Denver, Colorado-based Davis Partnership Architects is a design firm specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, lighting design, and signage design.
Tracing its roots back to an architecture practice founded in 1892, Davis Partnership has played a significant role in shaping Denver’s architectural landscape across its storied history.
Today Davis Partnership employs around 200 people, who work on projects across the United States ranging from healthcare to hospitality, and higher education to multi-family housing. That diverse team posed a challenge for BIM Manager Ron Rowcotsky, who began looking for a solution after siloed information and a lack of a cohesive training program began impacting the firm.
The Challenge
“It’s lost time, which equals lost revenue and lost productivity,” Rowcotsky explained. “When people can’t find things that they need or are having to look in multiple places, it’s just wasting time.”
“What I really liked was the idea of these metrics that could be collected and visualized on the back end, and could easily prove return on investment,” Rowcotsky said. “The individually customized learning program meant that we didn’t have to take the shotgun approach.”
In response to the spread of COVID-19, Davis Partnership placed a spending freeze as it shifted to working from home.
The Solution
After consulting with his Pinnacle Series Business Development Manager and Customer Success Manager, Rowcotsky was allowed to continue with a free 90-day pilot program to show the firm the value of continuing its relationship with Pinnacle Series.
“It was a risk they were willing to take because they believed in the product so much, which spoke volumes to me,” Rowcotsky said. “It was instrumental in making the case to the partners. If they were willing to give that portion of their time and effort without spending a dime, then they know that they have a good product.”
The Results
“The results of the KnowledgeSmart assessments were really interesting to look at; it really equalized and set the bar for understanding skills gaps and
understanding where we lie within one easy metric,” he explained.
Rowcotsky also received anecdotal feedback from employees who appreciated Pinnacle Series’ customized learning capabilities and assessments that took place within the software program they covered.
As the pilot program wrapped up, Rowcotsky worked with the Pinnacle Series team to make a case for Pinnacle Series to Davis Partnership’s partners for a second time.
“We had to make the argument that even when things are slow and uncertain, while spending anything is a tough decision to make, this was actually the perfect time to implement a training program,” he said.
To back up his
anecdotal evidence, Rowcotsky pulled data from the pilot that showed saving employees just 3 minutes per day while billing $100 per hour translated into $350,000 in annual savings for Davis Partnership – more than 10 times what the firm invested into Pinnacle Series.
“Beyond the bottom line, and beyond the money, we were able to make a case that rather than scrambling to hire people when we get an influx of work, that we needed to optimize and upscale the existing human capital, to show them and to remind them that our employees really are our greatest assets,” he explained. “When we invest in our own, we grow our own.”
