Change Order Challenges

Prior to implementing Clearstory, David recalls that tracking Time and Material tickets on job sites was a constant challenge. “It was hard to transport them from the job site back to the office. Trying to get them back in a timely way was a challenge because we didn’t have a designated person to collect them,” he stated. This process resulted in delays, missing tickets, and confusion. “Tags often get lost or mangled so you couldn’t read them. Handwriting was always an issue. And it could be a few weeks before tags made it to the office because they’d get misplaced,” he added. 

Internally, PCI’s process involved several steps and spreadsheets which only caused further delays. “The process was never very streamlined. It was difficult to keep track of, especially when projects would get really busy,” David recalled. A disorganized process made communication with their customers more difficult because Change Orders were submitted weeks after extra work was authorized and completed, when customers are less likely to remember what it was for.

Through an internal best practices training, PCI’s management team in Memphis learned about the positive results that the PCI’s Bay Area Interior division had achieved with Clearstory, and decided to implement this game-changing software on their projects.

The Modern Solution to Change Orders

Once their team got up and running, David noticed how much easier it was to keep track of Change Orders. Clearstory eliminated paper T&M Tags and spreadsheets from their process and replaced them with an easy, mobile platform. Extra work is tracked right in the field, signed, and submitted in minutes. COR Logs are now automatically generated and shared with the owner. Clearstory immediately and positively impacted PCI’s Change Order process through better productivity, improved collaboration, and better communication with their customers. “Having Change Orders all in one system makes everything easier,” David declared.

Better Productivity, Faster Processing

The time saved by using Clearstory is substantial; David estimates that he saves 5 hours per week because several of his workflows are now automated. “Clearstory gives me the flexibility to update things much quicker because it’s not on paper. Change Order Logs update automatically; it’s all linked together,” he said. “There have been some T&M change orders where we will get authorization to do the work in the morning, we’ll complete a ticket, get it signed, and I will price it and invoice it that same day.” This drastically improved workflow allows PCI to process their change orders in days instead of weeks, and get Change Orders in front of their customers much faster.

Clear Customer Communication

For PCI’s customers, Clearstory's clear, organized platform makes communication much easier. Because Change Orders are submitted faster, there are fewer clarifications and questions about extra work. When questions do arise, it allows PCI’s team to respond quickly with accurate information. “It makes our team really organized and shows our customers that we’re on top of our projects. We are able to get them what they need in an organized way,” David explained.

Improved Collaboration Between the Field and Office

Eliminating paper from the Change Order process has been embraced by PCI’s field team because digital Time & Material Tags allow them to collaborate more easily with the office team. For example, equipment may not always make it onto Tags, and Clearstory allows David or another Project Manager to add a comment or make a change to include any necessary information. David confirms, “Clearstory has made a big difference between the field and the office. There has been a huge improvement in our coordination.”

“I recommend Clearstory. It has helped us tremendously with organization and streamlining workflows around Change Orders, from the field all the way to the customer. It has increased collaboration between our field and office teams and automated several processes.”

David Lever
Estimator & Project Manager, PCI