Astro-tourism

This 1200m2, $11M state-of-the-art multimedia indoor astronomy centre is proudly home to the newly restored 125-year-old Brashear telescope. 

The build itself was complex, with its unique structure of curved walls, telescope dome, and installation of the Brashear. Careful forecasting and planning ensured that Cook Brothers Construction meet and complete these complex construction details to the client's requirements. 

This joint venture between the Dark Sky Project co-founders and Ngāi Tahu Tourism now serves as an impressive year-round day and night interactive experience, connecting visitors to the life of New Zealand’s amazing night sky through science and tātai aroraki (Māori astronomy).

The Challenge

Primarily reliant on spreadsheets and email to track projects; these manual systems didn’t allow for an easy way to organise and manage project data —let alone efficiently communicate with stakeholders. With a goal to transform the construction industry and differentiate from its competitors, Cook Brothers needed a construction management system that would partner with them to disrupt the norm of manual processes and give them a competitive edge.

The Solution

Leveraging Procore’s user-friendly platform consolidated all the information into one centralised location. Not only did the site and office staff readily adopt the solution, but it was easy to communicate with everyone. With greater consistency and efficiency, the team was able to provide a point of difference competitively and grow as a company.

The Story

When CFO Adam La Hood joined Cook Brothers Construction, teams relied primarily on spreadsheets, email and written notes to manage projects. But this proved to be a challenge as there was no central repository for project data. Not only did it inhibit communication, but tracking variations and approvals were growing increasingly complex.

The executive team decided to set up demos with leading construction management solutions in the New Zealand market. Adam recalls that during their research, they liked that Procore’s tools were easy to use for both site and office teams.

The company placed product experts in each of their regions to aid implementation and ensure all staff were equipped with the right skills to use the software. During implementation, the team also leveraged Procore’s certifications and training resources to get teams up to speed quickly and reduce the barrier to adoption.

By using a more streamlined system across their business, Cook Brothers not only ensured consistency but also boosted communication and collaboration. Moreover, teams were more efficient and no longer had to double enter information. In fact, Adam estimates Procore saved employees roughly 10% of their time.

Ultimately, a more efficient solution also helped the company differentiate itself in a competitive market. ‘We were an early adopter of Procore in New Zealand’, Adam explains. ‘We want to transform the construction industry. We want to be different, and we saw Procore as a very good partner because they want to challenge what’s out there. That’s exactly what our vision and philosophy are as well’.