How Procore Helped AES Bring the Most Advanced Wind Energy Technology to the Arizona Desert
The Challenge
As Arizona's largest wind farm, seamless real-time collaboration among stakeholders and a steadfast commitment to quality and safety are imperative. Brian Hoesman, Senior Project Manager for AES, underscores the importance of catching mistakes early to prevent costly errors downstream: "If there is a mistake and it propagates through 6, 7 towers, that’s ultimately more expensive and more timely to correct.” Moreover, due to the wind farm’s remote location communication is hindered by spotty cell service and limited mobile networks.
The Solution
“There’s a lot of documentation with these projects and there’s a lot of stakeholders,” says Brian, “Procore to me, is the easiest way to combine all of that information into one hub that everyone has access to.” There is never a question if stakeholders are acting on the most current and accurate information, as Brian states, "We call Procore the truth." Additionally, he notes, "We create a lot of data, and it lives in Procore. Once the project is over, the GC doesn’t really care what happens to it after construction. Whereas the owner, we’ve got the wind farm for the next 25 years."
The Results
Streamlined Processes to Save Costs and Deliver Faster
By standardizing repetitive tasks with Procore, AES was able to save time and money– reducing steps and speeding up timelines. Brian states, “The RFI process is streamlined significantly. We’re taking what is a 4 or 5-step process, and with Procore, we can cut out 3 or 4 steps.”
Optimized Dispersed Teams in a Complex Project
Brian emphasized how Procore's unlimited user model allowed AES to include all stakeholders, providing them with the visibility and streamlined communication necessary to seamlessly manage task ownership and process handoffs, “All of our job books are on Procore and our turbine supplier can take a look at the inspections, sign off, and then move on.”
Overcame Connectivity Disruptions and Avoided Data Loss
By utilizing Procore's mobile and offline features, project collaborators were able to successfully navigate the remote region’s connectivity issues.“You can go through and do your inspections and you don’t need cell service. Then once you get back to the wifi in the office, it will update the system,” says Brian, “That helps tremendously.”
Empowered Decision-Making with Live Data
By providing access to the latest information through Procore, Brian and the team were empowered to make informed choices, “There’s real-time feedback. If there is an issue you can see it as immediately as possible,” boosting efficiency and preventing costly errors.
“I’ve used some other systems in the past, and they’re not even close to Procore. From my experience, Procore is the dominant solution that people use in wind.”
Brian Hoesman
Senior Project Manager
Powering Success at Arizona's Largest Wind Farm
In the expansive landscape of one of Arizona's oldest cattle ranches, Chevelon Butte Ranch, AES initiated a groundbreaking project—the Chevelon Butte Wind Farm—led by Senior Project Manager Brian Hoesman. This 454 MW wind energy facility in Coconino and Navajo Counties aims to be Arizona's largest wind energy project, benefitting local customers with clean, affordable power.
A Faster, Smarter Approach to Wind Project Excellence
Procore has been instrumental in transforming Brian’s approach to wind project management, optimizing communication, and standardizing processes. The success of Brian and his team during the initial phase of the Chevelon Butte project not only led to an invitation to share their achievements and best practices across the AES organization but also sparked interest in expanding Procore to other company builds.
In advocating for Procore, Brian encourages his colleagues to challenge the status quo, emphasizing that while current processes may seem effective, Procore offers a superior alternative: "It’s easier. It's quicker. It's better than what you're doing now." Though change can seem daunting, Brian highlights, "Procore is really simple to understand. You can go from never having seen it before to fully operational with very little instruction." It’s such a versatile platform, Brian says, “Anything you need, Procore has a solution that could apply.”
