Getting the Most Out of OpenSpace + Construction Technology
July 11, 2024
As construction technology is advancing, the number of solutions at your disposal is nearing an endless volume. And it’s not just specific to construction technology; as construction professionals, you’re also considering things like conferencing technologies, different collaboration tools and even various hardware. Sometimes it can seem like a daunting task to not only evaluate the available tools, but then also learn how to use and implement them across an organization, once selected. Ease of use is likely always top of mind, as that will improve the adoption rate across teams.
We sat down with Jeremy Atkinson, Process Improvement and Project Manager/Lean Coach and Facilitator at Landis Construction a while ago and he shared how OpenSpace was helping his team gain efficiencies and he had some great tips for adoption.
For best adoption, Jeremy notes:
- Have an internal champion
- Include OpenSpace in new employee onboarding
- Lean on OpenSpace resources including customer success, support, local resources and the OpenSpace Academy
- Make sure you have the proper number of 360° cameras
About those 360° cameras…
That last point about having the proper number of cameras was an interesting one. One of the key tenets of being a lean practitioner, as Jeremy is, is eliminating wastes. So when Jeremy and team first began using OpenSpace, they had a select few cameras and those cameras would be couriered between jobsites for captures. What they ultimately found was that this led to fewer captures and added a level of inconvenience. The value of ensuring that every jobsite had easy access to a camera any time they needed it, far outweighed the amount of money saved by buying fewer cameras. Once they made that change, they saw the usage of OpenSpace increase three-fold.
Utilization of construction technology
Making the most of your construction technology isn’t just about adoption, but also utilizing the tools to their fullest. Compare it to how you would want to use a physical tool; let’s say an excavator. If you have site prep to do and there’s a decent amount of earth moving that needs to be done, you bring out an excavator. Before you get started, there are a couple trees marked for removal. We’re not getting axes and chainsaws out; we’re using the excavator. There’s also a small structure on site that needs to be demo’d. Good thing we have that excavator. The bucket on the excavator did a great job with the debris removal too… except for those trees and the long pieces of lumber from the structure. Do we consider the axes and chainsaws again or do we utilize a grapple on the excavator? Grapple, please.
Excavators were made to move dirt and dig and that’s what they’re used for most regularly, but look at all the other stuff you can accomplish with them. Think about how they’ve evolved over time. It’s not completely dissimilar to tech. In our conversation with Jeremy, he also shared the ways in which Landis’ teams get the most out of OpenSpace.
Tell us more, Jeremy…
- Utilize OpenSpace for pre-con to provide the highest level of information and eliminate excuses
- Utilize integrations with project management solutions for one less password to remember
- Capture, capture, capture!
- Capture regularly
- Capture before every wall gets closed
- Capture before AND after any predicted weather or natural event
The initial value of OpenSpace for Jeremy was jobsite documentation, but pre-con was a clear added value for them – kind of like using the excavator for demo. Why wouldn’t you use what you already have to make your job easier? Many other customers have begun using OpenSpace for safety management and risk mitigation.
Another great use case Jeremy shared was OpenSpace for Gemba walks. If you’re not familiar with Gemba walks, they’re a highly regarded tool for continuous improvement, where one “goes and sees” in order to gain understanding and identify opportunities for productivity gains and/or eliminating wastes.
If you would like to hear more about how Landis gets the most out of OpenSpace (and learn more about those Gemba walks), you can watch our recorded chat with Jeremy here.