The Importance of Using Activation Software Early in the Construction Project

As construction projects grow in size and complexity, there is a need for a more efficient and effective process of coordinating the various stakeholders involved. One area that has become increasingly important is the activation process, or preparing a building for use after construction is complete. While many organizations wait until the activation and building fit-up (FF&E) phase to start thinking about this process, using activation software early on in the construction project can save time and money and improve the project’s overall success.

At FreightTrain, we advise customers to begin using FitUp at least 6 months before you start building turnover. This ensures that staff can train on how to use the software and document room readiness. It also allows issues to be fixed and recorded immediately after the General Contractor has completed a walkthrough of the building and better prepares the logistics team. 

Here are three reasons why activation software is essential early in the construction project:

1. Better Collaboration and Coordination

Using activation software from the construction project’s beginning can help improve collaboration and coordination among the various stakeholders involved. By providing a centralized platform for tracking tasks and timelines, activation software can help ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This can help avoid delays and miscommunication that can lead to costly mistakes later in the project.

“FitUp was able to add value to our project by saving us hours of updating several different documents by combining those documents into one uniform application. Our team utilized the application via our company iPad, making it simple for us to record deliveries in real time. FitUp made it easier to collaborate with other team members as each member had access to a fully updated list at all times. All in all, we were able to record our equipment deliveries on a three story patient tower in a few hours rather than a few days.”

~ Taylor Miller, Assistant Project Engineer at Turner Construction

2. Improved Efficiency

Activation software can also help improve construction process efficiency, which ensures on-time and under-budget project delivery. By providing real-time data on the status of tasks and timelines, stakeholders can make informed decisions and adjustments to the construction plan, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient process. This can help to reduce costs and improve the overall success of the project. 

For example, one of our customers recently had a situation where they were able to use FitUp to identify where crash carts were going to be placed within their department months before the activation phase was scheduled using our Visual Fragnet tools. The customer identified they were going to need additional crash carts, and also place children’s crash carts near the adult crash carts in order to meet the requirements for a specific department. If they had not started using FitUp early in the project, they might not have recognized the need for the additional carts and they couldn’t have run the reports that allowed them to identify the issue, order additional carts, and have everything stocked and in place for opening day. 

3. Cost Savings

Finally, using activation software early in the construction project can help to save costs in the long run. By identifying and addressing potential issues before the activation and building fit-up (FF&E) phase, stakeholders can avoid costly delays and mistakes that can add up over time. This can result in significant cost savings and improved return on investment for the project.

“I have been using FitUp at different institutions across the US since its early development. While I find much of the functionality essential to my transition strategy work and assisting differing stakeholders on a project, one of the key points that is essential to effectiveness is early utilization. Early uptake of the product provides several benefits with one of the most effective being user adoption. On my projects, I often have new players joining the team, and it is such a benefit to have all parties integrated into this quality product right off the bat. Using the tool for logistics, maps, equipment tracking/documenting, and room readiness before it becomes crunch time is extremely helpful in preparing for the final sprint and long-term management of the facility as well as assets within it. I am a big proponent of this software and recommend purchasing early in a project’s lifespan to truly reap all the benefits.”

~Elizabeth Callahan, Owner, Callahan Partners, Inc.