“Outcome Using ArcSite: Up to 66% Reduction in Output Time”
Regency Lighting is a commercial lighting distributor that delivers lighting expertise to their customers and provides quality lighting products based on their specific needs.As a successful lighting company that caters to large-scale projects that require their help in multiple project phases, Regency offers multiple services. Providing everything from lighting design consulting and new construction lighting, to retrofit lighting and lighting maintenance, Regency’s field surveys need to be consistently flawless. Regency required a solution that prevented inaccurate lighting audits, which led them to ArcSite.
This case study delves into Regency’s experience and how ArcSite helped them deliver quality, error-free services in just a fraction of the time it previously did.
As a commercial lighting distributor, malls are common projects for Regency Lighting. Drew Thompson, the head of their Field Services department, recognized the need to conduct more effective mall surveys. Their original approach to lighting audits was lacking a visual component and was putting them at risk of inaccuracies.
What they needed was a way to represent the job site’s lighting fixtures visually -a map of some sort. Additionally, a disconnect existed between the textual data collected and what one would actually see in the field. They realized a visual component would provide much more “weight” to a lighting audit, and that another way of collecting and associating data was critical to successful audits.
Prior to ArcSite, they were using a spreadsheet and bundling this together with photos taken on site. This approach made it difficult for the uppers to get a 360-degree view of a project. The data was rather flat and there was too much room for human error in this approach
What’s more, the following problems were also encountered due to the old approach:
ArcSite’s iPad CAD app allowed Regency to easily create a map of each job site with data and photos that could be tied directly to relevant sections of each site.
Scaling this map allowed them to freely collect precise measurements using the app as a tool to guide them through walking a site. This resulted in a simpler and quicker lighting audit, as well as a noticeable improvement in the integrity of Regency’s counts.
Having a visual aid facilitated more effective discussions during everyday work. The map could be referred back to, and with just a couple taps of the screen, the data associated with the map and specific parts of it could be pulled up on the screen for reference.
For Regency, they use the visual at multiple phases of a project. Initially, this proved helpful for reporting and audits. However, they discovered this also then helped with the physical installation. Furthermore, it could be used as a deliverable that they could pass off to customers for the purpose of lighting maintenance.
When Regency began to use ArcSite for their visual mapping of job sites, they also discovered just how easy it was to create quick, accurate takeoffs with the app.
Prior to using ArcSite, Regency encountered inefficiencies in the creation of takeoff documents for customers. Historically, their approach to takeoffs had left them vulnerable to human error during data collection.
The paper-to-computer data transfer process they previously used put them at high risk of human error. Relying on humans to count quantities, tally them up and break them out by section was depleting time and resources in their day-to-day work.
Regency was suddenly able to have their takeoffs built “automatically” as they walked a job site collecting data. As Drew Thompson put it, having the takeoff built automatically while you’re walking a site “changes everything.”
Their team experienced an exponential increase in data accuracy. This is due to the ability to collect data on quantities, materials and take note of other important needs for the job while at the source. This means less information is missed, and the digital input directly into an iPad significantly reduces the chance that some information might get lost.
Now, they can have peace of mind knowing that ArcSite is helping them collect complete, accurate and high-precision data tied to a visual map and the takeoff. For Regency Lighting, this became the biggest driver for using ArcSite within their company.
Prior to using ArcSite, Regency experienced an excess of change orders. With the large-sized jobs involved in their business, it’s no surprise.
When Regency worked on a huge apartment complex to help with the installation of retrofit lighting, fixture counts were way off. This resulted in an inaccurate price being quoted to their customer.
This meant they had to create a change order. However, a change order is never simply a change order. It involves back-and-forth communication with the customer and sometimes higher estimates, causing potential relationship issues. Even when the job ends well, you can’t take back the headache that was caused in the process for your customer.
With this particular apartment complex job, there was a three-day-long conversation to address the change order. What’s more, Regency’s crew was sitting on this project for a few weeks while waiting for new light fixtures. Meanwhile, the cost of hotels and other employee expenses added up significantly due to the change orders.
This problem wouldn’t have existed if the counts were simply accurate in the first place.
Collecting data via predefined questions within a custom ArcSite form drastically reduced the risk of inaccurate counts for Regency’s future jobs. In turn, this mitigated the risk of misquoting a price to a customer.
Drew Thompson claimed that the increased comfort level for their field workers was another benefit of using ArcSite. He easily set up a custom form himself once, and it could be used over and over again. The custom form acts as a guide for field workers to use while walking a site during a lighting audit, or any type of site survey. This ensures they don’t forget any step of the process, and that quicker audits can be conducted.
Best of all, this is within Drew’s control.
What’s more, the predefined questions and drop-down answers Drew set up on the form promoted consistent, accurate data across the job for everyone to access in one place. All of this leads to an accurate takeoff document, and therefore an accurate estimate for the job.
Since using ArcSite, accurate estimates have helped them to earn trust and customer loyalty. In effect, this can turn into repeat business and new customer referrals.
Prior to using ArcSite, not only did Regency Lighting’s employees experience inefficient communication across teams, but they also were experiencing an inefficient use of time.
For the design team tasked with digitizing paper drawings via desktop CAD software, the starting point for their work was chicken scratch on paper. This then needed to be interpreted in order to translate it into a CAD version of the drawing. This took significant time in the rework process, as well as time spent on back-and-forth communication with
the field workers for clarity.
Oftentimes, it’s difficult for the design team to interpret what a field worker wrote on the paper. This requires them to consult the field workers- and from time to time, the field workers can’t remember exactly what they wrote. This means that sometimes there needs to be a certain level of guesswork, or a job site needs to be revisited altogether.
With pencil and paper, there is also simply a large risk of error in transferring that data from paper to computer.
On top of that, the designs are now more accurate, and fewer questions need to be asked. There is less error in interpretation. This freed up more time for designers, allowing them to put that extra time elsewhere.
Not only do drawings now take less time, but the time it takes to do audits has also been drastically reduced.
What used to be an 8-hour process is now a 3 ½ – 4-hour process. This is at least a 50% reduction in time spent conducting audits.
The designers at Regency Lighting are so pleased with how much easier ArcSite has made their work, that they will not settle for any other types of drawings anymore.
Designers are not the only ones thrilled with ArcSite at Regency. In fact, even their customers are requesting it. They like to see concepts clearly demonstrated right in front of their eyes on the iPad, and they love the ability to give input and watch their vision come alive.
The design is clean, measurements are precise, and sharing is efficient and easy. It’s no wonder customers would prefer ArcSite over any other CAD software output or paper drawing.
Regency’s customers are so pleased with the outcomes of ArcSite, that it gives Regency a competitive edge in their business. ArcSite allows them to communicate the utmost professionalism at every stage of the
project.
With ArcSite, you save time from not having to go home or to your hotel at night to consolidate data. Since you’re entering data directly into a computer when you collect it at the source, you don’t need to enter it again. Unlike paper, your data is clean, accurate, immediately uploaded and tied into other documents.
With ArcSite, photos can be taken with the app and instantly associated with the project you’re working on. To take it one step further, photos can even be incorporated into your takeoff forms and embedded into your drawings at a precise location.
Back in the office, photos are instantly accessible and your field workers can share so much more information this way. The best part is that you don’t need to spend time sorting through photos, labeling them, and associating them with jobs. The work is done for you.
Hand-offs to the design team are quicker. Quality communication between the field and the “experts” in the organization for matters outside of expertise is made possible with instant sharing of photos and plans. Sharing designs is quick and you have the ability to separate layers of a drawing to share specific parts with the relevant people.
The ability to create custom shapes and save them for the entire organization to use is undeniably game-changing. This saves field workers significant time and ensures consistent delivery in visual maps across projects. The data they’re able to attach to the shapes can link up to custom forms, making estimates and deliverables even easier.
Are you ready to experience these amazing improvements in your own workday as Regency Lighting did?
Imagine how much easier and efficient your days will become when you experience ArcSite, too! You’ll be on your way to reduced costs, streamlined processes, and less headache in your day-to-day work. Begin to streamline your workday and earn more repeat business with happier clients today.
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