By Daniel Kennerly – co-owner Alair Orlando
“Innovative technology is great, but it’s when it has come far enough along to become financially viable to us as independent builders that things get exciting. The costs are now low enough that the investment is a no brainer.” – Daniel Kennerly
JOB SITE SECURITY
The recent combination of cameras coupled with wireless data plans by major U.S. carriers has been a game changer for home builders. The potential for great job site security has been available for quite a few years, but not until recently has it been easily accessible. Arlo cameras, specifically, are now available for purchase directly through ATT, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. When purchased, they are added to your company’s wireless plan and can be accessed at any time from anywhere. These cameras are small, have high resolution and come ready to install at the jobsite. They also have a rechargeable battery which can be connected to a fulltime power source or to a solar photocell for recharging. The upfront costs are low ($250) and the monthly fee added to your wireless bill ($30) is a job cost that can be borne by your client.
A GAME CHANGER
Coupled with the low costs of start-up and operation, there are three major areas that make this a game changer for the home builder.
1. Accountability for Subs – No longer do you have to listen to a sub tell you they have been there since 7a.m. You can pull up the app on your phone and check when they arrived on the jobsite and when they left, or sometimes, if they were even there. When a sub damages something on the job site there is now proof, instead of their word against yours.
2. Efficiency for Project Managers – Job site visits, while necessary, are some of the greatest time sinkholes of any job. Now the PM can visit the job site to verify that subs are on the job in two minutes from his or her desk and get right back to work. This results in lower costs to the client in project management time and greater efficiency for the project manager, hopefully leading to more job bandwidth.
3. Jobsite Security – We all know jobsite theft and vandalism is rampant and there has never been a great way to identify the perpetrators. This allows the contractor to identify if it was a sub with sticky fingers or a true theft in the middle of the night. While the cameras are high definition, they are not capable of reading license plates, but knowing the make and model of the vehicle that was used can go a long way helping the authorities catch thieves or vandals.
The bottom line is the ease of access and installation of Arlo or similar cameras has given contractors a new and innovative way to provide a better experience for their clients and job management for themselves.
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