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However, as Brett and Josh built their business, they found they were spending a large amount of their time in the office, writing job estimates. Josh said even writing basic estimates with little detail was becoming too time-consuming. 

“I think we started off probably like most small companies start off…and that’s with good old-fashioned pen and paper,” he said. “That’s where countless hours got put into after work, just sitting down behind a desk, looking at paper plans, and translating that onto paper.” 

Brett agreed, saying that estimate writing was taking time away from his family and friends. 

“Before Buildxact, we were doing all of our quoting, estimating—well—it was all after hours. So, the work-life balance wasn’t fantastic,” he said. 

How Buildxact makes a difference  

Brett, Josh and his team left the pen, paper, and even spreadsheets, behind when they made the switch to Buildxact construction management software.  

Since switching to Buildxaxct, VW Building Projects has done way with writing basic estimates. They now provide accurate and detailed digital estimates, which have led to a higher quote win rate for their business, in a fraction of the time.

“We found Buildxact has played a huge role in setting us apart and just helping us win projects,” Brett said. “The ability to quote accurately and quickly and present it really well just stands out.” 

With Buildxact’s estimating tool, Josh and Brett now have the ability to break jobs into major tasks and their associated subtasks. They can also assign costs by type, whether that’s material or labor. With Buildxact, material costs are easily associated with each task using integrated supplier pricing. 

Brett says this interactive capability within the software is critical to their business operations. 

“It makes estimating an absolute breeze. We have had a couple of large (material) brands that had their catalog updated, and we know what’s been updated for every item and what it’s going to cost.” 

For Josh, having a detailed estimating tool like Buildxact was personally impactful. 

“I think one of the turning points was when Brett and I were going out on a Sunday to have a look at a job. And, like everyone, our customer wants to sort of have an answer tomorrow. So, we try our best to put our best foot forward. 

“And I think that was the turning point where I realized ‘I really don’t want to be sitting down on a Sunday, estimating jobs to be able to give it to them on a Monday.’ But with Buildxact, it’s simple.” 

How Buildxact improves estimating in less time 

Integrated supplier pricing has helped VW Building Projects guarantee they have the latest, most accurate pricing; giving them the confidence to know their quote is not only competitive but will also turn a fair profit. With Buildxact, hunting down your supplier’s latest material price catalogs is a thing of the past. 

“Being able to have live prices via our suppliers is the difference between winning or losing a job,” Josh said. “Obviously, prices change dramatically almost daily when it comes to certain materials.

So being able to just log on and find the going rate is so powerful.” 

“I think everyone’s well aware that prices keep fluctuating and there seems to be no happy medium. So being able to log on to Buildxact and view our suppliers’ prices daily just makes our estimates a lot more accurate.,” he said. 

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The hard-working employees of Just Building Group, a family-owned and operated building company based in the Southeastern part of Melbourne, Australia, don’t miss the days of pencils and manual updates. Long days at the office were often made longer when important documents, like variations, were lost.

Fortunately, those archaic days are long gone since the company started using Buildxact’s estimating and project management software.

“Things don’t get missed,” says Stephen Griffin, estimator for Just Building Group. “In the old days, paper and pen, emails, plans, if there is a change in office, it’s left on someone’s desk, gets put under a pile of other paper, and the variation doesn’t get to the supervisor; doesn’t get to the supplier. With Buildxact, that is all eliminated.”

Since they started using Buildxact, Just Building Group says they’ve significantly improved productivity. By moving from stacks of paperwork to one digital, online solution, they are out of the office and on-site to keep all projects organized and flowing.

“Back in the day, I’d have sheets of paper everywhere, especially for ordering and changes,” says the company’s Project Manager Justin Monk, a registered builder and carpenter with 30-plus years of construction experience. “Now, nothing gets changed and missed from job to job.”

Buildxact has drastically reduced the time it takes to build estimates and get bids out the door from weeks to just days.

“That often makes the difference when closing a new customer,” says Griffin. “In this environment, time is of the essence. The quicker we can get a quote out to a client, the less cold they go.”

The team knows a quick response is essential for a superior customer experience that helps them stand out from the competition and win more work.

“If you get a customer waiting too long, they go cold and standoffish,” says Griffin. “You have got to try and bid ‘em when they are still excited. It’s a personal endeavor for them, so you have to keep that endeavor upbeat.”

The team’s key to getting accurate bids out the door quickly is using Buildxact’s digital takeoff tool to replace time-consuming material takeoffs done with pencil and paper.

“With a click of a computer mouse, square meter measurements can be worked out for multiple tasks, like plastering, insulation and painting,” says Griffin. “I don’t have to keep going back and doing that same calculation. It’s really good and easy.”

Just Building Group team members say they have found Buildxact’s construction estimating software easy to learn and easy to use.

With Buildxact’s takeoff tool, contractor labour and overhead costs for things like equipment rentals, can easily be added to ensure complete estimates that protect the company’s profits.

“The ease of using this program allows us to set goals and achieve those goals in a timely manner, so I can go home and be with the family,” says Griffin.

Buildxact’s job management, accounting integration and cost-tracking features also allow for seamless communication between the company’s clients, office staff and those on the building site.

Nicky Monk, Operations Manager for Just Building Group, says she quickly works out variations and other customer changes among the clients, suppliers and trades working a home project.

“It takes us out on-site more, rather than being stuck in the office doing mundane things,” she says. “The tradies can be out on the site discussing build tasks, rather than going over notes a hundred times.”

“With Buildxact, approving estimates and variations is made easier,” says Griffin. “The team can upload photos and other visual aids to the online Client Portal, which shows the customer exactly what they are buying and the related costs.

“When they see the level of detail of what they are getting, it blows their mind,” he says. “They rarely come back with questions. I’ve never seen any other program do it — we love it.”

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“The ease of Buildxact was just plain as day” – That’s how clear and obvious the benefits of Buildxact are to Jack Clough and his renovation business, Nook Construction.  

Based out of inner-city Melbourne, Nook Construction specializes in the renovation of small, boutique homes, with a keen eye for the little details and a passion for working closely and collaboratively with clients.

Construction wasn’t Jack’s initial plan. He originally attended school to be a lawyer, but a gap year working as a carpenter led to his true calling. Nook Construction began in the carpentry space before moving into new builds and renovations. Along the way, Jack discovered how important it is to have the right tools in place, and that included the best construction software.

“We were looking for a tool to simplify everything for us, and that’s exactly the role Buildxact took on,” says Jack. “Buildxact swooped in and saved the day.”  

From takeoffs to job management, Buildxact is helping Jack and his team across the board. The ease of the takeoff tool leaves loads of time for the important things, says Jack… like being on-site or meeting with clients. 

Jack is also making use of the Buildxact ‘Recipes’ feature, which allows him to combine line items from a single entry into an estimate, which can be used again and again on different jobs.  

“To be able to create a recipe and get an accurate costing creates heaps of confidence for us, and it’s fair to the client.” Jack says that transparency and fairness to clients has helped Nook Construction win more work and develop a quality reputation in the industry.  

Nook Construction makes it a point to provide excellent detail in their quotes, and Buildxact’s custom quoting features makes that possible.  

“Buildxact has definitely made us win more work,” says Jack. “We get feedback from clients and architects saying our cost proposals are the best they’ve seen. It sets us apart”.  

Jack says he has more control now than ever over his numbers and is able to provide the most accurate and professional quotes for his clients. Buildxact is providing them with greater confidence in their numbers, and it’s paying off. “Buildxact has taken a lot of stress out of cost proposals. When I have those conversations with clients, I can be confident that everything is there and it builds that trust.” 

Jack says Buildxact has become the one source of truth for Nook Construction. Not only are they winning more work, but they’re staying efficient and saving time for the important things.  

The right construction software is a game changer for any construction business. It’s time to ditch the pen and paper, move on from the spreadsheets, and get Buildxact.  

As Jack will tell you, it’s quick and easy to get started with and will do you wonders. “You’re still using pen and paper?? We use Buildxact and we love it. It’s something I couldn’t live without! You’re crazy for not using Buildxact!”   

The message couldn’t be clearer.  

To see what Buildxact can do for your residential construction or renovation business, book a demo today or test it for yourself with our 14-day risk free trial.   

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• Dahlsens reduced weekly hours to service customers from 4 hours to 1 hour 
• Builders generate quotes 5x faster 
• Order accuracy increased, reducing follow-up calls and emails 
• Dahlsens increases market share 

Background

Dahlsens is one of Australia’s leading building material suppliers having operated in Australia since 1877. In 2013, the company faced stiff competition from Big Box retailers and pivoted away from supplying the DIY market to focus solely on its trade business.  

“With an ever-increasing competitive landscape in the DIY retail space, we decided to return to our heritage of looking after local builders. In making this change, we knew that pricing would still be very competitive and that we would need to uplift our services significantly to satisfy the needs of our individual builders.” 

Today, Dahlsens employs more than 1,300 staff across four subsidiaries, exclusively focused on delivering whole-of-house to builders, renovators and trades.  

Dahlsens account managers take pride in the high level of personalized service offered to its customers. For example, they spend significant time with customers not just helping them place orders, but also supporting estimation, scheduling their jobs and helping with strategies to grow their businesses. 

Challenge

In 2019, Jamie Dahlsen, General Manager of Innovation & Technology, saw an opportunity to improve efficiency among the small and medium builders and trades, who make up most of their customer base.  

“We noticed that the majority of our small to medium-sized customers suffered from a lack of organized business activities due to an absence of any digital project management or estimating systems,” Dahlsen said. “Most of the major software providers for builders at the time provided large, complex platforms suited to larger enterprises.” 

So, if Dahlsens could help the builder find affordable business software, simple enough to use, their builders and trades would likely grow while providing Dahlsens an efficient way to offer superior customer service. 

Solution

In 2019, Buildxact and Dahlsens formed a true partnership aimed at helping drive efficiency and growth. Buildxact was offered to Dahlsens builders, and those builders who signed on grew and became more efficient in multiple phases of their business. 

Dahlsens’ builders reduce takeoff time by up to 85% percent

For instance, on Buildxact, Dahlsens’ customers reduced the time needed to complete takeoffs. In one case, Jason Amos of McMasters Homes reduced takeoff and quoting time from three business days to four hours–an 85% improvement.  

As builders completed takeoffs and quotes to customers faster, they became more responsive and won more work. Overall, builders said they shaved a week off the amount of time needed to prepare and send customer quotes.  

“The ability of my customers to be able to quote quickly is one of the key benefits of Buildxact,” said David Lewer, a Dahlsens account manager. “If they’re waiting for three or four days for a supplier to come back to them, that’s a wasted opportunity. Buildxact makes the builder much more professional because they can get the quote back the same night or the next morning in a beautiful format, completely done. As result, my customers have grown their business.” 

Dahlsens saves 3 hours per week per customer

In 2021, Dahlsens also supplied live price lists in Buildxact, and this gave builders the ability to estimate and use up-to-date pricing to order directly from Dahlsens within the same software environment. More than 200 builders signed up, and as a result, Dahlsens saw a massive increase in efficiency and sales. 

Dahlsens account managers reduced the time spent on administrative tasks from 4 hours to just 1 hour per week. Account managers reported spending more time truly collaborating and consulting with their clients, Dahlsen said. 

Customer John Peros, Managing Director of Peros Built, said he appreciates the time saved with integrated price lists. 

“Dahlsens’ price lists being provided to us through Buildxact is an absolute blessing to my business,” Peros said. “It stops all those phone calls in between and waiting for prices and quotes. I can look up an item, and the cost is there, on-demand. It’s just incredible.” 

Customers like Simon Mannah from Prescom Constructions said he saw more accurate cost estimates. 

“The integration of Dahlsens with Buildxact has eliminated a lot of human error and made my purchase orders faster to send across and more accurate. Having updated pricing, especially with the constant rise in material prices, has been a godsend to keep up with the market and ensure we are the most competitive at all times,” Mannah said. 

Customers consolidated spend with Dahlsens

As builders completed estimates, quotes, and orders with less effort, Dahlsens also noted other trends:  

• More than 1-in-3 builders began buying new categories; 
• These builders consolidated their vendors, choosing Dahlsens more often; 
• Of those who bought new categories, those builders increased order size by 49 percent. 

Summary

Over the past two years, Dahlsens customers have grown while becoming more efficient. With this stronger customer base, Dahlsens revenue also grew. In 2021, Dahlsens doubled its market share from the previous year, according to purchase order activity generated within Buildxact. 

“In short, our customers are delighted with this partnership, and this has made us more efficient, has helped us grow sales, and will continue to enhance our customer relationships over time,” said Jamie Dahlsen. 

What’s ahead

Moving forward, Dahlsens plans to continue improving services offered to their customers using Buildxact by using the existing digital connection between the Dahlsens and Buildxact systems. Furthermore, Dahlsens plans to use data-driven decisions to manage inventory and supply stocks. Simply put, past buying patterns logged with Buildxact can predict future buying behavior, according to Jamie Dahlsen. 

“If we get permission from our customers to see other information in their Buildxact environment, such as scheduling, we can see if they are working effectively, and from that we can start pre-empting and managing our stock levels more effectively for those customers.” Dahlsen said. 

Want to learn more?

Visit our website to see how Buildxact construction estimating and management software can improve your customer relations to increase sales, lower administrative costs and build customer loyalty. 

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• Builders, suppliers become more efficient with 24/7 access to material pricing 
• Digital takeoffs take 80% less time to complete leaving behind pencil and paper 
• Builders get more done with less overhead using software  
• More efficient builders free supplierr account managers to grow sales 

Background

Mitre 10, founded in 1959 and now one of the largest suppliers in Australia, operates a network of trade and retail outlets, including more than 400 Mitre 10 and True Value outlets privately owned by more than 300 individuals. The network of supplierrs also has done business in New Zealand since 1974. 

Mitre 10 prides itself on serving a wide variety of high-quality materials and services to a diverse range of trades. National builders to local custom home builders complete their jobs faster working with Mitre 10. The company provides whole-of-house solutions for flooring, the bath, kitchen and beyond. 

Challenge

Mitre 10 has been adopting new technology to improve how its outlets run. Technological improvements range from hand-held scanners to two-way radios used inside stores. 

However, Mitre 10 wanted to add software that improves its high level of customer service while growing sales, reducing costs and establishing a path toward more beneficial customer relationships. 

Solution

Mitre 10 and Buildxact worked together to develop a digital platform that helped the builder save time and run a better business, which in turn, led to opportunities for Mitre 10 to grow its customer base and increase sales. 

Integrated pricing increases estimate efficiency and accuracy

Key to realizing these benefits is the integration of Mitre 10 material price lists within Buildxact. This gives builders 24/7 access to accurate pricing, which eliminates wasted time and guarantees that the builder is submitting highly accurate estimates to the homeowner, Damien Hamilton, a Mitre account manager, said. 

“Our customers having direct access to the pricing list with Mitre 10 and Buildxact decreases the inflow of phone calls and will increase our customers productivity and ours as well,” Hamilton said.  

In addition to price lists allowing builders to submit accurate material quotes at a time most convenient to them, the Buildxact software also features digital takeoffs that can save builders up to 80% of time needed to complete takeoffs, Hamilton said. 

“Before Buildxact, everything was done manually. It could take anywhere between half a day to three days to do a takeoff,” he said. “Now, using Buildxact, a takeoff may take a half an hour.” 

Performing faster takeoffs benefits supplier and builder

Saving this kind of time is key to also saving overhead, Peter Scalzo, Director of Scalzo Constructions, said. 

“Without Buildxact software, it would be impossible for me to do what I am doing without extra staff,” Scalzo said. “Anyone who is still using paper and pencil to do takeoffs–what are you doing? Using Mitre 10 with Buildxact will save you hours.” 

Moreover, as builders became more efficient, Mitre 10 sales staff found they have more time to spend with customers and to speak with prospects to grow new business, Hamilton said. 

“Because of Buildxact’s ability to save time doing takeoffs, I can see more customers,” he said. “I can bring in more business for the company. It really has increased our productivity three-fold.” 

Helping the builder become more productive and increase their responsiveness to the customer is a key differentiator in a market where suppliers can no longer compete on price alone, Colin Rice, Mitre 10 Group Trade Sales Manager, said. 

“It’s not just products we’re selling,” Rice said. “We’re selling services; so for me, Buildxact is another front and center conversation piece to have with our builders.”  

What’s ahead

Hardings will be adding in Q1 2022 further capability to the Mitre 10 network via integration of wholesale live pricing that includes detailed specifications and product photos of our kitchen, laundry and bathroom products. With this integration, builders’ customers can experience personal selection of the best products on the market. All will be available within the Buildxact platform at a time most convenient to the customer.  

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Successful husband & wife team

Lauren and her husband Lonnie started their construction business L O’Grady Constructions in 2008, collectively creating architecturally designed homes, renovations and extensions. While Lonnie manages the builds, Lauren makes sure that all projects are run efficiently. 

“I’m a busy mum. I run a very busy household and a very busy business”, says Lauren. As someone accustomed to switching between school drop offs and a jam-packed inbox, there’s nothing more precious to Lauren than time spent with her family. Naturally, she was thrilled when she discovered a way to cut her administration in half, giving her more hours in the day to do the important things in life.

The proof is in the pudding – L O’Grady Constructions clients say that working with the husband and wife team is a pleasurable and positive experience, creating quality homes with minimal fuss.

Work less hours and win more work

Gone are the days of blowing up plans and using a scaled ruler to complete complex and time-consuming takeoffs.  Since being introduced to Buildxact, Lauren’s takeoff times have reduced significantly. “We basically sit at the computer and all the dimensions are given to us”, she says. 
 
“Using Buildxact has basically allowed us to work less hours on quotes.”  They have found that by having more time to produce more quotes they win more jobs. A good work-life balance is essential to perform at your best, yet for many construction businesses, takeoffs, quoting, invoicing and general admin is completed outside work hours. 

Keeping everyone on the same page

Based in Gisborne in regional Victoria, and with building sites across Melbourne, it’s crucial that they are able to share plans, schedules and project information with their registered builders and trades without lengthy trips to and from building sites, or hours on the phone.

Buildxact allows L O’Grady Constructions and its sub-contractors to raise and receive purchase orders directly on their devices to keep the build running smoothly.  Lauren finds that this reduces incorrect or lost deliveries, site delays and time spent chasing down suppliers. Because she can track her budget as the job unfolds, she can address issues quickly and avoid cost overruns.

Keeping clients happy

Both Lonnie and Lauren love the fact that they can keep their work in one system that syncs all aspects of their projects. From initial quote through to invoice, Buildxact gives them a real time, holistic view of their jobs. L O’ Grady Constructions’ clients praise them for their ability to make quick decisions, as well as communicate and resolve the hitches that are inevitable on every build site. Better still, they are known for keeping to timelines and keeping their clients happy.

Finishing the day with family

Once she finishes her day at the office, Lauren picks up the kids, cooks dinner, etc, while Lonnie wraps up at the building site.  And since using Buildxact they now have their nights back to do the things they love – not admin.

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From aspiring fighter pilot to successful builder

Phillip Ouzounis didn’t always want to become a builder. Not unlike many boys, at school his dream was to become a fighter pilot, and he even went on to study aerospace engineering for a few years. But in the end, he loved working with his hands and so decided to start a building apprenticeship at the ripe old age of 21.

As soon as he began his apprenticeship Phil knew that he belonged in construction.  During his apprenticeship years he took on small building jobs in his spare time such as fences, pergolas, decks, etc, and once he graduated, he started Zounis Carpentry, continuing with the small jobs, but also sub-contracting to builders.

Brisbane builder, new builds and renovations

Originally from Melbourne, he got engaged and moved up to Brisbane permanently in 2011 and mostly sub-contracted.  But his passion for construction spurred him on to become a registered builder and in 2014 Zounis Constructions was born.

Fast forward to 2018 and Phil is now a successful boutique builder who chooses to still work on the tools while simultaneously managing each job.  Together with his business partner Branco, who also happens to be one of his best mates, they take on about 5 to 8 jobs a year; some new builds but mostly large-scale renovations.

Phils’s secret to success – his ‘must have’ tools

The key to his success is simple – take pride in your work, communicate with your customers constantly, and make sure you use the right tools for your business. Buildxact is one of his ‘must-have’ tools.

In the early days he did his takeoffs using paper and pen, but he knew that if he wanted to take his business to the next level there had to be a more efficient way to run it.

Buildxact has dramatically reduced the time it takes to do his takeoffs and manage his jobs; and it has also helped him increase his profit margins. But the biggest benefit is that he’s cut his admin hours by over a third, so that he can spend more time with his wife and two boys.

What’s next for Zounis Constructions?

Phil’s aim is to be one Queensland’s top high-end builders, concentrating solely on custom homes.  He’s set up his business for success, using tools that make him more efficient and more profitable, and that differentiates him from other builders. We have no doubt that he will reach his goal.

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