• 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. 

The post Dahlsens grows business as it helps custom builders strengthen business practices appeared first on Buildxact AU.

• 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.  

The post Mitre 10 integrates online pricing with builders to increase efficiency appeared first on Buildxact AU.

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.

The post L O’Grady Constructions delivers a quality work-life balance with Buildxact appeared first on Buildxact AU.

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.

The post Zounis Constructions cuts takeoff time in half with the right technology tools appeared first on Buildxact AU.

It’s never too late to start

Hagen Shaw’s story of getting into the construction industry is pretty unique.

Hagen loved sports. But after graduating from university armed with a degree in sports science, he quickly realised it wasn’t the direction he wanted to take.

Back in high school, he steered away from pursuing a career in construction, but for him it was something he could see himself doing. So at the ripe old age of 27 Hagen began a carpentry apprenticeship. 

With a passion for construction and a desire to start his own business, Hagen knew that one day he would be running his own operation. 

Building his way into business

After his apprenticeship, Hagen gained several years of supervisory experience which led him to start Shawco Building. In doing so, Hagen proved it’s never too late to change careers. 

As managing director, Hagen had to quote jobs, project manage and make decisions. It was a steep learning curve from his previous ‘on the tools’ experience. 

Shawco Building has since scaled to become a quality home building company. Hagen’s secret to success is simple: Communication – with your team, subcontractors, trades, and clients.

“Understanding what your client wants and what they need is huge in avoiding any issues and making sure that everyone’s happy in the end,” Hagen said.

Shawco is moving with the times

Part of effective communication is proper project management, where everything is organised so that all team members can understand the project requirements and work efficiently.

In an industry that’s busy and fast-paced, Hagen knew that he needed a system that would enable him and his team to manage their projects as smoothly as possible; right from the first takeoff to the final invoice.  Since starting with Buildxact they’ve upped their game and been able to streamline the way they work.

With Buidxact’s easy-to-learn tools, Hagen’s team were able to grasp the system quickly and use it to their advantage. 

“A takeoff for a build, could take two, three days, up to a week. With Buildxact, I’m down to under a day to get all my takeoffs done and ready to quote, and also ready to order when the job comes through,” says Hagen.

Buildxact helps speed up Shawco’s operations

Using Buildxact has made Hagen’s life much easier as quoting is far more efficient and pricing a lot more accurate.  On top of that, the ability to present clean, well-structured and formatted quotes helps his customers understand the breakdown of the job and creates a great level of confidence. 

As a strong believer in the power of communication, Hagen says that Buildxact’s client portal provides “nice, clear open lines of communication between the client, yourself, any architect or engineer, or anyone else you want to be involved.”

Naturally, things happen in the moment that require the input of others before proceeding. The client portal allows plans, photos and variations to be uploaded and sent which enables real time communication to limit delays in building.

How Hagen’s personal life has improved

It’s not easy to manage a business on your own. Many business owners run the risk of working themselves into the ground and not finding time to unwind with their loved ones.

This is where using Buildxact goes well beyond just improved project efficiency.

Buildxact has given Hagen the luxury of enjoying life outside of work. For the first time in a while, Hagen doesn’t have to complete work after hours and can focus on being the husband and father he wants to be. 

“Since using Buildxact, I don’t have to spend my evenings quoting and can now spend it with my family instead.”

The post Shawco Building keeps customer communications clear with the Client Portal appeared first on Buildxact AU.

Doing better, building better

Some people are just born into their career, and that’s how it started for Bryce Parker in the construction industry.  

Bryce grew up surrounded by carpenters. His father was one, as was his older brother. So naturally, he started out as a carpenter too, working with his family before setting out on his own doing renovation extension work as a subcontractor. 

Having gained several years of experience, Bryce realized that he had ideas and a desire to do things differently within the construction industry. This drove him to start Bryce Parker Homes. 

Delivering quality builds at a competitive price

The business was established in February 2012, the same time Bryce’s first daughter was born. It’s a family business run by Bryce and his brother, Shawn.  

As the director, Bryce’s main role is securing projects, quoting, estimating, and dealing with customers, while Shawn runs the construction sites for the projects they oversee. As a team, they do renovation extensions, unit developments and build new homes. 

Since 2012, the business has been growing and Bryce Parker Homes now boasts a substantial list of regular trades. 

“I think our success has been achieved because of the quality product we put out in the market for the price point,” says Bryce. 

Great management: the secret to any construction business

“The secret to any construction business is having great management across the business from first contact, to project design, right through to completion,” says Bryce.  

According to Bryce, this means “having a seamless system that assists in managing projects, cash flow and delivery timeframes.” 

Estimating and generating quotes takes a lot of time, especially if you’re trying to do it manually. So to speed up the process, the team tested out several generic estimating tools, only to find them counterintuitive and unsuitable for what they were trying to do. During this process they discovered Buildxact and gave it a go.  

Buildxact has since transformed how they operate their business. 

Buildxact: Bryce Parker Homes’ all-in-one software package

Bryce Parker Homes chose Buildxact because it saves them time and offers seamless integration between client management, estimating and job management. 

Before using Buildxact, they did their takeoffs the old-fashioned way by using pen and paper, a lot of Excel spreadsheets, combined with other clunky takeoff programs. “Takeoffs before Buildxact were ridiculous! They just led to a lot of wasted time,” says Bryce. 

With Buildxact life is a lot easier. “All documents for every project are in one location and there’s great integration of information between myself from an estimating point of view to a project manager on site. My quoting time for projects has dramatically reduced, and the fact that we’re sending out purchase orders now for everything is great.” 

Winning more work at a faster rate

Streamlining the ordering process and managing projects in one platform has made life a lot easier for Bryce and his team. 

Thanks to Buildxact, there’s no more guesswork involved in estimates. Getting a quote done is also much quicker, giving the team more time to focus on winning more work. 

And on top of that, Buildxact also helps Bryce to focus and act with precision. “Buildxact takes the mundane information out of my head and puts it online for the rest of my business to utilise,” says Bryce. 

Apart from running a smooth and efficient business, the payoff is also on the home front, where he can now relax and spend more time with his family at the end of each workday. 

The post Bryce Parker Homes uses a seamless system to simplify job management appeared first on Buildxact AU.

You may recognise Jaye Ibrahim from his role as ‘builder in residence’ for Tam & Jimmy on the 2020 series of ‘The Block’; a role he got based on the recommendation from a very happy customer.  

While the building site on The Block is definitely not what you would call ‘standard’, Jaye and his crew at Jetcon were able to keep up with the frantic pace; delivering the usual high quality of work that they are renowned for. 

We had a chat with Jaye to understand what drives him, and how he’s continuing to build a successful business in a competitive market. 

ALWAYS LOVED BUILDING

For Jaye, becoming a carpenter was a no-brainer.  He had been obsessed with building things from a very young age, and while still at secondary school, he started a small side business building sheds. After completing his carpentry apprenticeship, Jaye went on to work for a builder for 12 years; learning the tricks of the trade and fine-tuning his skills.  But ever the entrepreneur, he simultaneously maintained his side business which by that stage had expanded into a much wider range of building projects. So when Jaye decided to break out on his own and start Jetcon in 2017, he was already well-established within the construction industry and therefore had a constant flow of work. Since then, the carpentry business has gone from strength to strength and has transitioned into a fully-fledged building company, specialising in bespoke residential homes, both new builds and renovations, and also expanding into landscaping, pools and even some commercial work.

TECHNOLOGY WAS THE ONLY
WAY FORWARD

As the company’s director, Jaye runs the business; taking care of all the admin, including estimating and quoting, and he also jumps on the tools whenever he gets the chance. While Jaye has never considered himself ‘techie’, he has always recognised that in this day and age, the only way to increase productivity and efficiency for himself and within his business, is to use technology.  So when his supplier, Dahlsens, recommended he look into Buildxact, he didn’t hesitate.“I found Buildxact pretty easy to get started with.  All it took was 45 minutes and I was already able to put together an estimate and produce a quote.”Before using Buildxact Jaye’s quotes could be described as ‘standard’. They did the job, but they did not convey the value of his business.  Now, as well as being quick and easy to produce, Jaye’s quotes look more professional and contain itemised information, including pictures of specifications.  This level of detail and transparency instills trust in his prospective customers.

WINNING MORE WORK

Jaye attributes the success of Jetcon to the team’s high standard of work and excellent reputation within the industry, both with builders and homeowners.  However, there’s no doubt that Buildxact is giving him a leg up when it comes to his business’ efficiency, and this has a direct flow-on effect on the work that he receives.“Since using Buildxact’s estimating and job management software, I can produce estimates and quotes much faster and this ultimately helps me win more work.”With an industry average quote turn-around time of between 1 to 2 weeks, being able to submit a detailed and professional quote quickly sets Jetcon apart from its competition, and this in turn helps increase the company’s win rate.

SAVING TIME AND MONEY IS WHAT IT’S ULTIMATELY ABOUT

“If you’re still using paper and spreadsheets to do your takeoffs and run your jobs, I recommend you take a look at Buildxact – you’ll be amazed at how much time and money it can save you.” 

Before using Buildxact, it was standard for Jaye to work in the evenings in order to keep up with his admin, but now that is a thing of the past.  The extra time that he now has can be used to work on growing his business, or simply doing things that he enjoys.   

And because Buildxact is an end-to-end system, it provides efficiencies from first takeoff, right through to the final invoice, saving countless hours in admin, which ultimately improves the company’s bottom line. Now with Buildxact in his back pocket and help from Jet (pictured right), Jaye is well-positioned to take Jetcon to the next level.

The post Jetcon Builders generates professional quotes more quickly to win more work appeared first on Buildxact AU.