Once using PLOT, the benefits were realized through the resulting scheduling simplicity and the ease of access to the platform through the mobile app, saving the team upwards of almost one day per week of coordination time in the field.
Independence Construction is the largest construction group in Northeast Ohio, focused on bringing a new approach to construction management and full scope execution of large commercial and industrial construction projects. As part of the DiGeronimo Companies, and through its affiliated companies, Independence provides not only vertical construction, but also site development, concrete construction, demolition, and environmental solutions. With offices in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Atlanta, Denver, and Jacksonville, DiGeronimo Companies have been creating innovative solutions for their clients since 1956.
One project they are currently building is a new residence hall on the Case Western Reserve University campus located in Cleveland, Ohio. This transformative project includes the construction of two side-by-side buildings with, set to house approximately 600 students by Fall of 2024. The project poses numerous challenges for the project team in regard to site logistics:
· Historic Brick Road – which runs right in front of the jobsite is not permitted to have truck traffic or be disturbed in any way. This road is a significant part of Cleveland history, connecting the University with historic Little Italy and its surrounding neighborhoods and parks. Throughout construction, the team is respectful of not encroaching on this location during construction.
· Simultaneous Construction – instead of one residence hall built at a time, both buildings will be constructed simultaneously, doubling all deliveries, logistics, and coordination efforts required, on a very tight urban site.
· One Entrance and Exit – the project has one way in and out to a central courtyard, creating problems for moving materials in and out, and making it difficult to generate a flow of activity to adequately service both buildings.
· Small Footprint – due to the compact footprint of the project, the team approached and treated the project like a high-rise, which adds complexity. The site also had restricted space to turn vehicles around and limited the size of trucks that can access the site.
· Dining Hall Proximity – there is only one dining hall on this side of campus that attracts thousands of students and pedestrian traffic on a regular basis. This creates increased risk with truck back-up onto the road, and thus creates an increased demand on flaggers and safety personnel to adequately manage this.
Senior Superintendent Jeffrey Vavrek, an industry veteran at Independence Construction, knew they would need something beyond the typical jobsite whiteboard, phone calls or Excel sheet to effectively coordinate around these constraints and risks. As part of a company technology pilot group and being connected with others in the construction tech space, when Jeffrey first saw PLOT, he jumped at the opportunity to learn more.
It popped up in my feed and I saw it and thought, I need to try this immediately.
Jeffrey Vavrek |Senior Superintendent, Independence Construction
Once using PLOT, the benefits were realized through the resulting scheduling simplicity and the ease of access to the platform through the mobile app, saving the team almost one day per week of coordination time in the field. Jeffrey notes these results are a direct by-product of utilizing the PLOT platform: “It put the control into the Foreman’s hand who is ordering the material, and makes them responsible for it. It really forces them to think, plan, and own their deliveries.”
The collected accountability and transparency provided by PLOT is driving a better overall process throughout the extended project team. Moreover, consistent usage of PLOT results in more predictable, safer, and efficient delivery operations. As a result, the consistency communicates to regular delivery drivers that they can trust that the project team will be able to get them in and out in a timely fashion, and they won’t risk losing money on delivery inefficiencies.
