month engagement
new construction projects
decrease in framing duration time from 16 to 10 days
In 2021, Shea Homes, one of the nation’s top 25 production builders, came to Boise. Like most builders, they were dealing with the typical issues facing the construction industry, a limited workforce and a breakdown in communication between contractors and customers caused by the manual building information layout process.
In construction, the most important task is communicating a clear understanding of the project scope. But the traditional means of doing so relies on paper plan sets. Contractors end up only focusing on their respective scopes of work and that tunnel vision delays the resolution of obvious coordination conflicts. This is compounded by the fact that plan misinterpretation is common.
The result is a reactive and expensive way of doing business.
Entering a new market, Shea Homes realized the opportunity to try new technology to address the layout problem.
By laser engraving the complete plan set and project details directly onto the subfloor and pre-cutting each piece to size with our ILS (Integrated Layout System), it offered real-world scale plans, eliminating the time-consuming and error-prone manual layout process for Shea. This innovation accelerated vertical construction, saving both time and money.
What sets the ILS apart is the integration of multidisciplinary data, from structural notes to architectural details. This comprehensive approach benefits construction professionals and homeowners alike, offering intuitive visualization and understanding of spaces before vertical construction begins.
Unlike other solutions that focus on replacing workers with robotic solutions, Flashpoint’s ILS seamlessly integrates into existing workflows, requiring no additional skills while preserving jobs. The technology provides precision linework, surpassing traditional methods, with CNC-driven accuracy for straight lines, perfect angles, and unmatched levels of detail.
Over a period of 18 months starting in the spring of 2022, Shea Homes utilized the ILS on 111 new construction projects. Prior to the implementation of the ILS, the framing duration on the typical 2,200-square-foot home was approximately 16 days. After utilizing the ILS, that same duration was reduced by almost 40%, down to 10 days. Walls were straighter, there was notably less rework across all trades, and everyone on the job site had a clear expectation and understanding of what and how the home was going to go together. Over the course of the relationship, we relocated our facility to the campus of one of Boise’s largest lumber dealers, increased our production capacity by 150% and have successfully completed over a combined 600,000 square feet of single-family and multifamily commercial projects to date.
“ Flashpoint Building Systems has been integral in helping make a limited trade force more capable and effective in the execution of their work… The antiquated way of red chalk lines all over the floors, left to interpretation by both contractors and our customers, are a way of the past now that such a clear picture of the plans is readily available at their feet. I cannot recommend enough that all builders begin implementing Flashpoint’s Integrated Layout System to yield the same positive results.”
-Alex Baird, Shea Homes
