Advancing technology for the construction industry: Here’s what we announced at Groundbreak 2020
Procore kicked off Groundbreak 2020 on October 27, bringing together more than 6,000 construction professionals virtually to discuss, learn, and share what comes next for the industry.
Opening keynotes by Procore CEO and founder, Tooey Courtemanche, and SVP, Product, Wyatt Jenkins, included the announcement of Procore’s acquisition of construction estimating and takeoff company Esticom, new product features in Procore BIM and Financials, and a look at how Procore’s artificial intelligence unlocks insights from construction data.
Here are the announcements Procore made on Day 1 of Groundbreak 2020.
Procore acquires Esticom, extending the preconstruction and design management capabilities on the Procore platform
Procore announced it has acquired Esticom, a cloud-based estimating and takeoff solution and leader in preconstruction technology. The acquisition will add powerful estimating functionality to the Procore platform, complementing Procore’s preconstruction offering by enabling greater accuracy in cost estimates, helping general contractors and specialty contractors win more bids, increasing productivity, and reducing risk throughout the lifecycle of a project. Read more.
Improving 3D BIM model usage
Procore unveiled two new product features in Procore BIM – Dynamic Wall Elevations and Follow Me. These features transform the user experience in the field, making it easier to leverage 3D models during the construction phase of a project. Both Dynamic Wall Elevations and Follow Me were designed to meet the needs of field teams, bridging the gap between virtual design and construction (VDC) teams and the field.
Dynamic Wall Elevations [video] lets users zoom in and out, and analyze dimensional relationships down to one-eighth of an inch. Users can select any object to get the centerline or outside dimensions to grids and levels, allowing teams to validate that everything is installed exactly per the coordinated model.
Follow Me [video] allows users the ability to see all other users within a BIM model in real-time, making meetings more efficient and allowing clearer communication.
Making construction financial management even better
Procore introduced updates to its Financial Management products, which includes enhancements to Real-Time Financial Productivity, Advanced Forecasting, Budget Detail Reporting, Sage CRE Connector, and Invoicing. These updates drive even more efficiency with project financials, providing a real-time project cost management solution that integrates with ERP systems to offer a single financial ecosystem for construction projects. Users can connect all financial stakeholders to an integrated financial solution that is purpose-built to empower project teams to manage the bottom line. Read more.
Helping customers unlock the power of data across the Procore platform with artificial intelligence
Procore is investing in next-generation analytics that will create new ways of interacting with data. Today Procore announced new artificial intelligence (AI) features including Procore Search, Submittal Builder, and Predictive Analytics that apply automation and machine learning to make Procore users fundamentally better at their jobs. The application of AI to Procore products is being pushed further, thanks in part to Procore’s acquisition of Avata Intelligence earlier this year. This acquisition brought world-class AI talent into Procore, expanded Procore’s AI functionality, and has improved processes throughout the construction lifecycle. Read more.
Digital Schedule Lookaheads have arrived
The schedule is one of the most critical elements of a project, and it requires input and collaboration from a number of different people from the field teams to trade partners. Today’s lookahead process is typically done on a whiteboard and accessible only if you happen to be in the jobsite trailer or took a photo of the board – but even with a photo it’s not guaranteed that something on the schedule hasn’t changed since you captured the image. This is why Procore is excited to launch Lookaheads, a new feature of the Schedule tool that makes the lookahead process more collaborative and efficient. Read more.
Introducing Action Plans, where quality and efficiency come together
Action Plans is a new tool that leverages multiple Procore tools within one collaborative and controlled environment. This tool allows customers to create customizable plan templates that serve as the backbone to procedural execution. One look at the plan and all stakeholders know how their individual contribution impacts the final product. Contributing expectations, detailed reference documentation and records needed to prove quality and safety standards are linked within the plan, ensuring that everyone is working off updated documentation. Read more.
Additional information is available on the Procore newsroom, and images from Groundbreak, including product images, can be downloaded from the Groundbreak press kit.
