Brinkman Construction Finishes Project Closeout with 50% Less Labor Using Forma Build
Key takeaways
- Brinkman Construction replaced scattered tools and spreadsheets with Forma Build to manage project data in one system.
- Forms, Issues, and Sheets standardized punchlists, closeout handoffs, and field collaboration across projects.
- Brinkman Construction estimates Forma Build cut closeout labor by 50% and reduced room inspection time from 20 minutes to 5 to 10 minutes.
- The platform improved visibility for quality, safety, and cost management while reducing duplicate work and manual follow-up.
What problem was Brinkman Construction trying to solve?
Brinkman Construction needed one system to replace siloed tools, Excel workarounds, and manual handoffs across project documentation, quality control, closeout, and cost management.
Brinkman Construction is a 100% employee-owned general contractor founded in 2005 and based in Fort Collins, Colorado. The company has 100+ employees across the Front Range, reported $190 million in revenue in 2023, and works on multifamily, office, healthcare, and industrial projects. Its safety program won the National Construction Safety Excellence Award through the Associated General Contractors of America.
Why did Brinkman Construction choose Forma Build?
Brinkman Construction chose Forma Build after evaluating it against Procore and testing real tasks with users. Tim Kelleher, Operational Standards & Innovation Manager at Brinkman Construction, led a buying process that started with use cases and narrowed the field to two platforms.
The team selected Forma Build because it better fit cost management, integrations, ease of use, and overall functionality. Brinkman Construction wanted software that improved the work without getting in the way of how people build.
How did Forma Build replace spreadsheets and manual workarounds?
Forma Build replaced a fragmented stack of software for QA, QC, safety, drawing management, project management, and financial management with a single place for project files from preconstruction through closeout.
Before the rollout, Brinkman Construction teams used a lot of spreadsheets and even carried laptops around during closeout to track issues and changes in Excel. That approach made it harder to find the latest information, store it in the right place, and avoid errors when data moved between platforms.
The platform also pulled in detailed records, including specific line items from invoices. Teams could collaborate more easily, avoid duplicate work, and keep important information from slipping through the cracks.
How did Brinkman Construction standardize punchlists and field closeout?
Brinkman Construction standardized punchlists by using Forms, Issues, and Sheets in Forma Build to capture work in the field and keep closeout data organized.
On a 450,000-square-foot, 325-unit apartment project, the team used Forma Build from preconstruction through warranty. Superintendents could open a sheet on a phone, drop a pin where an issue was located, and let room number and location fields fill in automatically.
For final punch walks with owners, the team used Forms for punchlist closeout templates, Issues to track areas for improvement, and location boundaries on Sheets. That reduced a room inspection from about 20 minutes to 5 or 10 minutes and let the team inspect more units in one visit.
What results did Brinkman Construction see?
Brinkman Construction estimates that Forma Build cut closeout labor by 50%.
The platform also helped the company deliver a higher-quality product, reduce duplicate work, and increase visibility into project status. Tim Kelleher said the software improved commissioning, startup checklists, punchlists, and more, and helped employees spend less time on paperwork and more time with their families.
How does Brinkman Construction use Forma Build beyond closeout?
Brinkman Construction uses Forma Build across all phases of a project, from kickoff to completion. The company also uses it for safety forms, field collaboration, and project tracking.
Ashkan Sobhi, Assistant Project Manager at Brinkman Construction, said moving safety forms into Build made data entry easier, gave the safety manager better trend visibility in Power BI, and increased awareness of jobsite risks. Forms that used to get lost in the field now stay connected to issues in the cloud with a full activity log.
External partners, including specialty contractors, also benefit because issues are assigned and closed out in the system instead of being carried home on paper. Sobhi said the improved visibility has even helped carpenters and laborers get promoted or nominated for promotion.
What is Brinkman Construction doing next with project technology?
Brinkman Construction plans to connect project management systems with performance evaluation systems so leaders can measure key project data and give real-time feedback.
Tim Kelleher said the company wants to use those insights to help people perform better, stay accountable, and advance in their careers. He also said Brinkman Construction is looking at employee satisfaction, mental health, and other end goals, and that Forma Build will play a major role because of its features and integrations.
Frequently asked questions
How can a general contractor reduce the labor required for project closeout without sacrificing quality?
Use one construction management platform for files, forms, issues, and location data so teams can work from the same project record. Brinkman Construction estimates that approach cut closeout labor by 50%.
What’s the best way to consolidate spreadsheets and scattered tools into one system for construction project management?
Start by listing the workflows the system must support, then compare platforms side by side and test them with real users. Brinkman Construction used that process to choose Forma Build over Procore.
How do construction teams speed up punch walks and closeout handoffs with less manual coordination?
Use mobile forms, cloud-based issues, and location-aware sheets so superintendents can capture problems in the field and see status without phone calls or Excel tracking.
What are the signs that a construction company should replace a fragmented collaboration stack with a more unified platform?
A fragmented stack usually shows up as separate tools for QA, QC, safety, drawings, project management, and financial management, plus spreadsheets and repeated data entry.
What software approach helps field, quality, safety, and cost teams work from the same project data?
A unified construction management platform works best because it keeps quality, safety, cost, and closeout information in one place instead of forcing teams to move data between systems.
How can a contractor improve QA/QC and safety tracking while also streamlining project closeout?
Standardize forms and issues in one cloud platform, then connect the data to reporting tools like Power BI so safety trends and follow-up work are easier to manage.
How do contractors using Autodesk-centered tools improve project closeout efficiency and workflow consistency?
They centralize project data, use mobile field capture, and assign issues in the cloud so teams can reduce duplicate work, shorten punch walks, and keep closeout consistent across projects.