Contrary to the popular belief that the construction industry lags in tech adoption, the truth is that technology has been slow to provide the industry with impactful solutions. This is especially true for land developers, who face an array of distinct hurdles unlike any other area of construction, ranging from land acquisition and entitlements to managing site balance and environmental concerns.
Fortunately, technology is catching up fast and rapidly changing the way today’s leaders approach land development. The emergence of TraceAir, a purpose-built site intelligence software built for homebuilders and land developers, exemplifies this shift.
Leaders in land development have not only recognized the potential of technology, but are actively embracing it, reaping the countless benefits. In this article, we'll explore the ways in which technology is transforming the role of land development leaders, and how TraceAir empowers them.
Enhanced Accountability
Overseeing all aspects of multiple land development projects simultaneously, often across a wide territory, is an immense undertaking. To be successful, Directors must rely heavily on their teams to ensure that progress goals are met and that projects are running smoothly. Accountability is the cornerstone of this success, and it starts at the top, with Directors setting the standard for responsibility and transparency.
How can TraceAir help?
TraceAir provides Directors with an easy way to not only visualize progress on all of their projects, but also data to quantify it, and tools to hold everyone accountable.
- Documentation: TraceAir maintains a record of time-stamped photos with data of project status that can be referred back to at anytime. This feature is extremely helpful in proving compliance and reporting.
- Billing & Progress Verification: Use tools and data within TraceAir to ensure that the work billed for matches the work completed. Check and measure grading volumes, measure utility and paving progress, and more.
- Transparent Communication: TraceAir facilitates transparent communication among project teams, contractors, and stakeholders while creating a single source of truth. Directors can ensure everyone has access to essential project information, reducing the likelihood of miscommunication.
As a Director of Land Development, TraceAir allows me to oversee all our projects, quickly address issues, and hold everyone accountable. The collaborative features ensure that my team, contractors, and stakeholders are aligned. When we pull it up in meetings or on calls, it’s like we’re all on site together. It really helps us stay on schedule and maximize our efficiency.”
— Greg Coleman, Director of Land Development, Beazer Homes
Empowered Teams
For a Director of Land Development, there's no greater satisfaction than witnessing your team utilizing their skills and talents to overcome challenges and meet their goals. As their leader, you play a pivotal role in creating an environment where your team can thrive. By empowering them with clear expectations and tools to help them succeed, you not only enhance their abilities, but also contribute to the overall success of your projects and business.
How can TraceAir help?
With unlimited licenses, TraceAir provides the entire project team with powerful tools and data to make smart, data-driven decisions with confidence.
- Reduced Dependency on Consultants: Tasks that once required consultants, like checking elevations, measuring stockpiles, and tracking quantities of materials, can be efficiently managed with TraceAir, accelerating projects and reducing costs.
- Collaboration: TraceAir amplifies collaboration within your project team, bridging the gap between the field and the office, between contractors and project managers, and between land teams and stakeholders. Seamlessly share updates, troubleshoot problems, and accelerate decision making.
- Reduced Risk: By leveraging data and insights, TraceAir empowers users to proactively identify potential risks early and work together to come up with solutions before they become costly.
Implementing TraceAir has improved aspects of our operations and helped with more efficient communication. Without a doubt, we’ve seen a return on investment in terms of cost and time savings. TraceAir is user-friendly, and the support we’ve received is unbeatable.”
— Jean-Michel Le Blanc, Director of Land Development, Minto Communities - Ottawa
Maximized Efficiency
Efficiency plays a major role in maximizing profit margins in land development, especially as the industry struggles with labor shortages. Inefficiencies like inadequate planning, miscommunication, and poor time management cost the industry billions each year.
How can TraceAir help?
By providing a comprehensive suite of tools and data-driven insights, TraceAir empowers land development teams to streamline their operations, make informed decisions, and significantly enhance efficiency.
- Resource Optimization: Leveraging the ability to check progress, acquire precise measurements, and collaborate from anywhere equates to less time driving between project sites, sitting in meetings, and waiting on consultants. This newfound efficiency not only frees up time for critical project aspects, but also contributes to improved profit margins.
- Project Management: By reducing bottlenecks and enabling faster decision-making, TraceAir is an invaluable asset in expediting project timelines. TraceAir clients consistently highlight their increased project completion speed and enhanced capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Competitive Advantage: From acquisition and entitlements through transitioning lots to vertical construction, TraceAir offers significant competitive advantages in every stage of land development. Many clients report being able to effectively manage more projects with TraceAir.
TraceAir is important for making decisions quickly, solving problems faster, and getting the team on board. It’s an effective communication tool for developers, general contractors, and the entire project team.”
— David Greenstein, Director of Land Development, Brookfield Properties
Unique TraceAir Features for Executives
Built specifically for homebuilders and land developers, TraceAir offers several features uniquely beneficial to executive leadership, including Directors of Land Development, Division Presidents, stakeholders to oversee projects and maximize efficiency.
Dashboard: Easily view all of your projects on one screen. Organize them by division, track what phase each project is in, and view the percentage of progress made. This data is immensely helpful in ensuring your projects stay on schedule.
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Reporting: As a Director of Land Development, reporting is a big part of your job, whether you're providing updates to your division president or presenting crucial information to city council members. TraceAir offers tailored and customized reporting solutions designed to meet your specific needs. We also provide usage reports to ensure your team gets the most out of TraceAir.
Projects Portal: Designed to simplify onboarding and project management within TraceAir, Projects Portal enables you to control flight schedules, notifications, and user access.
Schedules: A game-changer for land developers, TraceAir's Schedule tool simplifies complex project management into an all-in-one visual interface. It integrates seamlessly with your pre-existing schedule and is fully customizable to your needs. As progress is completed, Project Managers update the schedule using real-time data and quantities from TraceAir.
TraceAir is very popular within our company. We don’t always have to go out to the project site, have the surveyor measure something, and then wait a week to get the results. We can use TraceAir to measure much faster. With multiple projects going on this has been very helpful.”
— Steve Shaffer, Director of Land Development, W.B. Homes
Learn how you can benefit from TraceAir!
Across the U.S. and Canada, Directors of Land Development at leading homebuilding and land development companies are embracing TraceAir to build stronger, more efficient teams and accelerate their projects. If you’re ready to learn more about how your team could benefit, schedule a demo today.