Serving Houston and surrounding areas, Eyeball Drywall is a family-run business that specializes in metal stud framing, drywall, taping, and insulation. EBD’s portfolio of projects includes healthcare, educational, retail and religious facilities. As is the case with many construction projects, educational facilities tend to begin with incomplete plans and adjust as requirements change. The Memorial Student Center Complex for Texas A&M project was no exception.

For Texas A&M, this MSCC renovation was a high profile project. It was one of only a few major refurbishments and expansions of the MSCC building since it was originally built in 1951. Dubbed the campus ‘living room’, the MSCC serves as the meeting place for the university’s student union. The MSCC has a long tradition of providing students a venue to manage organization activities as well as plan and produce programs. Because of this dependency, the expansion and renovation was always under the watchful eye of students and alumni alike. Despite being bid from incomplete plans, EBD knew that this project was one in which it would succeed.

BIG JOB WITH LOTS OF CHANGES

This expansion job was three stories high and more than a quarter of a mile in length, requiring a minimum of 40 people onsite at all times. The project presented a multitude of drywall requirements. Various room-types, challenging framing and wall angles were just a few of the conditions EBD faced. Throughout the 19-month project, there were more than 2,000 change orders for adjustments.

Staying on top of change orders can be a difficult, time-consuming task, especially when relying on antiquated manual methods. By leveraging On Center Software’s On-Screen Takeoff and Quick Bid automation solutions EBD was able to automate many elements of its drywall business including quantity takeoff and estimating. As a result, they accurately and efficiently managed the ongoing change requests throughout the MSCC project with relative ease.

During the design phase, the company was able to provide costing scenarios as each suggestion or change order was presented. This could not have been done without takeoff and estimating technology. The result was significant time savings that allowed us to accommodate other tradesmen’s adjustments related to delivery schedules, etc.

As part owner and foreman, our responsibilities include conducting all bidding and estimating. Because this particular job required me to be onsite most of the time, estimating, bidding and other responsibilities had to be done at night. The time savings achieved through automation of these processes enabled the company to save more than two hours a day.

ON TOP OF IT

Another benefit associated with automating processes is the insight EBD gained into the status of the job. EBD knew where its crew started each morning and by the end of the day they could see where the guys concluded their work. That real time insight allowed EBD to easily monitor progress to determine if they were on track and more importantly, whether they were making or losing money. Rather than being months down the road before realizing whether they were behind schedule and over budget, they were able to quickly adjust as needed to avoid problems.

EBD also realized other cost savings by eliminating the need to purchase blue prints when bidding the project and making changes along the way. With a project this size, paperwork can cost a lot of money due to reprints related to change orders. Downloading and inputting information online has proven to be much more economical. Additionally, EBD saved money usually spent for paper and pencil sets, which today cost about $80 for each set.

 EBD’s unique value proposition is their ability to complete top quality projects on time and within budget. Continual communication, the ability to respond to changes on the fly, and high quality work help contribute to their success. Replacing antiquated manual methods, with On-Screen Takeoff and Quick Bid automation technologies, has been instrumental in EBD’s success and one of the reasons they were able to complete this and many other projects as promised. On Center Software has helped EBD to be more competitive, keep costs in-line and finish on-time, every time.