The End of Photo Documentation...and the Beginning of Intelligent Project Tracking

Author:
Matt Daly
June 15, 2020

Did a company that makes site documentation software really just say that photo documentation as we know it is coming to an end? Why yes, we did. 

Let’s face it. There’s a reason why many of you hand over the task of photo documentation to the interns each summer. Taking progress photos can be time-consuming, and is rarely anyone’s favorite part of the job. Unless you’ve recently felt the pain of a costly change or claim that you couldn’t verify with documentation, you probably feel like you or your team members are taking photos purely for the sake of taking photos. And it feels like a waste of time. 

At StructionSite, we get it, and we have great news for you. Photo documentation as we know it is coming to an end. 

Goodbye, photo documentation

Thanks to things like artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision, a photo is now worth much more than a thousand words. Or, at least, it can be. 

Photos of the jobsite are excellent for doing virtual site visits and checking on a specific problem, but photos alone don’t answer the real, tough questions about what is happening on a jobsite.

It’s clear that with photo documentation alone, we’re just not getting enough information. That’s why we’re excited to say goodbye to the days of taking photos for the sake of taking photos. 

Fortunately, with every ending there is a new beginning...and the Summer of 2020 brings us the rise of Intelligent Project Tracking. With it comes a new era where the effort we put into capturing our jobsite finally helps us answer the most important — and difficult-to-answer — questions we have about our project.  

Intelligent Project Tracking has arrived with SmartTrack

When we heard from our customers that tracking production is still an incredibly manual process that is plagued by inconsistent processes, we listened. And, when we heard that the data they get from that process that lacks the reliability and accuracy they need to improve project outcomes, we decided to do something about it.

Our co-founder, Philip Lorenzo, experienced these challenges firsthand while cutting his teeth in construction working for a large General Contractor in California. In addition to running BIM coordination, one of his responsibilities was manually tracking the installation of ductwork and walls, highlighter and drawings in hand. Philip knew back then that process was riddled with pain points, and he dug in to reacquaint himself with that pain last summer when he worked as an intern on a local jobsite so he could manually track their production — once again with highlighter and drawings in hand. Since that #BootsOnTheGround experience, StructionSite has been working behind-the-scenes to find a solution that makes production tracking accurate and reliable, with no additional effort required from your team in the field. And now we’re ready to lift the curtain…

Co-Founder Philip Lorenzo experienced the challenges of manual production tracking firsthand last summer while putting in time as an intern on a local jobsite.

We’re excited to launch SmartTrack®, the first automated production tracking tool of its kind. With one VideoWalk®, you can sit back and relax while our AI-powered software does the heavy lifting, giving you the ability to solve bigger tasks than counting quantities. Our solution uses highly customized computer vision algorithms to analyze the work put in place as compared to the work expected to be in place. With it, your documentation can do the work of tracking progress and pinpointing problems, so you can make better decisions, faster.

Our goal with SmartTrack is to take the manual labor — and room for error — out of the production tracking process. With our AI-powered approach, we can deliver you a tool that’s truly low effort and high value. Using the imagery you already have at your fingertips, you get valuable data and insights. 

We’re rolling SmartTrack out to the wall and ceiling trades first, with plans to incorporate other scopes next. Imagine the possibilities! 

What SmartTrack can do for you?

How does it work? Easy. Just walk the site with a camera in hand, then get your progress tracked automatically. Using your 360° time-lapse video from your VideoWalk, SmartTrack’s AI-powered computer vision algorithms quantify the amount of work that’s been installed. It delivers a dashboard with percent complete, production rates, and a visual map of changes on your floor plans based on location, date and image captured.

You’re probably thinking you’ve heard this story before. An easy-to-use solution that takes so much work off your plate sounds too good to be true, right? There’s only one way to find out, my friends, so put us to the test. 

If you’re done taking photos for the sake of photos and you’re ready to let our AI do the heavy lifting to give you insight into the status of your job, let’s talk.

Latest Blog Posts

By using this site or clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Cookie Policy for more information.