MBI / CSSI Inspection Portal

development

Summary

Master Builders of Iowa (MBI) transformed its manual, time-intensive inspection workflow into a streamlined, efficient process with a custom software portal.

Challenge

MBI conducts thousands of site inspections every year, which means they have repeat processes and accumulate a lot of data. Prior to 2017, MBI did inspections using an off-the-shelf tool, which had many more bells and whistles than they actually needed, resulting in inspections taking longer than necessary.

Solution

The process MBI uses for its inspections is standardized, but unique to them, which made a custom-built portal the optimal solution for streamlining data collection and analysis. Far Reach designed and developed a web-based application for MBI to conduct, record, share, and analyze inspections and the resulting data.

MBI is a leading resource for the construction industry. Their Construction Safety Specialists, Inc. (CSSI) division focuses specifically on safety at construction job sites. One of CSSI’s core services is inspecting and auditing job sites for safety compliance—allowing sites to identify and fix issues ahead of any regulatory inspections.

The custom portal developed by Far Reach for conducting and recording inspections increased CSSI’s capacity for processing inspections, provides faster and more accurate feedback to job sites, and saves MBI and its members money through better compliance.

During the analysis phase, the Far Reach team got up close and personal with the MBI/CSSI inspection process. We learned what each user group needed—MBI inspectors, builders, the industry at large—to plan and implement a tool that makes a positive impact on each group.

MBI/CSSI inspectors save time, builders get detailed reports and trends about performance, and contractors save money by uncovering and fixing violations before fines set in. And the Iowa construction industry as a whole has a new resource for powerful decision-making data.

"Our board and our members have been really impressed with the portal—the streamlined inspection process and the data we now have access to. We’re doing more inspections, better sharing the results, and finding trends we never could have before."

Brandon Black | Safety Consultant