On average, preconstruction teams are working on projects that will start in two years. This means today is business as usual for preconstruction, except most construction companies have employees (who are not based in the field) working remotely. It is highly unusual for estimators to work from home, which means the working environment of many preconstruction departments has changed drastically.
The ease of turning around to ask a co-worker a question has morphed into a phone call and the demand for meetings has slowed since people are not being tapped on the shoulder to hop in the conference room “real quick” to discuss project specifics. Additionally, it is hard to establish a relationship with someone you have never done business with before because developing a connection via remote tools takes longer. Thankfully, most construction companies have about 80% of their work coming from repeat clients where those relationships are already developed. On top of that, you add in the risk of day-to-day problems with internet service running at home when it is needed most—bid day.
But working remotely has also brought with it plenty of benefits.
Better Productivity
Fewer distractions (aka spontaneity) mean more time to focus on estimates, bids, takeoff, responding to questions, and collaborating on the next project. Preconstruction teams are able to do more work in the same amount of time by working remote. Teams that are using construction estimating software are realizing the added benefit of being able to give a project a full-team approach without the need to sit right next to each other.
Fewer Interruptions
While fewer interruptions improve productivity, it also allows for preconstruction professionals to get into deep work and do better work. The lack of starts and stops during the workday gives estimators the chance to hone in on the projects they are trying to complete and dive deep into the data. They are making better decisions and providing additional value to the project owner.
No Commute
Not only is there time saved on commuting to and from the office but the hassle and headache of managing a commute are gone. Some construction companies are planning to move to other locations in the near future and they realize the commute may be better for others and worse for some. Because of the remote working experience, those precon teams are encouraging employees to continue to work from home if it benefits their work and life.
Innovation
The use of virtual environments has reshaped how some traditional preconstruction tasks are being done. A DESTINI Estimator user shared the following story:
“We were in the middle of a hard bid project and in the office these events require our team to sit close to each other, have physical contact to look at screens, and pass papers back and forth. Since we are working remotely I set up a virtual room, built a detailed Excel online sheet that we could all access in real-time, and had each person keep their video on an entire day (but they muted themselves if they need to take a call or walk away from their computer). If I needed someone right away I could look on my screen to see who was available and I could ping them to jump in. This virtual room worked better than us being in the office. So much so that this may be our new way of handling hard bids … even when we are back in the office.”
Managing preconstruction efforts remotely requires a slight shift and requires communication. However, people who are constantly on deadline and being pulled in several directions on projects are recognizing the benefits of a remote work environment.
