| If you have worked on a construction site you | | | | Dot Tel uses under 10k of data per page while |
| will know that having up-to-date contact | | | | most mobile phone internet web site pages use |
| information is very important. Contact details of all | | | | over 80k. It is therefore cheaper. Updates mean |
| the different people and businesses that play a | | | | that everyone who is involved in the project is |
| role in any construction project are required. | | | | updated. There is no need for individual contact. |
| The people involved in even a small residential | | | | This saves a lot of time and energy. |
| project include builders or contractors, building | | | | There are some details in a construction project |
| inspectors, banks (often), property appraisers, | | | | that need to be kept private. Dot Tel provides |
| surveyors, architect(s), and building supplies | | | | for this with a tool called Telfriends. This allows |
| companies. Sub-contractors are even more | | | | details to be kept private and confidential. |
| numerous and include glass companies, flooring | | | | Financing and banking contact details would |
| suppliers, roofers, stoppers, plumbers, electricians, | | | | probably be kept private, as would some supplier |
| telephone companies, and many more. Even on a | | | | details for commercial reasons. |
| small project there will be many people involved | | | | An office tower Dot Tel could be divided up into |
| and these people need to contact each other. | | | | floor sub-directories and/or job function |
| The last thing builders want to do when on a job | | | | sub-directories. A single one can hold up to 3,000 |
| is climb down a ladder to get a phone number. | | | | contact records, so on very large projects there |
| The beauty of the mobile phone is that they can | | | | might be multiple Dot Tels, if required. A contact |
| take calls on the job. A Dot Tel, however, gives | | | | for Level 2 Cabling, for example, could be found |
| them the freedom to make calls to anyone who | | | | on a project Dot Tel at Project > Building |
| is involved in the project. If builders or project | | | | Construction > Level 2 > Cabling > |
| managers want to sort out a problem fast the | | | | Business/Individual. They could also be found at |
| information to do so is immediately available. | | | | Project > Building Construction > Sub |
| Dot Tel is perfect for this industry and its value | | | | Contractors > Cabling > Businesses |
| increases in proportion to the size of the | | | | Individuals. There is a lot of freedom in how a |
| construction project. Bigger projects have more | | | | directory is structured. |
| people involved. In a project like an office building | | | | The potential savings offered by a Dot Tel on a |
| there are hundreds if not thousands of people | | | | construction project are very significant and |
| involved. The first point of contact is probably | | | | possibly measurable (this may be the subject of a |
| going to be the site office located close to the | | | | future article!). A project participant does not have |
| entrance to the project. The organization's or | | | | to carry around a list and worry about getting a |
| individual's name is added to the project Dot Tel | | | | new copy or an update every day. They know |
| on contact, employment or arrival. Those contact | | | | that if the project office has done its job |
| details are then available to everyone. | | | | properly, any contact detail they might want is |
| The current best method for keeping project | | | | readily available on their mobile phone without the |
| contacts is to have a computer on each floor of | | | | need for them to personally program it in. |
| a construction project and a site intranet. Dot Tel, | | | | In summary, this new Dot Tel technology offers |
| however, can be accessed on any device with an | | | | opportunities for efficiency on a construction |
| internet connection. In most projects the contact | | | | project or any project for which contact details |
| details are updated daily and circulated in paper | | | | are required. Dot Tel uses very low data and |
| form to all parties or all parties who would need | | | | bandwidth, is simple to operate, and updates |
| those contact details. This is slow and inefficient. | | | | immediately for any changes in information. |
| Dot Tel beats both of these methods hands | | | | Ensuing articles from this writer will examine the |
| down because it is much faster and uses much | | | | use of them in construction in even more depth. |
| less data. | | | | |