Like many industries, the construction sector has been strongly affected by the ongoing pandemic. According to the latest predictions, economic shortfalls may negatively impact construction and construction spending in the next few years. In addition, if the current recession mirrors that of 2007-9, construction projects may be halted indefinitely — or permanently.

Construction businesses that wish to keep their competitive advantage must find new ways to increase efficiency, reduce operational costs and errors, and bring added value to their clients.

The Advantages of an In-House Large Format Printer in Construction

One way to add value to your project, bring your team more control, and enable your company to work within tighter deadlines is to bring one of your core business operations — plan creation and printing — in-house.

Plan Sets — The Building Blocks of a Successful Construction Project

The more successful projects — and satisfied clients — you have in your portfolio, the more attractive your company becomes to potential partners and clients. And the centerpiece of every successful project is a set of plans.

Construction projects are typically complicated and can be unpredictable, owing to weather delays, supply chain woes, and schedule changes, among others. For this reason, plan sets must be clear, detailed, and precise.

Contractors may be responsible for submitting initial plans and plan sets to all subcontractors and they are typically responsible for the as-built plans.

As-built plans detail all the changes the occurred during the project to give the new owner the exact details — include shape, dimensions, locations, and materials — of the final project. Not only do as-builts give contractors a record of changes and complication arising from these changes, but the provide owners with an accurate plan for troubleshooting, future modifications, or even sale of the property.

Being able to modify, print, and distribute plan sets on-the-fly can be crucial for a successful project.

How a Large Format Printer Brings Added Value to Your Project

In the past, plan sets were often sent out to be printed at a third-party print vendor. While at a glance this may seem convenient, it often results in a time delay that can be caused by a backlog at the print vendor.

In construction, time is money and any delay in sending plans to the appropriate parties can mean schedule shifts that can result in monetary penalties.

Having a high-quality Large Format printer in your office reduces your reliance on a third party for plan printing and gives you the freedom to print plans and other materials precisely when you need them.

Changes are typical throughout the lifespan of a construction project, and an in-house Large Format printer can help you make plan and document revisions on-the-fly, helping you to stay abreast of as-built modifications and keeping your construction crew supplied with up-to-date drawings to reduce the possibility of errors.

If you’re outsourcing your printing, a last-minute change could result in having to pay for printed plan sets that are no longer useful. In-house printing allows you to stop in the middle of a job, make a change, and resume for minimal waste.

Enabling in-house printing reduces time spent managing outsourced prints, corresponding with the third-party printer, and traveling back and forth to pick up finished sets. This extra time can easily translate into more revenue since your staff can use it to increase their submission of bids and proposals to win more work.

Blue Technologies Has the Best Selection of Large Format Printers

At Blue Technologies, we partner with leaders in the print and imaging industry to bring you leading-edge Large Format print technology for your construction office.

Whether you need efficient, fast, high-volume printing, quality color output, the flexibility of an on-demand print source, or lower print costs overall — our team of print professionals has the right equipment for you.

We can rapidly assess your current needs and challenges and help you choose an in-house print solution that perfectly matches your goals — and your budget.

Create the plans you need — when you need them. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant today and learn how our selection of Large Format printers can help your construction company thrive.