending and reducing your project’s profitability.

Outsourcing

Another excellent way of reducing your construction project costs and increasing profits is to outcome some of the operational responsibilities. When you hire a third-party vendor to manage your training programs, employee salaries, benefits, and hiring process, you’ll be able to cut a lot of overhead costs. Moreover, outsourcing doesn’t only reduce your costs, but it also gives you time and space to focus your energies on improving your products or services and nourishing your skills and expertise.

Embracing new technology

If you want your business to be successful in today’s world, there’s no way around embracing technology. There are several online resources that can help you manage your costs. Some of them are even offered for free. These tools and technologies allow you to reduce your overhead costs significantly. For example, instead of investing thousands of dollars in traditional marketing, you can make use of social media marketing. You can also hire professional companies for designing custom budget management software for you.

Automation

You must focus on automating some of your operational and management activities. You can automate a lot of customer service procedures by using chatbot rooms on your website. This way, you’ll not have to keep hiring staff for managing your customer services.

Today, technology has made cost management a much simpler process. Customized construction budget management software can help you keep track of your expenses and capitalize on profits. Click here to learn how you can minimize costs and maximize profits. With over 25 years of successful project deliveries Trimble’s ProjectSight provides the forward looking project financial information you need to make better decisions on all your projects.

Want to read the rest of our December 2020 eNewsletter? Click here.