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      MySmartPlans Track Record:

      17 years in business

      100% of our 2,130 projects were protected from litigation

      $23 billion in project value completed

      99.9% of projects were completed on time & on budget

      18% project on-site savings

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      The MySmartPlans Manifesto

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Stop the Change Order Games | Miami Wire

Stop the Change Order Games: Lessons Learned and Solutions Created

Published by: Hakeem Coleman 

Change orders have long been a source of frustration and conflict in the construction world. These amendments to construction contracts often lead to budget overages, schedule extensions, and even litigation. However, there is a solution that promises to end these change order games and bring accountability and transparency to the construction industry.  

Enter MySmartPlans, a state-of-the-art technology platform founded in 2007 by Shelley Armato, a visionary entrepreneur passionate about eliminating construction chaos. MySmartPlans has managed thousands of projects and prevented litigation by creating full integration of all project data. In addition, with the assistance of personal Digital Information Librarians, MySmartPlans ensures integrity in data governance and mitigates the risks associated with insufficient document oversight 

Accountability, transparency, and efficiency are the hallmarks of MySmartPlans’ approach. The construction industry has long been plagued by a need for these essential qualities, leading to costly disputes and delays. MySmartPlans fills this gap by providing a third-party gatekeeper of project information. Stakeholders can access pre-audited details, giving them a complete picture and enabling them to make informed decisions regarding change orders.  

Over its 16-year history, MySmartPlans has successfully ended numerous unwarranted change orders. Let’s take a closer look at some of the change order games that MySmartPlans has stopped:  

Manipulation of meeting minutes: Contractors have been known to manipulate meeting minutes to support their arguments for additional funds. MySmartPlans prevents this by sitting in on meetings and immediately posting the minutes, ensuring accuracy and transparency.  

Unjustified weather delays: Weather delays can be a legitimate reason for change orders, but sometimes they are used as a pretext to increase project costs. MySmartPlans monitors and archives weather data at the construction site 24/7, providing irrefutable evidence to determine the validity of weather-related change orders.  

Scheduling manipulation: Contractors may manipulate schedules to create additional work and justify change orders. MySmartPlans prevents this by closely monitoring programs and identifying attempts to increase general conditions artificially.  

Claims of missing information: Contractors may claim they still need to receive essential project information to create a case for additional funds. MySmartPlans timestamps all information sent, providing a clear record of communication. It also tracks whether contractors have viewed documentation, ensuring accountability.    

It is time to open our eyes to the tricks that have plagued the construction industry for far too long. MySmartPlans offers a better way to build, prioritizing accountability, transparency, and efficiency. By embracing MySmartPlans and their project gatekeepers, we can ensure complete, organized, correct, audited, and searchable documentation. The MySmartPlans Platform saves money and fosters trust and confidence among all stakeholders involved.  

Technology is just a tool; it ensures a construction project’s success. That is why MySmartPlans pairs its innovative software with Digital Information Librarians who possess complete project knowledge. By harnessing the power of technology and the expertise of skilled professionals, MySmartPlans revolutionizes the construction industry by ending the change order games that have plagued it for years. By integrating disparate systems of data and offering a complete and organized documentation solution, MySmartPlans empowers project owners, architects, contractors, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions, prevent budget overages and schedule extensions, and eliminate the need for costly litigation. It’s time to stop building with the status quo and embrace a future where construction projects run smoothly and efficiently with MySmartPlans. 

Opinions expressed by Miami Wire contributors are their own.

Posted in the Miami Wire June 2023

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