Thanks to advancements in technology, large-scale construction operations can be managed from a common tablet.
Foley built Bulk Exchange to function as a constantly updated database and search engine. The site also functions as a marketplace that brings contractors, suppliers and dumpsites together in one platform. Bulk Exchange allows a builder to identify local suppliers like West Marin Compost in Nicasio, Soils Plus in Sonoma and Lunny Grading and Paving, Inc., which operates the Nicasio Rock Quarry. The suppliers use the site to contact contractors and share their “gate rates,” or the retail price per ton for a load of material. Foley decided to build Bulk Exchange after years of chasing down suppliers at his other job, CEO of Greener Excavations and Construction in San Rafael. “Even if you’ve been a contractor for over 20 years, you may not realize there are smaller, more local businesses that could be your suppliers. Our platform allows you to search for products and communicate with suppliers with a Slack-type messenger app. The platform also has AI capabilities so it can generate documents in minutes. These include analytical reports and submittal sheets,” says Foley.
The construction industry has new needs Before the pandemic, the construction industry was already undergoing a significant shift. Between 2003 and 2020, older workers were exiting the profession and managers were intensifying their use of software. The pandemic pushed more people, especially older workers, to exit the trades earlier. It also increased the use of technology, especially to manage business operations remotely. Today, the U.S. construction industry has fewer workers— but those workers use technology more than they did in past decades. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reveal one in five construction industry workers are in management, business and financial operations, all tasks that utilize technology to perform work. These data also show the percentage of construction workers 55 and over doubled between 2003 and 2020. North Bay cities and counties have high demand for construction work, some of which is precipitated by high housing requirements from the state—4,685 units for Santa Rosa alone. It is clear technology has become a requirement to meeting local goals for infrastructure and residential units.
Analytical reports determine the potential of a project’s outcome. Submittal sheets are documents sent by contractors for approval by the design team. These confirm materials that will be used in construction meet the necessary requirements. Reducing the time construction professionals spend on paperwork and searches gives their team more time to build. Aakash Prasad is the co-founder and CEO of InspectMind, a San Francisco-based AI company. His software is an AI-powered app that allows a builder to generate reports for construction documentation.
“Technology helps construction workers and companies do more with less. The website we created, Bulk Exchange, is a search engine and communications platform for general contractors, subcontractors and landscape firms. Think of it as Google for construction,” says Paul Foley, co-founder and CEO of Bulk Exchange, which is based in San Rafael.
Aakash Prasad, co-founder and CEO of InspectMind in San Francisco. [Photo courtesy Aakash Prasad]
Justin King, project engineer for Ghilotti Brothers, Inc. [Photo courtesy Justin King]
52 NorthBaybiz
August 2024
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