Little changes to a home systems project can add up to a lot of wasted time and money if you’re not careful. Just ask the HTA Certified design and integration team at Bozeman and Big Sky, Montana-based SAV Digital Environments. Providing custom AV, automation, networking, lighting, and more for large residential and commercial projects for nearly 15 years, the company understands how having the proper tools for project documentation can lead to better time management and profitability. Rather than let missteps like misplaced change orders and inaccurate billing eat away at efficiencies, the company invested wisely in project management software from D-Tools. Implemented into SAV’s business model around 2012, the Systems Integrator software-driven solution is now standard practice at SAV, touching every aspect of its operations—from the sales department to design and engineering to accounting.
Avoiding Change Order Catastrophes
Change orders are notorious for chipping away at an integration firm’s bottom line. “Particularly for large projects, you can easily lose track of what’s happening and unknowingly give parts away if you don’t have a solid documentation procedure and rely on hand-written notes,” says Zach Rivers, SAV system designer. “From the integrated product database of the D-Tools System Integrator software, it’s a simple matter of selecting the new product. The software adds it to the bill of materials and adjusts the estimated labor time, proposal, drawings, and bill of materials accordingly. We know we’re charging our clients appropriately, no matter how drastically the project evolves. Plus, by keeping everyone on our team in the loop, our workflow is streamlined, and people feel closer to the project.”
Big Benefits on Big Projects
D-Tools-based documentation is an integral part of every SAV project, but it’s the big projects where the software really shines, according to Rivers. “When the scope of a project spans multiple systems, entails thousands of square feet, and involves several different contractors, having one central place through D-Tools to enter and track products, generate schematics, manage schedules and workflow, and communicate with our team, subcontractors, and clients simplifies what would otherwise be a very complicated process.”
Take, for example, one of SAV’s recent Big Sky projects. Construction of this roughly 11,000-square-foot luxury residence began in 2015, with SAV handling the prewire and rough-in to start. Specified by the clients’ AV consultant, lighting designer, and SAV was a Crestron control system managing a Lutron HomeWorks lighting system, Crestron HVAC system, oxygen management system, and the distribution and control of audio to 27 zones and video to 21 zones, including a Séura TV in a sauna.
“There were a lot of moving parts as each contractor created their own set of plans and specified their own materials and products, but thanks to D-Tools, we were able to integrate this information into a unified set of documents for easy reference and management of the project,” says Rivers.
Ensuring Billing Accuracy
The ability to adapt quickly to a new game plan came in particularly handy for SAV during the rough-in stages of the project. As they prewired and installed Millson wiring panels, designs for the home’s AV, control, and lighting systems were in a constant state of flux—typical for a large-scale luxury project, but challenging, nonetheless. Through the D-Tools software, SAV was able to realign its strategy and documentation, even producing special reports for each contractor. “Most importantly, though, by staying on top of the project, we were able to accurately bill the builder for all of our parts, time, and labor,” says Rivers.
Winning Bids With Detailed, Polished Proposals
The perks of using D-Tools System Integrator go beyond detailed project management. “It’s allowed us to project a professional image that differentiates us from our competition,” Rivers remarks. “The level of detail and comprehensiveness of our proposals put us on a different playing field, and has helped us win jobs and build our reputation as a home systems contractor of exceptional professionalism.”
And with each new project acquired, SAV has years of D-Tools documentation from which they can derive information. There’s no need to re-create the wheel every time a new project is added to the SAV roster. “I can refer to similar projects and create an entire system in a matter of minutes rather than days,” Rivers says.
Fast, easy, and accurate means improved profitability. D-Tools keeps SAV running like a well-oiled machine, but with plenty of flexibility to quickly react and adjust to change orders, new designs, and other modifications that commonly occur on home systems projects. With the support of D -Tools software, SAV knows each phase of the project progresses efficiently and profitably, no matter how many times the game plan changes.
Want to learn more about D-Tools or get a free demo? Check out the sidebar to the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) for D-Tools website, phone, and email. Want a free 30-day trial of D-Tools? Click here.
Hero Image: © Whitney Kamman
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