SmartBuilder1, which works on Android smartphones and tablets, is the first complete system of its type for the construction market.
It is focused on saving contractors time and money and on helping them to bring in buildings with zero defects.
The construction sector was one of the first to adopt mobile phones. Now with the advent of SmartBuilder1 it is set to join the enterprise mobility revolution with the adoption of smartphones and tablets with sophisticated mobile software systems.
As outlined in a Constructing Excellence Report (2009) there is only a 50% chance of any building coming in on time or on cost. According to a Chartered Institute of Building Report (2008) nearly 67% of high-rise buildings are delivered late. In an industry where profit margins are now also under sustained pressure, SmartBuilder1 is focused on delivering a positive impact on contractors’ bottom line.
SmartBuilder1 is designed to help construction companies deal with some of their greatest on-site challenges; keeping projects on track and delivering them on time, ensuring high-quality, helping project teams become more efficient, achieving timely communication of issues on-site and tracking everything that happens in-field.
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SmartBuilder1 allows managers on-site to update progress in-real time, to record reasons for delays, and action people from in-field about issues. The system can be used to identify and tackle problems on-site at the earliest opportunity and to action others to solve them faster than before. This is especially valuable for managers who can communicate detailed information immediately with sub-contractors, clients and their teams.
Users can also perform quality inspections much more efficiently. Instead of taking out drawings, markers, clipboards, notebooks and digital cameras, users can tick issues off the touch screen, image the problem, mark-up the drawings electronically on screen and communicate this to those who need to fix the defects. Smartbuilder1 also provides a valuable audit trail of everything that happens on-site which is then stored securely in “the cloud”.
According to Peter Daly, Managing Director, SmartBuilder Software, “Given that world construction output is $7.5 trillion annually and that there are 5 billon mobile phones on the planet, the potential overlap between these sectors is huge. Smartphones and tablets will be everywhere on construction sites within a few years but they need the right software to be really useful. That is where our offering comes in.” He added, “We see a lot of evidence that the Irish, UK and international construction sector is ready to embrace this technology which can make an important contribution to productivity.”
SmartBuilder Software, headquartered in NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD, was established in 2010 by two experienced entrepreneurs Richard Mulcahy and Peter Daly. They established the company to develop mobile software systems for use on construction sites in Ireland, UK, USA and other international markets. The company is primarily focused on the UK market and also has a London office.
(GK/KMcA)
