Inspired Dwellings Wins Chelsea Smart Home Project with D-Tools
In this day and age, “home away from home” isn’t just an adage; it’s a way of living. These days, people are able to live more freely among different residences by connecting them with the common core of technology. Such was the case with the owners of this contemporary Chelsea town house, who lead busy lifestyles, with ‘home’ being split between the UK and the US. They wanted to outfit their Chelsea home with technology that would make their lives more entertaining and more convenient, both at home and away, so they solicited a bid from Inspired Dwellings to execute the smart home plan. With a little help from D-Tools, the integration company landed the job and was subsequently able to communicate more efficiently and effectively with these jet-setting clients, and ultimately deliver the smart home the client desired.
Project Estimation Made Easy
For the technology integrator, working with a travelling client can be difficult. Having the tools in your arsenal to make it all a bit easier and more time- and cost-effective is therefore imperative. D-Tools System Integrator (SI) software simplified the Chelsea townhome project at every stage of the installation, beginning with the estimation and design stage.
Because the project would encompass multiple subsystems including security, AV, home automation, door entry, and telephone, it was important to get the project estimation right the first time. “D-Tools helped Inspired Dwellings figure out how to propose, design and manage these systems while simultaneously reducing the risk of human error,” says Stewart Maynard, Operations Director of Inspired Dwellings. “With the use of the D-Tools extensive product library, the comprehensive package and accessories tool enabled our sales team to customize products into easily accessible packages, which could then be slotted into an estimate with ease.” The D-Tools professional estimate documentation feature also allowed Inspired Dwellings to present the bids in a way that was cohesive and understandable and ultimately helped them win the job. “The clients could immediately see that we had kept to the initial budget and brief, as the total cost is listed clearly on the final page,” says Maynard.
Communication and Variation Orders, Simplified
Once the budget and system design were approved, D-Tools continued to facilitate communications between the client and Inspired Dwellings. “Our biggest challenge was finding the time to coordinate with the client,” says Maynard. “Through the use of D-Tools we were able to send the required information to the client in an easy-to-understand manner.”
Even late-stage changes were made far simpler with D-Tools. For example, the clients decided very late in the process that they wanted to switch all the TVs from LG to Samsung. “Variation Orders generated from D-Tools compare tool ensured that the Inspired Dwellings team was kept up to date, but also guaranteed that all VOs proposed to clients included all of the correct items,” adds Maynard. “The unit and actual cost is listed for every product and labor item added, and through the use of the data generated from the Mobile Install feature and time reporting within SI, we were able to see the margin we were making. This ensured the pricing made sense to us in terms of profit, and to the client in terms of what they would be charged.”
Now, the clients are extremely pleased with the end result and the innovative and intuitive work Inspired Dwellings accomplished. A Control4 home automation system brings together security, audio-visual, telephone, and Wi-Fi systems, along with heating and lighting. A BPT door entry panel lets them see and communicate with those at the front door for added safety. They can control the property from afar using an app, which is perfect for the winter season when they want to warm up the home before returning from work.
“The success of our Chelsea town house project and the large amount of planning that went into it, demonstrates the benefits of using D-Tools System Integrator software,” says Maynard. “Without it, we would have had to import estimates, price lists and CAD drawings in from other software, using up time and resources which we did not necessarily have.”
In the end, D-Tools helped Inspired Dwellings win the bid, save time, save money, communicate more effectively, and perhaps most importantly, ensured profitability and a very happy client.
Architect Credit: MWAI
Those interested in learning more about D-Tools and the company’s award-winning System Integrator software platform are also encouraged to register for a live demo by visiting https://d-tools.com/live-demo-webinar/ or for a free 30-day trial, which can be downloaded by following this link https://d-tools.com/30-day-free-trial/.
