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Project Details

Gilbane Construction piloted Trunk Tools on their $456 million Baird Center Expansion project in downtown Milwaukee. This large, complex project generated over 33.7 GB of data and 20.6K individual documents, making it nearly impossible for any team to retain and actionably use all relevant information in the field. To combat inefficiency, lag time, and the need to travel back to site trailers for answers, Gilbane sought a tool that could improve field productivity. Trunk Tools was introduced on January 8th, 2024 to streamline field operations by providing quick, context-rich answers to critical questions.

Objectives

By implementing Trunk Tools, Gilbane hoped to manage the copious amounts of data produced on this project in a manner that increased efficiency, decreased answer lag time, and inspired a level of confidence in the field to expedite closing-the-loop type conversations

Gilbane aimed to enhance jobsite efficiency by minimizing the time spent searching for information in project management tools and reducing diversions to site trailers.
A key goal was to expedite "closing-the-loop" conversations by providing timely, accurate answers in the field, allowing workers to move forward without delays.
Gilbane wanted to inspire confidence among field workers by providing reliable answers that facilitated faster decision-making and fewer interruptions to the workflow.

Outcomes

By implementing Trunk Tools, Gilbane hoped to manage the copious amounts of data produced on this project in a manner that increased efficiency, decreased answer lag time, and inspires a level of confidence in the field to expedite closing-the-lopp type conversations

Over the course of 37 working days, 246 questions were asked, saving an estimated 20-40 minutes per question in search and travel time. This led to a 6.5x ROI purely from labor savings.
The combination of labor savings and rework prevention generated a 40x ROI. The potential savings from rework alone could amount to over $100k per month if the tool was implemented from the start of the project.
The project team gave Trunk Tools a 90 CSAT score, and the tool achieved an 87% answer correctness rate.

Next Steps & Future Use

Following the success of the pilot, Gilbane plans to implement Trunk Tools on approximately 10 more job sites. The tool’s proven impact on labor savings, rework prevention, and time efficiency supports its broader rollout. Additionally, feedback from the pilot will be used to fine-tune the tool, addressing any identified gaps to further improve functionality and user satisfaction.

BuiltWorlds Analysis

The impressive 40x ROI achieved through labor savings and rework prevention sets a high benchmark for similar AI-driven platforms. As AI continues to integrate into construction project management, tools like Trunk Tools are expected to be key enablers in driving productivity gains, lowering operational costs, and improving field worker satisfaction. This case study aligns with the growing trend of AI adoption in project software solutions in construction, where streamlining decision-making and preventing costly errors is crucial for success. The 2024 AI/ML: Project Management & Oversight Solutions Tech Specialty Report highlights the adoption of AI technology in project management and document management solutions. The research found that AI proved to be effective at assisting with document processing and summarizing text. . The historical priority for document management has been to facilitate communication between the job site and the field. Now, contractors are desiring more from their document management solution. Namely, contractors are looking for enhanced services through workflow automation and intelligent textual analysis. AI technology is an avenue for delivering these additional services to users.