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Templating for efficiency

Show Notes

Welcome to “The Better Way: A podcast by Buildertrend.” Here you’ll learn to simplify and establish processes that will make meaningful changes to your company and help you achieve your goals. Because there’s a better way. The Buildertrend way. Tune in this season as Marge Haley, senior manager of customer success, chats with Buildertrend experts on how to master takeoff and ace pre-project planning.

On today’s episode, Marge Haley and Chloe Hiatt, onsite consultant at Buildertrend, discuss how using templates can improve project efficiency. You’ll learn how to maximize your time spent in Buildertrend by using preset schedules, selections, estimates and more.

Why are templates helpful when using Buildertrend?

Chloe: Templates are a really useful tool that allow our builders to have repeatable processes and consistency in their account. It’s having a preset schedule, a preset task list or preset folder structures. It’s presetting different elements of the project and different features in Buildertrend, so that they can reuse it and repeat it over and over again. Templates make it so they don’t have to build everything from scratch each time.

How can custom home builders benefit from templates?

Chloe: I’m sure our custom home builders are shaking their heads right now thinking, “Oh, there’s no way.” And I get a ton of pushback just about every time I speak with one. They say, “Well, we’re so custom. How can I have a templated schedule?” And I reply, “Well, homes are typically built in a pretty similar way. The elements inside of them may be a bit different and sometimes outside too, but they’re typically built in the same fashion.” And so, I promise you, if you’re listening, you can have a set, standard schedule even if you’re a custom home builder.

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Transcript

Marge Haley:

Welcome back to The Better Way, the Buildertrend podcast designed to teach you how to simplify the complex processes in your business. I’m Marge Haley, and in today’s episode, I’m joined by Chloe Hiatt.

Chloe Hiatt:

Hi, Marge.

Marge Haley:

Hey, thanks for being here with us today. You want to just go ahead and give me a little background on your experience at Buildertrend and in the construction industry?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, absolutely. So I have been at Buildertrend a little over, let’s see, two and a half years now. I was one of the lucky few that got to start in March of 2020.

Marge Haley:

Oh.

Chloe Hiatt:

A really fun, exciting time, if you guys maybe remember that. And so got to train fully remote, and funny enough, I’m sure you remember, you were one of my trainers, so you’re a part of my Buildertrend top three, some of my favorite people. You and actually Zach Wojtowicz, who’s the host of the other Buildertrend podcast. So, there must be something in the water that you guys drink. But yeah, I’ve been at Buildertrend for a little over two and a half years. Started on the phones. So I was training clients all day long, just going through, helping them really set things up, typically. And then transitioned into onsite consulting a little over a year ago, so I get to travel two or three weeks out of the month and all over the country and soon to Canada, too, to help people really start to establish processes and using Buildertrend and some other software to just ultimately help them be more efficient and reach some of their different objectives.

Marge Haley:

Favorite location you’ve ever been on an onsite?

Chloe Hiatt:

Man, that is so tough. I would say probably Charleston, South Carolina. Adam Copenhaver, he’s been on the other Buildertrend podcast too, but he was with CopeGrand Homes, and we took a lunch, and he specifically took us someplace where we could see dolphins at lunchtime.

Marge Haley:

Okay.

Chloe Hiatt:

So yeah, it was pretty special.

Marge Haley:

Yes, that is special.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. It beats eating a microwave meal at my desk here when I’m back in Omaha, so.

Marge Haley:

Rub it in.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, I know. So, yeah.

Marge Haley:

All right. Well we’ll go ahead and get started.

Chloe Hiatt:

Awesome.

Marge Haley:

So, based off your experience of being an onsite consultant going into builders’ offices every day, can you tell me a little bit about what templates are? I’m sure this word gets thrown around a lot when trying to establish builders’ processes. So just give me a general understanding of what a template is.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, absolutely. And I’m sure any of you who are listening to that, you’ve been talking with your coach, and I talk about templates all the time with my clients, or if you’ve been to Buildertrend University or Buildertrend on the Road, the word templates is a buzzword around Buildertrend, for sure. And really, templates are a really useful tool so that you can have repeatable processes and consistency in your account. It’s having a preset schedule if that’s what you want, a preset task list if that’s what you need, preset folder structures. It’s presetting different elements of your project and different features in Buildertrend so that you can reuse it and repeat as necessary over and over and over again so that you don’t have to build stuff from scratch each time, basically.

Marge Haley:

Got it. And you say, “Stuff.” Can you tell me some features that are included that can be templated and used again and again?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, absolutely. Lots of contractors like to have a templated schedule. They have a standard schedule that they have built out. They use To-Do’s, so task management, checklists, standard checklists that they want on their projects. They use To-Do’s for those. A folder structure for documents. Oftentimes, prior to doing an onsite, I’ll have clients who have a really wonderful folder tree in their Google Drive or somewhere else. And so what we do is we bring that folder structure, and we actually put it in a master template so that every single time they start a job from that template, it has that same set folder structure. So, they have a folder structure for documents. We can have a folder structure for photos too. Sometimes builders like their team to be putting in photos after framing or after rough-ins or different checkpoints in the project. And so, what we’ll do is we’ll work together to build an entire folder structure for their photos, too, so that the team has a place to put those in each time throughout their projects.

So that’s a lot of the project management features that can be templated, but then, also, if it makes sense, a lot of builders like to have an estimate templated too where, of course, prices are going to change, especially if you’re custom on an estimate, but you can have all the line items that you would typically include on one, for sure. Or they’ll have bid packages. So say you’re always asking for the same kinds of bids. You’re always wanting to solicit, from your trade partners, different numbers to help you feed your estimate. So you can have an entire bid template built out where you have the HVAC, plumbing, excavation, electrical, all those bid packages preset. And also, if it makes sense to have them pre-assigned to your preferred trade partners as well. And you can have that templated too. And then, selections is a little bit unique because it kind of depends on your area or the type of builder that you are, but you can also build out a really solid selections structure in your templates as well.

Marge Haley:

Got it. So from start to finish, as soon as the sale’s made, you can mainly template it out and use it over and over.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, most elements of the project build. Yeah, definitely.

Marge Haley:

Excellent. So going back to your time as an onsite consultant and understanding people’s pain points, that’s why they have you come out to their site, right? There’s something that they need help with, and typically it’s pain points.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, usually a few things.

Marge Haley:

Yeah. One or two, right?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah.

Marge Haley:

And honestly, correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s usually based off of processes that they don’t have established yet. They need help establishing those processes from someone like you that has that experience from going to builders’ locations over and over again. Right?

Chloe Hiatt:

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Marge Haley:

So can you tell me a little bit about what builders used before Buildertrend that you found them to have pain points with that templates resolved?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. Well, and you said it. Right? The main benefit of onsite consulting is consistency and processes. To help them establish that across their entire team. And that’s exactly what templates are. It’s the consistency and process so that the entire team can use it. So, oftentimes, when we get there, they’re scattered. They’re using a bunch of different programs to manage a lot of different aspects of the project from Google Suite, different scheduling tools, people using their iPhone to put their notes on, or a piece of paper in their car, too, that they’re the only person that has access to. And so, oftentimes, that’s why we’re coming out is to help establish that. But then, we talk really heavily on building in different elements of the project information that is consistent from project to project.

There is typically a lot of pain points about the lack of organization and consistency across teams. So if one project manager is doing things one way and tracking information one way from a different one, there’s typically a lot of strife in between teams with that. And then, honestly, a lot of forgetfulness on projects too. If you’re a big builder and you have a PM, who’s managing a really big build, and then a few others, there’s a lot of ins and outs. There’s a lot of nuances, especially around custom home building too, where there’s a potential to forget different parts. You forget to schedule somebody. You forget to schedule a pickup or even an order too. And so, oftentimes, those lead to costly mistakes and timely mistakes too. I’m sure everybody knows how crazy the market is not only in finding trade partners but also in products, too. And so, that’s a lot of the pain points that we see is that forgetfulness and then the consistency and organization of information too.

Marge Haley:

Excellent. So that can save a lot with customer service and making sure that the project stays on time. That’s really hard to do in these times. So doing everything that we can to safeguard that timeline is super important.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. Absolutely.

Marge Haley:

So kind of going back to that time, we’ve talked about this aspect of time. Can you explain to me how templating stages of the build can help save time?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, first and foremost, one of the main benefits of using templates is not having to rebuild from scratch every single time. We start a new job, and then we go to the schedule, and it’s completely blank. And we have to think through the process, all the different elements of the scheduling that we need to do for that one job in particular. Well, if we take the time to build a really solid schedule and a template, we really only have to do that deep thought once. And then, once you bring that onto a job, you make the edits as necessary, and you’re off and running. It’s not taking so much time to rebuild that every single time you start a new job in Buildertrend, so it’s not having to rebuild.

And then, again, going back to the forgetfulness and juggling so many things. You think through. You spend the time. And the lift in using templates is the building of them out, getting a really solid template or a few templates really solidly built. That is a time commitment. However, it helps keep you from forgetting something, potentially, when you’re on an actual job once you’ve got an actual job started. So it’s not having to rebuild it. It’s helping you not have the potential to forget a key element of it too.

And then lastly, back to the consistency, I have had clients when I’ve gone onsite or on some calls with them before, and I’m looking through their jobs and this job somebody else started, and it has this folder in that folder for different documents. And then I go to a different job, and it has a completely different set of folders. And then, their people are in the field trying to look on the app and look for certain documents or plans or a spec sheet or selections information. And they don’t know where to go because it’s different on each job. And so, it really is about having that consistency in a solid, centralized location for your team to be able to access information. And so, when you have that structure, those elements already preset, and you coach your team on where to go to find that information and also where to put in the information, too, then you have that already set. And so, that kind of stops the always having to look and be confused about where that information actually exists.

Marge Haley:

Right. That saves them time on their day-to-day. They can do more if they knew exactly where to go to find those particular documents.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, certainly. Absolutely.

Marge Haley:

So you’ve mentioned Documents a few times, and you’ve mentioned Schedule a few times, and you’ve mentioned Selections. And really, the Selections and the Schedule is what I want to focus on now with this question. Custom home builders, can they find ways to save time and utilize templates like the Schedule or Selections?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. I’m sure some of my custom home friends are shaking their head right now. Like, “Oh, there’s no way.” And I get a ton of pushback just about every time. Like, “Well, we’re so custom. How can I have a templated schedule?” And it’s always, “Well, homes are typically built in a pretty similar way. The elements inside of them may be a bit different and sometimes outside too, but they’re typically built in the same fashion.” And so I promise you. If you’re listening, you can have a set, standard schedule even if you’re a custom home builder.

What you do is once you have that built, and you can have a few different ones if you need to. Once you have that standard schedule built and you bring it onto a job, you can make the adjustments for the durations of the items. The foundation for a 2000-square-foot home’s going to be vastly different than one for a 10,000-square-foot home. Absolutely, but you have that schedule item there. You have maybe the median amount that your homes typically run for days on the schedule, and then you make the adjustments as necessary for your projects.

If you start a job from a template, you have that preset schedule, and then you have something completely wild that you need to add into the schedule. You can also add in those items as well. And so, you can make the edits to dates, durations, whatever is necessary on a project schedule, but you can have the basis of it established from your template.

And then, Selections. It kind of differs, too, on how you need to have that structure built. But we think of a brand new custom home. Well, most of them, their clients, are going to need to choose a master bathroom faucet, for sure. And so, you can have all of those options or those selections that clients are going to need to make already templated, and the structure of it built however you need to and however you want to have it organized for your team or your trade partners to reference. But then, once you bring it onto the job, then you need to add in, okay, well, what master bathroom faucet are these clients getting? And you can add it in. So you have that structure already built for the type of selections that they’re going to make, but then you’re going to need to plug that in because you are completely custom. So, my doubt is you wouldn’t have a set list of options to choose from.

Marge Haley:

So there are ways?

Chloe Hiatt:

Certainly.

Marge Haley:

There’s still going to be some work around it, but there are ways.

Chloe Hiatt:

Absolutely. Definitely.

Marge Haley:

Excellent. But I feel like that comes up all the time. There’s no two that are the same, but the basis is the same.

Chloe Hiatt:

Absolutely.

Marge Haley:

Actually, I have a question. What is your opinion? More items on the schedule and delete when you add it to the job? Or less items on the schedule and add once you add it to the job?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, as far as having that stuff templated?

Marge Haley:

Yeah.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. I’m a big fan. And maybe this is because I’m very type A, I will say, but I like to have as much information at the start as possible because that helps me feel less like I’m forgetting something. And so, having something really comprehensively built out, having that schedule with all of the different elements that you think that you would potentially see across your projects or having those to-do lists, and sometimes there are a lot of To-Do’s. You have to think of all the different aspects and reminders of the project that you want those checks for. But I am a big fan of having as much of that information as preset as possible and then removing if those elements maybe don’t apply on a job.

Marge Haley:

Got it. Okay. Based on your onsite experience, do you see most builders using a master template with all of the features under one template and importing that in at one time? Or, do you see where it’s maybe feature-based templates where you’re importing just the schedule or just the selections?

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah. It genuinely just does depend on what your goals are, as far as managing information on your projects. I would say more on the custom side, it makes sense to have a really solid master template built because you can have a lot of different elements linked to the Schedule throughout the project. You can have your To-Do’s linked if necessary. You can have bid submission deadlines linked to the schedule items. So if you have that all built in one single template, that’s usually what I will go for as far as coaching my clients to build out. But then, we work with spec builders too. And so you can have different templates based on your models or floor plans and then the pricing or the schedule or different aspects based on the floor plan or different elevations. And so, it genuinely does kind of depend on where you’re at in the industry, but typically trying to get one as comprehensively built, at least to start, to get accustomed to using it is usually the avenue that we typically take.

Marge Haley:

Got it. Okay. Onto the question of the hour. When is the best time to start using templates?

Chloe Hiatt:

People’s opinions may differ, but I really like to coach my clients to get started as quickly as possible. Once you start to understand the mechanics of the Schedule, we can click the new button and put the title in, and put however many days we want it to last. Once you start understanding the functionality, really, that is where you can start to build your template out, too. So you start to build the Schedule out. Then you start to think through all the elements of the process of the build, where you want those checks, or you want the to-do reminders, and you can start to add those in because the benefit of doing that is you really start to think through the process and you start to use it. You start to realize, oh, well, maybe something slipped through the cracks, or maybe we don’t need this reminder, or maybe we don’t need that. And you start to use it more and more so you can iterate on it as necessary, but I’m of the opinion sooner rather than later definitely,

Marge Haley:

No time like the present.

Chloe Hiatt:

Absolutely.

Marge Haley:

Yes.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah.

Marge Haley:

Wow, Chloe, that was awesome. You’re understanding and knowledge of the construction industry and what happens inside of a company, and how they manage their builds is really unmatched. I really appreciate you being here.

Chloe Hiatt:

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me.

Marge Haley:

And for all of you out there, thanks for listening. And be sure to rate, review and subscribe to “The Better Way” wherever you get your podcasts. Tune in next time to learn how to prepare your schedule before going live. You won’t want to miss it.

Marge Haley and Chloe Hiatt | Buildertrend


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