The World of Concrete is full of exhibitors showing off tools, equipment, and materials involving concrete, but there is also a large group of technology companies looking to touch base with specialty contractors in attendance. Procore is one of those technology companies and they showed us several product enhancements already released in 2020.
Among the updates are Artificial Intelligence for machine learning, a new search function, field productivity changes, BIM enhancements, and Quality and Safety enhancements. For more information, check out the video and the written descriptions below:
Artificial Intelligence
Searching for photos can be a real hassle, especially if you’re looking for one specific thing. Procore is now using AI to make searching a little easier. Simply type in a term like “piping” or framing” and the software will use machine learning to auto-recognize pictures with those items in them. Procore has millions of photos uploaded to the system every single week, so the technology will only get better as it gets used more.
Search
In addition to being able to use AI to return photos containing specific items, the search bar will also return a list of documents that used that search term, as well, like RFIs, meeting minutes, or observations.
Field Productivity
For self-performing and specialty contractors, tracking time is key. Procore updates in their Field Productivity product makes adding and assigning time to specific cost codes even easier.
BIM Measurements
Procore BIM was released last year and prides itself of ease of navigation through 3D models. A feature that was just added was the ability to measure distances between materials with a couple taps of a button.
Quality and Safety
In the past, quality and safety checklists within Procore were limited to yes/no or pass/fail options. Now, users can add custom ranges to their forms to determine how close or far they were to passing or failing. For instance, a set of temperature ranges can be added and selected from, which makes analyzing that data much easier than before.
Procore, the construction management software company, has been rumored to be interested in filing for an IPO since at least 2019. In the Spring of 2020, Procore ended up delaying its plans to go public after it received $150million in funding and a valuation of around $5 million, citing interest in raising more money amidst an uncertain economy during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last summer, we learned that Travelers Insurance believed that using Procore as a project management tool helped contractors reduce risk on their projects so much that they were willing to help pay for them to join the platform. That deal was previously limited to customers in 10 US states, but Travelers and Procore have collaborated to further expand that program.
From a management-level perspective, the true value of adopting new technologies in the construction industry is the ability to quickly and reliably gather data. It’s nearly impossible to make a sound business decision without it, yet it’s still – in a way -- a relatively new concept in the industry. We’ve always collected data, but many times it’s stuck in paper forms or tucked away in a file on someone’s laptop, not easily sharable with others in the company. So now that construction data is easier than ever to collect and organize thanks to the massive innovation that’s taken place over the last decade, how do we best utilize it?
In what has become a growing trend in the construction technology sector, Procore has acquired another company to help grow their platform. Last year, Procore purchased Honest Buildings, a project management software aimed at owners and developers, before creating Procore for Owners. The company has also acquired ConstructionBI , a data insight app and BIManywhere, a mobile 3D model viewing company which helped them create Procore BIM, in recent years.
Specialty trades contractors are typically forced to use whatever project management software that the General Contractor or project owner of each project requires, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to having a project management system of their own. Procore has seen a large amount of these specialty contractors joining their platform over the past year and have just announced the release of two new features specifically for them: Real-Time Labor Productivity and Time & Material Tickets.
Groundbreak, Procore’s annual construction technology conference, officially started today and, while it’s in a virtual capacity instead of in-person like usual, there’s no shortage of Procore news and updates. At Groundbreak 2 years ago, the company announced Procore BIM and, this year, their adding two new features to make even more user friendly in the field: Dynamic Wall Elevations and Follow Me.
Chances are, if your construction company is using any sort of technology, you’re using more than one different application. That’s true for many Procore customers, as well, as over 40% of them use at least two other apps that are integrated into the Procore platform. In order to help contractors manage these 3rd party apps, Procore has recently released App Management Metrics to all of their customers.
With so many things still in flux in the construction industry due to the effects of the pandemics, it’s an extremely important time for employers to be able to get their open positions in front of the right candidates and for job seekers to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. Construction management software company, Procore, has recently released a new job posting platform specifically tailored to the construction industry for free.
As jobsites continue to be shut down throughout the country and office staff has been working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, more and more construction companies are relying on technology to help keep them afloat. Many companies and projects have also begun shifting into different roles, some even to help provide more facilities for healthcare and manufacturing to help in relief as the virus spreads.
Hot off of the acquisition of Honest Buildings, a project management software aimed at owners and developers, Procore has announced they have acquired yet another tech company to help bolster their offerings.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.