Kemp Construction Management: Builder sees improved client communication with project management software

Their story: Finding value with cloud-based construction management software

Debbie Kemp, manager of business operations and development, at Kemp Construction Management is in charge of everything on the backend of the business. In fact, the company’s former clients gave her the title “Chief Everything Officer” because she handled receivables and payables, order selections, marketing, client support – just to name a few.

The team was using basic tools like email to communicate with customers.

“When working with a vendor, we request bids from through email,” Debbie said. “With multiple projects in place, keeping track of emails and finding information in emails becomes increasingly time consuming.”

In addition to using email for vendors’ quotes, change orders were also sent via email.

“If there were any change orders needed, there would be a delay in getting a customer’s response because we were battling with customers’ inboxes,” Debbie said. “A response can take anywhere from a couple of days to weeks, and that can certainly impact a project’s completion time.”

Ultimately, frustrations about the email-based processes prompted the company’s owner, Steve Kemp, to consider investing in construction project management software to ensure all client communications, documents, project documentation and scheduling were accessible in one place.

Their goal: Organizing all project information in one place

Before Steve founded Kemp Construction Management, he worked in software sales for over 12 years and understood the value of technology. However, he wasn’t sure if a residential construction management software existed, so he searched online for solutions that were available.

After searching and reviewing a couple of tools, Buildertrend immediately stood out to Steve. When Steve discovered Buildertrend, he said it was way ahead of its time, and really liked the simplicity of the software and that the user interface was easy to navigate.

Their solution: Providing real-time updates with Buildertrend

After signing up for Buildertrend, Kemp Construction Management immediately saw the solutions’ benefits.

“Buildertrend’s Change Order function more than paid for the entire solution itself,” Steve said. “When a Change Order is required, work doesn’t have to stop or slow down. With Buildertrend, we can easily create a Change Order while at a job site, and the app will send a notification to the customer within seconds.”

In addition to Buildertrend’s functionality, the company has also enjoyed working with Buildertrend’s team.

“Buildertrend is extremely responsive to feedback on improvements and if we’re ever having any issues, we can reach out to the support team via online chat, phone call or email, and we’ll receive a response right away,” Debbie said.

Not only was the team sharing Buildertrend with current customers, but they were also showcasing it with prospective customers during the sales process. Considering that 86% of homeowners believe an online dashboard would be helpful in keeping them updated during the construction process, previewing it with potential customers proved to be a gamechanger.

“When we show prospective customers that we have online software to communicate and manage the build from beginning to end, it adds a level of professionalism and also offers them a sense of comfort knowing that all communications and documents will be in one place,” Steve said.

Their success: Improving the client experience

Now that the team is using Buildertrend, it has improved client communication and satisfaction overall. The software has given Kemp Construction Management’s clients the real-time communications they crave.

“Customers are more comfortable not having to be on-site to get real-time updates of a project,” said Debbie. “We work on projects for local and international customers as well as customers who are always on the go. By offering customers updates in real-time, our customers know that even if they’re not on-site, the work is getting done.”