How Is Barton Malow Revolutionizing Preconstruction Planning?

October 31, 2024

Barton Malow, a construction company headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, has been at the forefront of leveraging advanced preconstruction technology to bolster the efficiency and accuracy of their early-phase planning processes. At the heart of this transformative approach is Elizabeth Geiser, the vice president of preconstruction for Barton Malow, who boasts a remarkable career spanning over 25 years in the construction industry. Geiser’s transition from traditional methods to embracing modern technology-driven processes encapsulates the significant evolution in preconstruction strategies over the decades. When Geiser first embarked on her career, the tools at her disposal were rudimentary compared to today’s standards. The use of measuring wheels, hand-held tally counters, and highlighters was standard practice for data collection. This information was then painstakingly entered into Microsoft Excel, a labor-intensive task that often resulted in errors and less precise project cost estimations.

Geiser’s Role in Transitioning to Advanced Tools

Elizabeth Geiser has played a pivotal role in modernizing Barton Malow’s preconstruction processes by guiding the company from these outdated methods to more advanced estimating tools such as MC2 and WinEst. Despite these advancements, Geiser humorously acknowledges her limited tolerance for change management, shedding light on the inherent challenges of evolving workflows within an established industry. Today, Barton Malow employs an impressive array of sophisticated tools for preconstruction tasks. The company utilizes digital take-off processes facilitated by tools like Bluebeam and Autodesk Takeoff, significantly reducing manual effort and enhancing precision. Furthermore, the integration of cloud-based technologies allows for real-time updates and improved collaboration across teams, creating a more cohesive and efficient planning environment. Among these advanced tools, Join, a preconstruction software developed by an Oakland, California-based firm, stands out as a crucial addition to Barton Malow’s technological suite.

Geiser recounts Barton Malow’s first use of Join in a project for Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Before the adoption of Join, Barton Malow relied on Excel for cost control logging, a method that posed significant limitations such as version control issues and the inability for simultaneous multi-user access. Join revolutionized their preconstruction processes by providing a centralized “source of truth” for project estimates and changes, enhancing both the accuracy and efficiency of their efforts. During the hospital project, approximately 70 team members, including the owner’s representatives, had access to Join. This level of access allowed them to export, manipulate, and analyze data seamlessly, thereby streamlining the decision-making process. The transparency and real-time data access afforded by Join proved to be a significant advantage, cementing its role as an indispensable tool for Barton Malow.

Implementation of Join Software

The Michigan State University’s Engineering and Digital Innovation Center project showcases the utility of Join even further. The project, which commenced in December 2023, marked the first use of Join’s Scenarios feature. This functionality enables project teams to conduct real-time “what-if” analyses, simulating various choices and instantly observing their impact on the budget. This capability was particularly critical for the MSU project, which faced significant budget challenges. Initially, the project had a budget of $300 million, but projections indicated that costs could escalate to $415 million. This scenario necessitated urgent decision-making to align the project scope with financial constraints.

Geiser underscores that without Join, addressing these budgetary challenges within tight deadlines would have been considerably more difficult. The real-time capabilities of the tool transformed a process that previously took days into one that could be accomplished within an hour. This efficiency gain highlights the transformative power of modern preconstruction technology, showcasing its potential to streamline complex processes and facilitate rapid, informed decision-making. However, Geiser acknowledges that the adoption of advanced tools like Join does come with financial implications. While highly beneficial, Join represents a notable investment when distributed across approximately 100 users. Despite this, Geiser firmly believes in the value provided by these tools, citing the advantages of transparency, real-time data access, and collaborative capabilities as far outweighing the financial outlay.

The Cost vs. Value of Adopting Advanced Tools

The Michigan State University’s Engineering and Digital Innovation Center project puts a spotlight on the effectiveness of Join. Starting in December 2023, this initiative was the first to employ Join’s Scenarios feature. This tool allows project teams to conduct real-time “what-if” analyses, enabling them to simulate various options and understand their immediate impact on the budget. This was crucial for the MSU project, which initially had a $300 million budget but faced estimates suggesting costs could rise to $415 million. The capability to make quick, informed decisions was vital to align the scope with financial constraints.

Geiser emphasizes that without Join, addressing budget issues within tight deadlines would have been much harder. The tool’s real-time features transformed tasks that previously took days into processes completed within an hour. This improvement showcases the power of modern preconstruction technology, facilitating complex tasks and quick decision-making. Nonetheless, Geiser admits that using advanced tools like Join entails significant costs, especially when spread among around 100 users. However, she stresses that the benefits—transparency, access to real-time data, and collaboration—far outweigh the financial investment.

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