Our features
If BuildSync can handle a 530-page submittal, imagine what it can do for your team. Book a demo today!
Overview
Company: Monteith Construction
Role: Jacob Delargy, Project Engineer
Project Type/Size: Commercial GC working on projects, including a $100M+ high school construction
Monteith Construction's submittal reviews were historically slow, manual, and error-prone. Project Engineers bore the brunt of this work, spending countless hours reviewing submittals with mixed results. By implementing BuildSync, Monteith transformed its process, resulting in a faster turnaround and higher first-time approval rates.
The Challenge
Before BuildSync, the submittal process relied entirely on manual reviews:
"Submittals were manually reviewed. Typically, the reviewer has multiple screens up so that they can review the submittal against the specs and drawings."
The team was struggling with capacity and accuracy:
"Prior to BuildSync, the team and I were trying to manage a large submittal log with a small staff. We also have team members that are new to the industry so we are trying to achieve accurate and efficient submittal review."
Jacob understood that they needed to think outside of the box when dealing with large, complex submittals:
"I realized that we need a tool to improve our submittal review process when we received multiple large submittals that required a lot of time and attention prior to submission to our design team."
Why BuildSync
The search for a better solution was driven by a clear goal:
"We were hoping to improve our first-time approval rate through more accurate review."
Forward-thinking by nature, Monteith was already committed to using technology effectively:
"Our company believes in utilizing tools like BuildSync to make small teams more effective."
Onboarding & Adoption
Jacob states that getting BuildSync up and running was effortless:
"Tom Port and I initially sat down for a call where he covered BuildSync's capabilities."
The team approached it with measured expectations, carrying the healthy skepticism that naturally comes with new technology:
"Our team was cautiously optimistic when we brought BuildSync on. We wanted to see how well it could review large submittals that were technically complex."
The Solution: Automated Submittal Reviews
Today, BuildSync is integrated at the front of Monteith's submittal process:
"BuildSync is the first stop a submittal makes in our workflow once it is turned in by a subcontractor. The report and markup generated by BuildSync then helps our reviewer navigate through the submittal as they perform their own review prior to sending the submittal off to the architect and engineer."
The automation focuses on critical compliance checks:
"BuildSync has helped automate reviewing our product information for compliance with the specs."
Results & Impact
The impact was measurable:
"We have seen an improvement in our review times and acceptance rates."
The team can now focus on higher-value work:
"BuildSync's ability to review product data submittals has allowed us to focus more attention and energy to larger submittals and shop drawings."
BuildSync proved its value on large, complex submittals:
"We have felt this way when BuildSync helped review a 530 page A/V submittal as well as other large product data submittals."
Jacob has noticed that BuildSync uncovers mistakes early, before they become costly problems:
"BuildSync has helped us review multiple submittals against multiple specs that I would not have thought to reference during my own review process."
User Feedback
The team appreciates the core functionality while noting areas for improvement:
"We like most the generated report and speed of review. We would love to see the report become more user friendly as far as the page number referenced in construction documents."
Relationship Impact
The improved process has strengthened external relationships:
"This has improved our relationships with subs because it has helped us offer solid feedback on reviews and revisions."
For team morale:
"This tool has helped take some of the pressure off of our team as we work to manage submittal review."
Final Word
When recommending BuildSync to peers, Jacob suggests:
"I would say to try it and see how the tool helps fill gaps in your submittal review process."
