An ever-increasing stock of technology tools holds promise in the construction industry. It’s tempting to use the latest and greatest “shiny object” immediately, but it takes a strategic approach to get the best results. Leveraging these assets to improve efficiency requires an intentional approach that implements the right technologies on the right projects to maximize predictable outcomes, transparency and bottom-line value.

This value-driven approach led DPR Construction to pilot and then fully implement a new technology integration manager role in each of its five business regions over the last three years. Something akin to curators of emerging technology, these professionals help project teams select and integrate the various applications and technologies for their projects, from preconstruction to closeout.

“DPR is known in the industry for experimenting with and leveraging a lot of technology,” said DPR’s Krupesh Kakkente, whose role includes tech integration nationally. “We realized there is a consequence to innovating without knowing where the value lies.”

To address this, DPR’s integration managers, a troupe of experienced, crossed trained employees, get involved as early as the RFP stage to dive deep into exploring what the customer is truly looking for. Based on this analysis, a tailored solution is devised to deploy the right technologies. The number one objective? “Align our project team’s expectations with the customer’s expectations,” said Kakkente. “DPR’s team of integration managers possess a ‘big picture’ perspective on what different project stakeholders bring to the table and the processes and standards that drive their work.”

Start to Finish: Integration in Action

Starting with the earliest planning meetings, a DPR integration manager is at the table to understand what the customer needs and expects, while also taking in to account the project team’s experience and preferences when it comes to working with various applications. Those details inform recommendations for specific applications and technologies that will best deliver value. The goal is to support the full duration of a project and can include document hosting applications to design decision tracking and RFI tracking applications, to name just a few.

After guiding the initial selections, the integration manager works with project teams to ensure team members are up to speed on best practices and procedures at each stage, providing training whenever needed.

“We introduce them to all the apps and connect all the processes together so that they can use them efficiently on jobsites,” Kakkente said. “The overriding goal is transparency and using leading indicators to drive success; that is the real value for the customer.”

Measuring Success – Best Practice Adoption

DPR measures what percentage of the applications and processes used on DPR projects are best practice standards. Those best practices include technologies that have delivered significant returns in terms of adding efficiency to the construction process and increasing predictable outcomes for customers. Currently, DPR’s teams are adopting best practice programs at an average rate of 86 percent on projects companywide, according to Kakkente.

Why 86% best practice adoption rather than 100%? It leaves room for innovation. DPR’s overarching focus on bringing the highest degree of predictability, reliability and efficiency to owners’ projects is balanced with the understanding that innovation also has a significant role to play in a project’s success. Testing and implementing new technologies and approaches are part of the process of continually improving project schedules, cost, value, and quality for customers.