Before modernizing its shop operations, Silicon Valley Mechanical relied on manual processes for ordering, labor tracking, and production. This left a paper trail of missed details, manual corrections, and backtracking along the way.

By centralizing their operations into a single system, SVM was able to track work in one place, improve visibility, and increase output without increasing headcount.

Results At A Glance (Year-To-Date):

• 3,887 material orders processed through a single system 
• 206,069 shop hours tracked with full accountability
• 80–90% reduction in time spent approving timecards 
• Higher production output despite workforce reductions

 

The Challenge: Manual Processes Weren’t Made To Scale
Before BuildCentrix, SVM relied on paper and PDF based orders to manage their operations. While this approach worked in the past, it became harder to manage as volume increased. 

The shop struggled with: 

• Tracking order status
• Manual labor and material tracking
• Communication gaps between field, shop, and management 
• Errors caused by lost or misinterpreted information
  
  

“It made it hard to track. It made it hard to communicate. A lot would get lost in translation.” — Emmanuel Mendoza, Silicon Valley Mechanical 

The Turning Point: A Single Source Of Truth
SVM made a decisive operational change: all orders, labor, and production data had to flow through one system. BuildCentrix. 

By adopting a single source of truth across their entire operation, the shop gained a clearer view of material orders, fabrication priorities, and labor hours. Information was now available in one place. And everyone, from the field to the shop floor to leadership, worked from the same up-to-date data. 

“Once everything had to go through BuildCentrix, we could track orders, time, and material—pretty much everything…” — Emmanuel Mendoza, Silicon Valley Mechanical 

Maximum Efficiency 
Timecards became one of the biggest wins for the shop. Before BuildCentrix, handwritten cards led to frequent mathematical errors and manual mistakes. With BuildCentrix, time is now entered per work order with start and end times, and the system flags issues when entries don’t add up, reducing manual corrections and admin time. 

Before BuildCentrix: 

• Handwritten timecards
• Manual math and approvals
• Frequent errors and rework

After BuildCentrix: 

• Automatic validation and error flags
• Immediate visibility into labor allocation


“Doing timecards saves so much time now. Before, when everyone was doing them by hand, I had to approve 40 timecards and the math often wasn’t adding up. I’d have to backtrack and talk to the guys to fix errors. Now, they enter time per work order with start and end times; if something doesn’t add up, it’s flagged right away. That alone has resulted in an 80–90% time savings for me.”  — Emmanuel Mendoza, Silicon Valley Mechanical 


More Output, Same Labor
Like many mechanical contractors, SVM faces skilled labor shortages. But with improved tracking and clearer insight into shop activity, the team has been able to maintain and increase production without having to increase headcount. 

“Like most contractors, it’s challenging to find skilled labor. I can tell you, I had to layoff 5 guys this week. Even so, we’re still doing the same amount if not more in production.” — Emmanuel Mendoza, Silicon Valley Mechanical 


Result: Clarity Today. Capacity for What’s Next.  
SVM continues to expand its use of BuildCentrix, particularly in scheduling and capacity planning. By leveraging data on hours, workload, and pounds per department, the shop is moving toward a fully automated, totally controlled and visible workflow. 

By replacing paper and PDFs with BuildCentrix, Silicon Valley Mechanical transformed its paper dependent shop into a data-driven machine with faster execution, fewer errors, and the ability to scale production without scaling labor.  

Proving MEP contractors can scale with complete project visibility & control.