Technology enhancing the way we deliver construction services

Luckily, constant improvement in the information technology sector is bringing so many innovative and helpful products and services to the market. These platforms, tools, and networks are quickly changing the way engineering, architecture, and construction-consulting services are delivered to valued clients: faster, smarter, and with better quality.

Marx|Okubo is so fortunate to have one of its nine offices located in the epicenter of the tech industry, so we are constantly watching IT trends and adopting advancements that can play a critical role in enhancing observation, analysis, and communication processes for all of our building services.

When performing site visits, whether for new construction oversight or existing building analysis, we are often reviewing physical improvements in relation to the design documents that guided construction activities. Before hardware technology like tablets and smartphones were advanced enough to hold large volumes of digital content and allow for interaction with that content at sufficient speed, Marx|Okubo (like everyone else) was forced into fragmented and delayed interaction with critical design information. We had to reference drawings away from the locations where we made real-time observations, which ultimately slowed knowledge-value transfer to owners, developers, and contractors.

The good news is today we have at our fingertips very powerful mobile devices that are all connected to Marx|Okubo's project data, wherever our technicians may be. With our continued investment in the latest technology devices we are able to also leverage the best field applications.

For example, one industry-leading technology we are now using is an exciting cloud-based construction communication platform called PlanGrid. This construction-drawing management tool operates in real time, ensuring all project team members reference only the most current drawings, and allows for greater collaboration and transparency between owners (and their representatives) and design, development, and construction teams.

Applicable to both new-construction oversight and existing building analysis, PlanGrid gives our professionals instant access to current design information where they need it most—in the field, in the office, or wherever a construction project takes them. Should issues arise along the way, the platform allows Marx|Okubo to communicate faster and more effectively with clients to resolve conflicts quicker than ever before.

Ask your Marx|Okubo project lead about how we are leveraging technology on projects nationwide.