The contractor was looking to reduce the amount of data entry required each week to pull updated permit status and required inspection items, and then relay that data to the field.
Before this solution came online, their process was:
Check the NYC DOB NOW website for permit status and required items.
- Create a new inspection template for each project in Procore and add the required items for each permit as sections.
- Communicate with the field to complete the inspection.
- And, if any of the required items changed…repeat the process.
The contractor worked with data engineering firm, ResponseVault, to create both the integrations between the NYC DOB NOW website, and Procore Inspections, but also to create a management screen for every project.
The integration loads the database of permit information from the DOB into a data warehouse, then lets the contractor’s team choose which permits they want to track per project. When it’s ready, it will trigger an inspection to be created for the project in Procore, including each permit and a line item for each open requirement for the field to respond to.
First, the integration team uses the NYC Open Data Portal to periodically extract and load permit data from the DOB into a PostgreSQL data warehouse. This process happens each day, as the dataset is updated daily. The data has two columns (fields) that contain the information we’re looking for in each permit. They are Special Inspection Requirement and Progress Inspection Requirements. The data in those columns is a comma-separated list of requirements for the permit to move forward. A typical value may look like “Fire-Resistant Penetrations and Joints, High-Pressure Fuel-Gas Piping (Welding).”
ResponseVault takes the data in its raw form, transforms each requirement into a separate record, and presents the contractor’s team with a management interface that includes the project information, a list of each of the permits relevant to that project, and a list of all requirements for each permit.
As the job is in progress, the contractor’s staff in the office can trigger a workflow that creates a customized Procore inspection with sections for each permit and the requirements as entries. The inspection is unique to the project and generated through an automated process that leverages the information in the data warehouse.
The inspection with up-to-date permit data from the data warehouse and attachments uploaded by office staff is now ready to be completed by the field. With this integration, the contractor can reduce data entry and communication time with the field by 60% weekly.
If you’re looking to integrate permit information or other project data with your project management system, contact the ResponseVault team.
On your job site, especially if you’re in New York City, you’ll need to ensure your team complies with all of the requirements listed in each trade’s work permit. But, getting the status of any given permit on a job is a cumbersome process, and keeping track of what’s left to address is even more challenging. It takes a highly diligent superintendent or project manager to stay on top of the requirements at any point in the job and communicate them to the field.
Below is how an Reidy Contracting Group used data integration to save several hours per week of coordination and data-entry.
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