Case Study: Charleville Development Accelerates Project Delivery and Improves Quality With Vela Systems for The Blue at Doral Project

Easy Integration with Primavera Holds Subcontractors Accountable and Streamlines Communications

Vela Systems and Primavera Working Together on The Blue at Doral

The Blue at Doral, Miami, Fla

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Charleville Development of Miami is constantly searching for ways to deliver better quality projects in shorter timeframes, and the team working on The Blue at Doral was especially motivated, given the high visibility of this project for the developer. The Blue is a condominium and hotel project consisting of 15 three-story buildings on a 17-acre site that directly overlooks the Blue Monster, a well-known hole at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Doral, Fla. Because The Blue at Doral was the only on-course development at the famous golf resort, both consumer demand and quality standards were very high.

To meet these high standards, Charleville turned to technology from Vela Systems that replaced the rolls of drawings and field notebooks typically found on a work site with easy-to-use software installed on Tablet PCs. As a result, Charleville has gained at least three weeks of time and knows exactly how much deficient work is on the site so that it does not pay subcontractors for work that is not up to its standards.

"Streamlining our processes and completing jobs faster helps us compete in the market," said Justin Murphy, senior project manager at Charleville Development. "We are a relatively small company and most of us have multiple roles. So whatever tools we can use to maximize our time in the field or with subcontractors, and minimize our time on paperwork, really helps."

Charleville first heard of Vela Systems through a recommendation from another owner whom Charleville knew and trusted. Vela Systems has lived up to that recommendation. For example, Charleville needed to integrate Vela Systems with the Primavera software that it was using so that changes made in the field would be reflected in its construction management systems. "Setting up that integration could not have been easier," Murphy said. "The total time required to get it up and running was less than an hour, and it has performed beautifully," Murphy said. "The integration automatically moves information on projects and contacts from Primavera Contract Manager into Vela, and transfers information like field reports and punchlist items from Vela into Primavera. It's very powerful."

The result? Charleville estimates that Vela Systems software has paid for itself 5 times over in the first year (500%+ Year 1 ROI).

Vela Systems' Field Management Software

Designed "from the ground up" to make work in the field more efficient and effective, Vela seamlessly integrates with Primavera for powerful two-way distribution of information from the field to the home office and then out to the field again.

Typically, critical project information is trapped in the office and is not readily available in the field where project teams need it most. With Vela Systems, people in the field can mark up drawings, make notations and initiate work site processes in their own handwriting while on the job.

"When I'm out in the field, I can load up a floor plan and do an inspection of each unit, checking for painting, drywall or other issues. Each issue has a punch-list repair code for it, so it's as simple as selecting the repair code and creating a pushpin on the digital map," said Charleville's Murphy. "I start with a blank canvas, and at the end of the walk-through, I might have 30 pushpins on it."

Vela Systems automatically integrates with Primavera Contract Manager modules (formerly Expedition) for field data collection and management, and with Primavera scheduling products for field updating of schedule activities. As a result, all information on schedules, punch lists and contracts can automatically be synchronized and updated on both the Vela-enabled Tablet PCs and in Primavera applications.

"It's a great marriage," Murphy said. "Vela is going to be our standard field application and Primavera will be our office application going forward."