Pan-Pacific Mechanical, a mechanical design-build subcontractor, has begun to develop bot software to automate its construction management workflows. According to Contractor Magazine, the software automates tasks a human would typically do, such as making data easily available to teams in the office, and the field. The bot can also simplify and automate data entry.

According to the article, Pan-Pacific developed the software to extend the benefits of Viewpoint Vista, a construction accounting suite that helps manage various areas of business. Instead of logging into Vista and clicking around the interface themselves, users can now tell the bot to do it.

Similar to Siri, the bot uses natural language processes to determine the intent, task, or action needed. “With a simple phrase,” users can access project information such as job costs, budgets, and cash flow from a mobile device.

End users can speak into their mobile devices and say: “Show me job dashboard for job 3509” or “show me the cash flow for 3509.” Since the bot also automates data entry, project managers or field supervisors can make change orders by saying, “add a change order to 3509.”

“The bot has enhanced our work through less clicking, more information and faster decision making,” Dustin Fisher, Pan-Pacific’s lead software engineer, told Contractor Magazine.

Source: Contractor Magazine