Behind the business: AFT life before construction software vs. now (Part 1 of 5)

Behind the Business series: This week, we bring you the first in a series of posts highlighting AFT Construction, a leading home builder from Scottsdale, Arizona. Throughout this series, you’ll hear from this team firsthand and learn what jobs were like before construction software, the transformative effect Buildertrend had and how they use it today to bring epic builds to life.

Take a look at any of the homes built by A Finer Touch Construction and one word comes to mind: Wow.

Sprawling estates. Desert chateaus. Homes that could double as five-star resorts. This premier Arizona construction firm does it all – but they don’t do it alone. They’ve got Buildertrend construction software on their side.

Since 2017, AFT Construction has left spreadsheets behind for a bolder, more modern approach to business. For company president Brad Leavitt, the impact was significant. He left behind a work life of days spent tied to the job site, racing from field to office or spending long hours away from his family.

Buildertrend construction technology gave him the freedom to stay tied into any project from anywhere. And that’s just one of the many benefits home builder software affords business owners like Brad. Even for those already seeing significant growth, success becomes much sweeter after embracing digital tools.

You might be wondering: How so exactly? We went straight to the source to find out. No, seriously … like straight to Scottsdale, Arizona. We sat down with Brad to learn more about life before Buildertrend, the benefits construction owners can reap after using tech and why other apps just don’t match up.

Q: Tell us about your project management processes before Buildertrend. What do things look like now?

Brad:

We didn’t have any documented systems before construction project management software. The analogy of kicking our team off of the pier and hoping they can swim, comes to mind. Now, we have a clear expectation of what a supervisor needs to do on a daily basis and how they perform successfully at their job.

Q: What were some of the biggest pain points you saw before adopting Buildertrend?

Brad:

We really had a hard time documenting the schedule of a project. This included manpower, weather delays, trade labor issues, etc. Now with Buildertrend, we have clear information on each sub, how many people were on the job any given day and what scope of work was completed. This helps us track our tasks and durations greatly.

Without construction software, it’s really hard to show you have any systems or protocol as a company.  Construction is really difficult, and there is no way to be successful without documentation.

Q: Before Buildertrend, what other solutions did you try?

Brad:

We tried to use other apps … a mix of Excel, Microsoft Schedule, etc. Nothing was in the right place, and there was too much to track and keep up to date. All of those apps became just partially used.

Q: What are some of the benefits you see now as a business owner?

Brad:

Effective systems, clear expectations of each team member’s roles and responsibilities, a way to communicate with out-of-state clients, diagnosis prior to projects to ensure we are evolving successfully as a company. This list goes on.

Q: What advice do you have for other home builders looking to solve everyday, common project pains?

Brad:

Find a great construction project management software and learn the ins and outs. Understand how this tech can boost your effectiveness and bottom line.

For us, some of the biggest ways we’ve done this through Buildertrend include the unlimited file and photo documentation and Daily Logs feature. All the information we need to get the job done is on this online platform. I can monitor and check everything.

Q: Life before Buildertrend sounds tough. Now that you have it, how does it set you apart?

Brad:

We have an active pulse on all of our projects now. With the Customer Portal tool, so do our customers. They are able to access their job at any given time and follow progress.

There’s life before Buildertrend – and there’s after. Discover the benefits for yourself today.

AFT Construction proves this. How a company operates before Buildertrend and how it seamlessly manages jobs after is day and night.

If you’re not already using this leading platform, are you ready to step out of the dark? Schedule a demo to get started today.

Our story with AFT Construction is just beginning – be sure to come back and check out the second installment of our Behind the Business series. We’ll take you through what Brad calls “the trust factor” and how to strengthen it. This is his winning way of landing more business.