As many contractors are gearing up for the busy season, this would be the time where you can re-evaluate how your company bids jobs and estimates costs. There are more efficient ways than handwritten proposals or a map colored with highlighters. Technology such as Go iPave was created to accomplish just that. The cloud-based software makes it fast and easy for pavement maintenance contractors to measure and bid jobs with aerial imagery more in a more accurate, efficient and safe manner.
“Go iPave helps contractors increase profit, reduce expenses, save time and gain a competitive advantage,” says Curt Conrad, president and chief marketing officer at Go iPave. “The software lets industry professionals create detailed and phased jobsite maps that provide an advantage in the sales process. Those site maps also provide operational excellence by ensuring crews are performing the work efficiently and correctly.”
How it Works
The property measuring tool is intuitive and can be accessed through any internet browser, such as Google Chrome or Firefox, no external app or technology is required. When estimating a potential property, simply enter the address you would like to view, and a map is created using latitude and longitude coordinates. “Go iPave uses aerial imagery from EagleView,” says Kelsea McGraw, customer success associate at Go iPave. “They [EagleView] fly their planes at low altitudes during the spring to produce clear and detailed property images.”
The high-resolution aerial imagery will help contractors see all the details of the potential job from a perspective that they couldn’t achieve simply by visiting a property. This also give the user the opportunity to create a site map that is customizable to each project.
“Site maps are created using onscreen tools and can be color coded using a system of map layers called groups,” says Chris Ascolese, director of business development at Go iPave. “Users can quickly zoom in to view details like cracked pavement or zoom out to see the entire property. There are multiple measuring tools such as distance, volume, count and more.”
With a few clicks of a mouse, a contractor can click around the perimeter of a parking lot or other surfaces to generate the total square footage.
Additionally, projects are stored in the cloud, allowing ease of access from any device with an internet connection. All measuring data can be downloaded into an Excel or CSV spreadsheet and photos can be saved as overhead or angle views in .JPEG or PDF formats.
Go iPave also offers a comprehensive knowledge base with articles, FAQ’s and how-to videos. “We offer an onscreen tour, tool tips options, a support button for a conversation through chat, email or phone,” explains Ascolese.
Project Execution
The project execution strategy is usually the longest phase in project management and utilizes many company resources. From visiting the site, taking measurements and pictures, to physically mapping out the job can be time consuming and run your company resources thin. Along with the planning, you also set up a meeting with the property owner to discuss the scope of work and the proposal.
Go iPave encompasses the whole execution strategy into a simple, easy to explain map with multiple layers for all steps of the pavement maintenance process. “It’s a powerful way to organize the different parts of a job,” says Conrad. “For example, you could create a crackfill group, one for sidewalks or striping. You could also create groups for phased work like day one or day two.”
This gives your crew a clear vision of what needs to be done and when, while the maps and images you create can be used to show the property owner, so they have clear expectations of what is going on every step of the way. “It provides a great sales experience to show the prospect how their job will be handled by revealing each day’s work,” added Conrad. “Customers are impressed as they see their job unfold visually one phase at a time.”
Smart Dimes Beat Dumb Dollars
Improving productivity is an essential part of your business. If your estimators or crew get more done in less time, that will save the company money. Cutting costs is one important part of running an effective business. Utilizing technology can aid in the cost cutting initiatives. “By measuring virtually, contractors will save time, they no longer have to visit a property multiple times to hand-measure and reduce the risk of forgetting measurements,” says McGraw.
Finding the time to prepare pavement maintenance estimates can be a daunting task, especially if you offer free estimates. It is time to dig deep and determine best practices, evaluate current processes and strive for operational excellence.
“Over time, systematic efficiencies can produce compounding competitive advantages and profit for your pavement maintenance business,” says Conrad.
