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Hit a Home Run with Process Automation in Construction

Construction's curveballs call for the same poise, speed and decision-making as the baseball field. This eBook covers the four bases you need to cover with process automation: speed, agility, growth and talent.

4bases to cover with automation
60%faster process completion
6,000admin hours saved in a year by one customer

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  • The curveballs facing construction today
  • The four bases: speed, agility, growth and talent
  • Tips from the pros and customer stories

What's inside the eBook

Key findings and recommended tips to help construction businesses hit the ground running.

  1. 01Curveballs in constructionRising costs, backlogs and skills shortages.
  2. 02Four bases to coverSpeed, agility, growth and talent.
  3. 03Tips from the pros and customer storiesCVB JV Tideway East, Downer, Morgan Construction and Rimkus.
  4. 04The path to successTen steps from first base to home plate.
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Pages from Hit a Home Run with Process Automation in Construction

Curveballs in construction

Rising costs for fuel, lumber and skilled labor squeeze margins, so construction businesses are turning to automation to drive efficiency across every site and office.

Rising costs

Inflation pushes up fuel, materials and labor costs and reduces profit margins.

A slower housing market

Lower affordability and high mortgage rates hold back housing construction.

Record pipeline backlogs

Infrastructure investment of around $1.2 trillion in the US means substantial backlogs to work through.

Material costs

Sharp rises in material costs make cost control and accurate data essential.

Skilled worker shortages

Hundreds of thousands of new skilled workers are needed to meet demand.

60%

of attendees at a FlowForma webinar were actively seeking a digital process automation tool.

First base

Speed: hit the ground running

First base is the shortest run, and speed is your ally. As competitors digitalize, getting a head start on process automation cuts costs across the organization. No-code tools are easy for staff to use and can deliver ROI in as little as six weeks.

Tips from the pros

  1. Choose a no-code tool, like FlowForma Process Automation, that deploys quickly with no coding skills.
  2. Identify quick tactical wins: simple, paper-based processes such as contract signing create a snowball desire for more automation.
  3. Keep a long-term vision: start with high-automation-potential processes that free up capital to scale.

CVB JV Tideway East

Civil engineering · London
40+processes automated

A joint venture of Costain, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche on the Thames Tideway Tunnel. On FlowForma’s advice it started with daily site diaries and starter/leaver forms, then automated environmental inspections, quality audits, field change requests and plant checks, saving at least 700 hours on repetitive tasks in year one.

There has been a lot of uptake. More teams are looking to use FlowForma Process Automation, we have a long list of processes people want to digitalize.
Lampros Arvanitis
Lampros ArvanitisBIM Manager, CVB JV Tideway East
Read the full story
Second base

Agility: keep your eye on the ball

Projects are growing more complex, megaprojects are on the rise and supply chains are under pressure. Automation and a one-pane view help leaders stay agile and compliant.

  • Increasingly ambitious projectsMore components and disrupted supply chains are a recipe for oversights, delays and cost overruns.
  • Integration of multiple systems88% of construction executives and managers want seamless integration. FlowForma integrates with over 500 systems, including:
    ProcoreViewpoint SpectrumAutodesk BIM 360QuickBooksARES PRISMAconexand 500+ more
  • Forecasting and scheduling90% of construction executives and managers still use email, Excel or paper for 25–100% of their processes. Automation standardizes scheduling and forecasting with real-time data.

Downer New Zealand

Engineering and construction · New Zealand
2,000+PO requests digitalized in six months

With over 10,000 employees across 120 locations, Downer pushes information to a connected workforce on handheld devices. Dynamic dropdowns of cost codes and work packs make purchase orders faster and generate real-time data for cost control.

403hours saved: permit to dig
150hours saved: survey requests
600hours saved: PO requests
Read the full story
Third base

Growth: take it to the next level

It’s not enough to survive; construction companies want to scale. Used correctly, data helps you grow, especially in an inflationary market.

  • Focus on higher-value tasksAutomation removes admin burden and the rework caused by inaccurate data, setting the foundation to scale.
  • React in real timeReal-time data replaces lagging spreadsheets and emails, cutting missteps and rework across your pipeline.
  • Predict the unpredictableA one-pane view of real-time data helps leaders decide well and stay compliant in uncertain times.

Morgan Construction & Environmental

Construction · Canada

Tracking a high volume of contract onboarding across oilfield sites in Excel was slow and error-prone. FlowForma organizes, tracks and reports on every new starter, keeping site leaders informed.

The business logic built into FlowForma Process Automation will save time and increase data integrity because information is only touched once.
Carolynne McCaughey
Carolynne McCaugheyDirector of Corporate, Morgan Construction & Environmental
Read the full story

Rimkus Consulting Group

Civil engineering consultancy
2xfaster project reviews

Running many contracts at once, Rimkus needed to keep oversight and catch mistakes early. Project reviews now take one day instead of two, problems are caught before they grow, and paperwork is down.

Read the full story
Home plate

Talent: become a rising star

Great talent is crucial to project success, but construction leaders are struggling to recruit engineers in almost every field.

  • An ageing workforceRetiring workers need replacing, and new tools give younger, diverse talent a reason to join. Automation on handheld devices appeals to a digitally native workforce.
  • Skills shortagesComplex projects need specialist skills that are in short supply. Process automation speeds up other stages of the project lifecycle to keep deadlines.
  • Pay not keeping pace with inflationWith salaries under pressure, better technology and reliable data are a benefit in themselves, helping employees do more with less.

Why automation helps

  1. No-code tools are easy to use and see high uptake among staff.
  2. They empower employees to drive efficiency and do more with less.
  3. They let people rethink how they work and innovate processes.

Process automation use cases in construction

FlowForma Process Automation is a 100% no-code, 3-in-1 tool for forms, workflow and document generation, helping construction firms get their back office in shape and use on-site resources more effectively.

  • Onboarding
  • Health and safety
  • Quality inspection
  • Environmental inspections
  • Field change requests
  • Daily site diaries
  • Permit to dig
  • Concrete pour
  • Check sheets
  • Approvals
  • Fleet maintenance
  • Materials requisition
  • Expenses management
  • Project management
  • and many more

The path to success

Ten steps from first base to home plate.

  1. Base one

    Speed

    1. Choose a no-code, business-led tool and identify quick tactical wins.
    2. Keep a long-term vision: start with high-automation-potential processes.
  2. Base two

    Agility

    1. Use one vendor for a one-pane view of your processes.
    2. Choose a tool that integrates with your other systems.
    3. Standardize scheduling and forecasting with automated workflows.
  3. Base three

    Growth

    1. Remove admin burden to make room for higher-value work.
    2. Remove lag in data with real-time data and pre-populated forms.
    3. Get a one-pane view of data for better decisions and compliance.
  4. Home plate

    Talent

    1. Attract digitally native talent with tools that work on handheld devices.
    2. Speed up other stages of the project lifecycle amid hiring delays.

Ripe for digitalization

Construction businesses at every stage of digital transformation must keep modernizing processes, or risk being left behind. FlowForma has 300,000+ users worldwide, including construction customers Rimkus Consulting Group, Downer, Morgan Construction and CVB JV Tideway East.

60%+process efficiency increase by a FlowForma customer
6,000admin hours saved in one year by a FlowForma customer
6 wksto ROI with a no-code tool

“The fact that FlowForma Process Automation doesn’t require any developer experience means you achieve faster.”G2 reviewer

Construction process automation: common questions

Why do construction companies need process automation?

Rising costs, pipeline backlogs, complex projects and skills shortages all put pressure on margins. Process automation speeds up project delivery, gives greater oversight and accuracy, and helps teams do more with less.

Which construction processes should you automate first?

Start with simple, paper-based processes that deliver quick wins, such as daily site diaries, starter and leaver forms or contract signing. CVB JV Tideway East started with two and now has 40+ automated processes.

Does FlowForma integrate with construction software?

Yes. FlowForma integrates with over 500 systems, including Procore, Viewpoint Spectrum, Autodesk BIM 360, QuickBooks, ARES PRISM and Aconex, plus finance, CRM and ERP systems.

How quickly can construction firms see ROI?

No-code tools are easy for staff to adopt, and FlowForma customers can see a return in as little as six weeks.

Which construction processes can FlowForma automate?

Onboarding, health and safety, quality and environmental inspections, field change requests, daily site diaries, permits to dig, concrete pours, check sheets, approvals, fleet maintenance, materials requisition, expenses and project management.

Ready to hit a home run?

Get the eBook, or see FlowForma's construction process automation for yourself.

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