ADDITIONAL RESOURCES


Emerging Technology: Vela Systems Overview

by Josh Kanner, Vela Systems



Adam Omansky was working for an architectural firm in Budapest, overseeing the construction of a luxury hotel, when he came up with the idea for Vela Systems and its technology. It was taking three days to get field inspection information into his firm's computer systems, and the delays were extremely frustrating, especially when he saw so many other industries using mobile field technologies to automate and accelerate similar processes. UPS delivery drivers, rental car returns, even parking enforcement — all were using mobile field solutions to eliminate paper, improve accuracy and increase productivity.

Omansky believed the AECO (architecture, engineering, construction and owner) industry could greatly benefit from a similar solution. There were some mobile field products already on the market, but they had flaws that prevented them from working well on a construction site. PDA screens, for example, were too small to view a site plan and, for laptop-based products, finding a place to type comfortably on the job site was far too difficult. Something new was required. So, together with Josh Kanner, a technology startup veteran, the duo founded Vela systems in 2005.

Vela's mobile field software works on any standard PC, but is usually installed on a rugged, long battery life Tablet PC so that those on a work site can make notes right on a screen -- just as they would on a paper document. While on site, people can update punch lists and insert virtual pushpins onto maps to mark issues that need to be resolved. When they get back to their trailer or office, the new information is synched with a central database that Vela maintains for their customers, which ensures that all parties get updated quickly and can get to work on tasks immediately.

To date, Vela has been used on more than 300 projects worldwide and the benefits have been striking. Every person using the Vela solution saves five to ten work hours per week and the delivery of the projects themselves have been accelerated by as much as two days each month. Managers and executives finally possess a full, up-to-date accounting of all the outstanding work issues on the site, so that they can hold subcontractors accountable and calculate the true cost of quality.

Massachusetts' Tocci Building Corporation is one example of how a construction company has benefited from using mobile field technology. Tocci wanted to improve its ability to monitor work quality and assess subcontractor's progress on a large condominium project, so the company deployed Vela's technology, which streamlined construction field operations and maintained punch lists to track subcontractor work throughout the project lifecycle. Each issue identified in the field was captured, automatically assigned a 'cost' and aggregated into a single list for use in discussions with subcontractors. Today, Tocci is saving millions of dollars a year because it can identify unsatisfactory work quickly and get it repaired before the subcontractor leaves the work site.

Miami-based Charleville Development has experienced similar results through its use of Vela at The Blue at Doral, a $56 million marquis condominium and hotel project overlooking the Blue Monster Golf Course at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. Charleville reports it has already gained nearly a month of time on the project, and because it knows the exact status of subcontractor work, it is able to make sure all tasks are completed fully and up-to-standard before payment is made.

LCOR — a national real estate development firm — is using Vela's technology to accelerate closings at The Charleston, a 22-story, luxury condominium located in New York with Vela's owner walkthrough module to log issues and customer service modules. As each unit is completed and subjected to buyer inspection, the sales representative conducting the final walk-through can add a digital pushpin and take a photo of the issue on-the-spot. The photos and accompanying information can then be presented as a document to the buyer as assurance that all issues have been identified and documented. Customer service personnel will have access to the Vela system enabling representatives to have all the relevant information about a unit at their fingertips when an owner calls. 

For Vela's Omansky and Kanner, the rapid acceptance of its technology in projects from Las Vegas to Dubai is a gratifying start. And as the AECO industry continues to adopt new technologies, they're confident that, some day soon, mobile field technologies will be as commonplace on a work site as they are in a delivery van or a rental car drop-off.