Ananda Development Boosts Efficiency by 25%

The Challenge

Ananda had a variety of manual processes to manage projects and the team wanted a way to streamline workflows and standardise projects. They decided to conduct a timed test between Procore and a market-leading competitor to determine which was the most efficient.

The Solution

Procore offered a single, user-friendly system that ensured consistency across projects and teams, and more importantly, it was the most efficient solution on the market. The platform also supported Ananda in its efforts to drive innovation and business growth.

The Results

• Procore was 25% faster than manual processes and 13% faster than a market-leading competitor
• Ananda surged from 5% market share to about 26%
• Active Procore users increased by 220% from January to July 2019

The Story

When Head of Technology Innovation, Alan Landau, joined Ananda Development, teams within the organisation relied primarily on paper, email, and spreadsheets to manage projects. 

"The CEO was saying, ‘We don't have a single source of truth. We don't have a single communication platform. We don't have a single audit trail.’ So, in my mind, that was carte blanche to say, ‘Okay, we need to totally redesign the project management system of construction.’" explains Landau.

Discover

Landau set to work implementing his "4D" approach to innovation. Essentially, the four phases of implementing new technology: Discover, Develop, Deploy and Disrupt. In the Discovery phase, Landau identified that construction management software would introduce massive efficiency gains. After researching leading solutions, he narrowed his search down to Procore and a market-leading competitor for proof of concept testing in the Development phase.

Develop

Landau designed two sandbox environments – jobs similar in project size, crew size, building type, and construction time – with one using Procore and the other using the competitive solution. He then timed how long it took to do ten of the most common tasks (including sending RFIs, change requests, and emails) manually, as well as with each solution. "Procore was the clear winner when it came to saving time," Landau recalls, adding that once the system was deployed, it continued to impress.

Deploy

Procore was deployed on one Ananda test project, so Landau could see how it functioned and suited the team on a real construction site. "The Deploy phase is really when you get the best insight as you are in a live environment; there are real users using it and you're getting legit feedback ... That's the part where you have to be agile and you learn a lot about the rollout and implementation phase."The final decision came down to more than just efficiency. "The user experience part of Procore really shone," Landau explains. With the competitive solution, when users received an email, they had to log into the software to respond; whereas in Procore, they could respond directly to the email and it would automatically be tracked and captured in the platform."I think a really big difference and the big advantage of Procore's side is the user experience."

Disrupt

Procore is now used across all Ananda projects. With more efficient processes, the team has been able to continue to propel the company forward – growing from about 5% market share in 2007 to about 26% in 2019. 

"It's little quality-of-life things that honestly make the difference," he continues. "It’s an enhancement to our ecosystem, as well as for our partners. We provide this platform, and it enables them to work more effectively."

The Ananda team also likes that Procore’s commitment to innovation aligns with their own. Today, they operate on a comprehensive ‘Ananda Operating System’: a suite of construction management systems focused on optimising projects, of which Procore serves as the foundation. Landau notes that with Procore’s App Marketplace offering 170+ integrations, "we can continue to enhance our tech stack."