X

Stonescapes, a commercial concrete and paver contractor based in Las Vegas, Nevada, was grappling with the inefficiencies of their pen and paper processes. As the company grew, these processes became increasingly cumbersome and time-consuming. The payroll was managed through handwritten timesheets, which were not only difficult to track but also posed a scalability issue. The more jobs Stonescapes took on, the harder it became to collect and process these timecards. Additionally, the company was always a day behind in data analysis, making it difficult to manage budgets effectively. The scheduling system was also analog, with superintendents handwriting schedules and sharing them via group chats. This process lacked visibility and made forecasting a challenge.

Sydney Civil, a leader in civil construction with over 20 years of experience, was facing challenges in managing its operations efficiently. The company, which specializes in local government work and private sector projects, had to meet strict and specific requirements for its mostly government-funded projects. This involved managing a tight schedule, quality assurance, work health and safety, environmental concerns, and stakeholder expectations, all while ensuring customer satisfaction. The company was in constant search for systems that could support its growth and create operational efficiencies. Prior to using Assignar, Sydney Civil was using paper timesheets, word documents, and various spreadsheets to manage its workers. This led to a complex process of linking all these silos of data to create a holistic system, which ran the risk of losing these important processes with the employee who managed it.

The Barricade Company, a traffic control service provider in Las Vegas, Nevada, was facing challenges with its rapid year-over-year growth. The company's site jobs, which involve laying out and picking up equipment, were tracked using paper time cards. Each crew member could handle 15-20 jobs daily, each requiring its own time card entry. This paper-based system was becoming increasingly cumbersome with the company's growth, necessitating more administrators for data entry, a larger office, and significantly more time. Additionally, in a city known for its litigious nature, maintaining critical information on paper records was risky. The company had 40 employees and 20 subcontractors handling 90 to 100 traffic setups per day, and the paper-based system was proving inadequate for their high-volume needs.

Traffic Force, a leading traffic management provider in Western Australia, was facing challenges with their server-based system. The system was outdated and not evolving with the times, leading to a poor user experience and limited functionality for their traffic controllers, leading hands, and supervisors. The system only allowed for job allocation based on competency, with limited interaction for the staff. The process of notifying and confirming shifts was time-consuming, requiring individual calls to each traffic controller. Additionally, the company was struggling with paper-based timesheets, especially for crews working in remote areas. The process of collecting timesheets was cumbersome and often delayed due to lack of reception or the need for the crew to fax or scan the documents.

TZ Civil, a leader in the installation and repair of all types of electrical underground infrastructure, was facing significant operational challenges due to its reliance on paper forms. The company had to manually read through all forms, which was a time-consuming process. Moreover, the forms were linked to the assets, and operators always had to have them on hand. Whenever issues arose, the company had to notify the maintenance team to inspect the asset and fix it. Additionally, the company was using the 'Dial Before You Dig' national platform for underground utilities referral service in Australia. This required printing every PDF and taking it to the site, which was not only cumbersome but also inefficient. Furthermore, workers often had to return to the office to retrieve documents they had forgotten to bring to the site, causing significant downtime.

Vision Industrial Services, a Louisiana-based industrial welding contractor specializing in railroad construction and maintenance, was struggling with outdated, analog business processes. The company relied heavily on spreadsheets, emails, and physical calendars for communication, scheduling, and data management. This approach was not only slow and cumbersome but also prone to errors and data loss. As the company grew, these manual processes became increasingly challenging to manage. The General Manager, Melanie Smith, spent a significant amount of her time ensuring smooth communication and process execution. The lack of a digital solution led to endless email exchanges to relay information from customers to office staff and field workers, creating numerous opportunities for data to go missing.

Workzone Traffic Control, a South Australian traffic management solutions provider, was facing challenges as their business expanded. With over 100 workers and 36 vehicles, the company was struggling to manage their growing operations. Their existing systems, including an Outlook calendar, were pushed to their limits and could not support the increasing number of jobs. The company was also using outdated methods such as carbon copy paper pads and handwritten job dockets, leading to errors and inefficiencies. Transferring information from paper to online records was time-consuming and cumbersome. Furthermore, they had permanent setups in remote areas, which required fax machines for paperwork and quarterly postal submissions of physical copies, adding to the workload.

Construlife, a company specializing in wooden houses, was facing challenges in managing their projects efficiently. The company was using multiple software solutions for different tasks, leading to redundancy and potential errors. The lack of a unified platform made it difficult to track the progress of their projects, and to monitor deviations from the initial plan. This lack of visibility into the project's performance made it hard to determine whether a project was generating revenue and profits, and to take corrective action when necessary. Additionally, the company needed a solution that would allow them to access their client, supplier, and project information remotely.

Inelmec, an engineering corporation focused on the automation of industrial process control, was facing challenges in managing their projects effectively. The company was struggling with collaborative work, as they lacked a system that allowed multiple team members to work on a budget simultaneously while others handled planning. Additionally, they had difficulty generating custom reports due to the complexity of their existing software, which required specialized knowledge to operate. Furthermore, Inelmec lacked a comprehensive cost analysis tool, which made it difficult to monitor project progress and profitability in real-time. This meant that they were unable to identify and address issues promptly, and often did not know whether a project had generated revenue or profits until it was fully completed.

Cauldwell Wingate, a construction company with a century-long track record of innovation, was facing challenges in its collaborative efforts due to the use of disparate systems. The company's Vice President of People & Culture, Lisa Villasmil, with nearly a decade of experience in developing construction teams, was well aware of the difficulties of ensuring everyone had the right information. The back-and-forth communication to ensure this often stifled collaborative efforts and led to a perception of the People Operations department, also known as Human Resources, as more of a nuisance than an asset designed to support and build their team.

Fortune-Johnson, a premier contractor for building multi-family projects in Southeast U.S., was facing challenges in managing, recruiting, hiring, and staffing of projects. The company was using Microsoft Excel for workforce planning, but found it to be unappealing and labor-intensive. In an attempt to improve their process, they switched to Microsoft Visio, which proved useful in scheduling, resource planning, and determining hiring needs. However, the tool lacked smart features and required constant monitoring and checking. If something was missed, there were no warning flags, placing a significant burden on the Director of Employee Relations, Joe Jenkyn, to ensure nothing was overlooked.

Schimenti Construction Company, a rapidly growing construction firm with over 225 team members and offices in New York, California, and Connecticut, was facing challenges in managing its workforce across multiple locations. The company was using Microsoft Excel for workforce planning, which proved to be time-consuming and inefficient. The lack of a live document and the need for constant updates made it difficult to manage resources effectively, especially for remote workers. The company also struggled with sharing resources across offices, which required numerous phone calls and emails. Daniel Barry, the VP of Operations at Schimenti, highlighted the difficulty in forecasting workforce needs using Excel, which often resulted in double-booking or overworking of staff.

Sellen Construction, a leading builder in the Pacific Northwest, faced significant challenges in coordinating a large team across multiple projects at various stages of completion. Jamie Miller, Director of Engineering Development, was responsible for developing staff across these projects, including a team of 50 engineers looking to advance their careers with Sellen. The fast-paced world of commercial construction made timely decision-making a daunting task. The legacy data management software that Sellen was using did not provide adequate insight to make informed decisions. The lack of visibility into staffing changes throughout the construction office was a major hurdle in their workforce planning.

Spartan Contracting Co., a full-service general contractor based in Tampa, FL, was seeking ways to enhance its efficiency in planning and effectiveness in people management. The company wanted to better understand how project opportunities and bids would impact their team. The challenge was to integrate Bridgit Bench, a workforce management tool, with their CRM tool, Salesforce. The company was using Bridgit Bench to allocate their workforce and balance work across multiple offices. However, the information stored in Bridgit Bench and Salesforce was siloed, leading to double, triple, or even quadruple data input. The company had to build the job in Salesforce and then again in Bridgit Bench, which was a time-consuming and inefficient process.

Wohlsen Construction Company, a renowned construction firm with a history spanning over 130 years, was facing challenges in workforce planning. The Vice President of Innovation at Wohlsen, Ed McCauley, who has been overseeing the successful implementation of technology in the company for over a decade, was finding it difficult to create and implement an in-house solution for workforce planning. The existing tools, which included a homegrown solution and spreadsheets, were not user-friendly and resulted in unreliable data for the company's operational leaders. This was a significant issue as it hindered the company's ability to effectively utilize team members, forecast pipeline needs, and ensure profitable growth.

Cardinal Crest Homes, a young custom home building company based in Kansas City, Missouri, was grappling with the challenge of managing multiple aspects of their business. The co-founders, Joe Christensen and Adam Shaeffer, were juggling architectural and interior design, day-to-day scheduling, and project management tasks. They were in dire need of a comprehensive construction management platform that could streamline their operations from start to finish. The company was also looking for a tool that could enhance their client experience by providing a more interactive and transparent process.

Color Houses, a historic renovation company based in Houston, Texas, was facing significant challenges due to a lack of financial organization. The company, led by two passionate individuals, Eric Pierce and Zach Haines, had grown from handling a few small jobs to fully renovating about seven historic homes per year. However, the lack of organized processes and effective communication methods was causing the company to lose money. They had tried several non-construction-based tools, but these were not sufficient for their growing business. They needed a top-tier solution to streamline their operations and improve their financial management.

John Sharkey’s GreenHalo Builds, based in Stillwater, Minnesota, was facing a surge in demand for Net-Zero-ready homes. These homes are designed to minimize energy usage and generate their own power. However, the challenge was to make these eco-conscious custom homes affordable, bringing down the price point from $1 million to $600,000. This required offering custom home design elements but executing it with only healthy, energy-saving products. The company also needed to manage the construction process efficiently, keeping track of costs, bids, and daily logs, while ensuring transparency for clients. The challenge was compounded by the need to expand the GreenHalo product beyond the Stillwater footprint.

Hasler Homes, a top-tier construction company based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, was facing a significant challenge in managing multiple large-scale projects simultaneously. The company, which started in 2011, initially specialized in bathroom and kitchen remodels before expanding into larger projects. As the company grew and shifted its focus to high-performance custom homes and large-scale renovations, the manual processes that the founder, Greg Hasler, had been using became insufficient. Greg, whose background was not in project management, needed a solution that would help him organize jobs with processes that were easy to use and efficient.

Krueger Brothers Construction, a family-owned and operated general contracting business, was facing challenges in managing their expanding list of residential and commercial exterior construction projects. As they grew from a roofing company to a full-service exterior builder, they found themselves dealing with an increasing number of referrals and requests for additional services. This expansion led to a need for a better system to manage their broadening project list. They also faced challenges in job site communication and access to data. They wanted to ensure that every step in the client lifecycle was available and documented in one place. The company also needed a solution to streamline their financial processes and offer their clients more convenient payment options.

Renovations by Garman, a Pennsylvania-based remodeling and restoration company, was facing challenges in managing their growing business. Despite raking in over $10 million per year, the team was at risk of losing thousands due to minor project management missteps. They had been using the Buildertrend home remodeler software for seven years, but were only utilizing 35% of its capabilities. The company was struggling with manual and time-consuming processes, such as using yellow sheets and spreadsheets for project management. They were also using a separate system to manage their financials, which was not integrated with their project management system. This led to inefficiencies and a lack of streamlined workflows.

Tass Construction Group, a custom home builder based in Sydney, Australia, was facing challenges in managing multiple construction projects simultaneously. The company, which started with one to two projects at a time, had expanded to handle up to eight projects concurrently, with price points in the $800,000-plus range. The traditional method of tracking projects using Excel was proving to be inefficient and unmanageable as the company grew. The team was struggling with maintaining clear communication with clients, understanding their level of involvement, and catching change orders in a timely manner. The lack of a robust system for tracking information and keeping everyone on the same page was hindering the company's ability to run efficient job sites.

Vaughan + Co., a home remodeling and outdoor living company based in Powell, Ohio, was facing challenges in managing their construction files and financials. As the company expanded, the team found it increasingly difficult to keep track of their project expenses and margins using traditional spreadsheets. The lack of an organized, all-in-one solution was hindering their ability to make informed decisions and accurately track job expenses. Furthermore, the company was wasting valuable time searching for project files and making calls about design aspects. The need for a more efficient and effective system was evident.

MW Services Inc., a California-based engineering and construction business, was facing challenges due to its reliance on legacy systems and lack of integration. As the company grew, taking on more and larger contracts, the existing tools and processes were unable to keep up. The accounting system was outdated and there was no formal solution for project management, leading to disconnects, double data entry, and storage issues. The company needed a project management solution that could be interactive, multi-level, and include financial accounting for all its jobsites in multiple states. The transition to a new enterprise solution required careful planning due to the company's highly distributed business model. The company also faced challenges in getting buy-in from corporate and jobsite offices for the new system.

Architectural Craftsmen, a remodeling company based in Kansas City, Missouri, was facing operational inefficiencies due to the lack of integration in their business processes. The company, led by Joe and Mary Thompson, had been using Excel and Word for their proposals, which did not allow for a seamless flow of information. This disjointed approach was causing difficulties in tracking project progress, especially when dealing with change orders and client preferences. The company was also holding weekly team meetings, which were becoming redundant as they were merely used for progress updates. The Thompsons were looking for a solution that could streamline their operations and prepare the company for a future sale or handoff.

Beacon Homes, a custom home building company based in Alberta, Canada, was facing challenges with its change order process. The company, which builds five to seven custom homes a year and handles several renovation projects, was struggling with tracking and communicating decisions made on the jobsite. The owner, Courtenay Whitehouse, found that costs incurred during a build were not properly accounted for, leading to significant financial losses. Small charges that were not tracked would accumulate, resulting in a substantial impact on the project’s bottom line. Courtenay was seeking a solution that would allow him to capture costs in real-time and not have to rely on his memory for tracking expenses.

Brush Arbor, a custom home builder based in Northern Virginia, was tasked with the restoration of Frederick Douglass’s first home in Washington D.C. The company, known for its high-quality work and excellent customer service, faced a unique challenge in preserving the historical integrity of the property while bringing it up to modern standards. The property, which had changed ownership several times and expanded to include several nearby properties, needed to be restored to its former glory. The challenges included dealing with the physical and engineering properties of the old home, replicating the scrolling exterior embellishments on the third-floor windows, and dealing with the interior renovation as the historic property did not come with modern framing. The company also had to ensure that the building was brought up to code while maintaining its history.

Castile Kitchen & Bath, a remodeling firm based in Eugene, Oregon, was facing challenges with their contract processes. The company, which specializes in high-end kitchen and bathroom remodels, was using a manual system for their contracts that was prone to errors and inefficiencies. The process began with an Excel spreadsheet, dubbed the 'budget calculator', which contained three primary columns for materials, trade partners, and labor. This spreadsheet was used to calculate anticipated and actual costs for various line items. Once the calculations were complete, the information was manually transferred to a document, which included contract verbiage, project cost, pay schedule, and other attachments. This document, along with packets of pictures and drawings of the job, was then stapled together and initialed by the client. This manual process was not only time-consuming but also left room for errors, such as misplaced commas or copy and paste mistakes.

Crownover Company, a custom home building company in Arkansas, was facing a significant challenge in managing communication with its clients. The company, led by Lyle Crownover, was dealing with a growing number of jumbled client text threads, making it difficult to keep track of project details and updates. With 12 clients and over 100 text threads, the situation was becoming chaotic and even causing technical issues with Lyle's iPhone. The company was also dealing with the added complexity of building homes for out-of-state clients, who relied solely on Lyle for updates. This communication challenge was not only causing operational inefficiencies but also straining client relationships.

Terri Lasater, a serial entrepreneur, runs Domain Construction Services, a 15-year-old remodeling company based in Austin, Texas. The company, which completes 15-25 projects a year, ranging from bathrooms to full-gut remodels, is entirely powered by referrals. However, in March 2020, the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic forced several of Terri’s business ventures to slow down or temporarily close. With newfound free time, Terri focused on her remodeling business where she saw an opportunity for growth. However, she realized that she needed a software program that could grow with her business. She also realized that there were questions she didn’t know she needed to ask that were directly affecting her business’s bottom line. For instance, she wasn’t charging enough, and her profit margins were looking like her actuals instead of including her markup.