Aconex : How Hensel Phelps Reduced Handover Time by 30% and Brought Follow up Calls to 0

Standardization in construction has always been a struggle.

Once upon a time, construction projects were managed using stacks of paper, manuals, rows of binders, complex tables of contents, and piles of CDs. Efficient maintenance is often aggravated by personnel turnover, inconsistent formats from various contractors, and inaccessible information. These issues can lead to delayed repairs and time-sensitive calls to contractors. But these onerous struggles can quickly be addressed by shifting to optimization and automation.

During a recent webinar, Derek Hoffine shared the benefits of project-wide platforms. Derek is an Operations Manager with Hensel Phelps, one of the largest general contractors and construction managers in the United States. Derek has worked on a variety of projects totaling over $789 million dollars during his 14 years with the company.

Hensel Phelps identified the need to have a centralized project-wide system years ago. And since that time the company has worked to have the right tools configured to meet the needs of each project team. 'All organizations need to be working off the same set of drawings, documentation, and schedules,' Derek said. In a previous webinar, a Document Control Manager at Parsons - one of the world's largest engineering and construction organizations - also discussed the importance of operating on a project-wide platform for their infrastructure projects.

Derek shares his best practices for project-wide process management below:

• Set a baseline to measure your process performance to achieve appropriate goals.
• Implement a centralized platform which everyone can access - in the field or office - to reduce miscommunication, errors and rework.
• Define processes and implement technology as soon as possible during the planning and design phases to optimize success.
• Look beyond construction to O&M to gain the full benefits of innovative process management.
• Select easily configurable tools and systems to meet differing process requirements across clients and projects.

Hensel Phelps has achieved great results through their implementation of Aconex. Hensel Phelps selected Aconex to manage the handover process on the $160 Million Design-Build project for the Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building which is home to the Federal Bureau of Investigation based in Florida. This 380,000 square foot, LEED certified structure had countless heightened regulatory and security requirements both to meet Platinum and Gold LEED standards and FBI requirements.

Derek said, 'By having the documents and manuals submitted directly from all of the disciplines into the Aconex system, we saved 30% in the time it normally takes us.' This meant the company could release some of their engineers to begin working on their next project. There was also a reduction in non-valid work orders, and post turnover calls to Hensel Phelps fell 0.

Derek added that Aconex is easily deployable and collaborative with multiple system interfaces. 'Aconex meets client requirements for managing documents because it's a secure collaboration system and a project-wide platform available to all team members,' Derek shared. Hensel Phelps is pleased with how Aconex meets client security requirements, is easy for the construction and O&M teams to use, and effectively manages 'smart' documents.

Watch the full webinar recording here: 'Achieve competitive advantage through innovative process management '.

Webinar Summary: Learn how Hensel Phelps implemented a digital platform which resulted in smooth handover, a 30% reduction in time compiling O&M manuals, and saw post-handover calls reduced to almost zero.