Saving 1,213 Hours by Standardising Workflows with Sablono

The Project

The Hills Residence is a premier mixed-use development located in the vibrant heart of Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten. This ambitious project seamlessly blends luxury living with commercial convenience, featuring four residential buildings complemented by a shopping centre housing 20 shops and restaurants.

The development offers 150 meticulously designed one and two-bedroom apartments, each boasting modern amenities and breathtaking views of the Simpson Bay Lagoon. 

FT Construction is the general contracting arm of the FT Development Group, founded in 2005. The group acts as a real estate developer and builder and has delivered several iconic residential and hotel developments on the island of Sint Maarten.

As the general contractor, FT Construction is responsible for bringing these projects to life on site, ensuring high-quality execution of the group’s developments.

The Challenge

The team needed a platform that could support scalable operations and streamline workflows without compromising on quality. Equally important was gaining better visibility across projects to ensure consistent standards.
  

FT Construction wanted to:  

Standardise progress tracking and quality control 

Centralise site documentation 

Gain real-time performance visibility 

Reduce delays related to empty units and handovers

The Solution

Sablono delivered the ideal combination of control, speed, and insight, empowering FT Construction to accelerate delivery while driving the business forward. Sablono’s solution provided: 
 

Real-Time Tracking and Lean Planning 

Sablono facilitated real-time monitoring of thousands of activities spanning the project team, subcontractors, and the supply chain. FT Construction gained the ability to track the project at an exceptionally granular level, filtering data by area, status, deliverables, and teams. This capability enabled more agile and forward-looking planning. 

Visual Tracking (Interactive Plans) 

Sablono delivered visual tracking for their apartments’ internal works, enhancing understanding and fostering stronger collaboration. Site drawings were transformed into dynamic visual trackers that were updated in real time, providing clear visibility into project progress. 

 
Trade Coordination 

Sablono helped simplify the way work progressed from one trade to the next. As soon as a team marked their task complete, the following trade was automatically notified that the area was ready for them to begin. If an activity was rejected, the right team was instantly alerted so issues could be addressed without delay. 

For management, the process was just as seamless: once a trade finished its work, supervisors received a notification to review and sign off. This ensured every handover met the required quality before the next trade stepped in. 

Automated Internal and Client Reporting  

Sablono made reporting effortless by generating updates automatically from real-time site data. Instead of spending hours compiling information, at the push of a button, the team could instantly create professional PDF reports and share them with project partners. This ensured everyone stayed aligned, while freeing up more time to focus on delivering the project. 
 

Data Insights 

Sablono enabled the project team to precisely capture all relevant site data within a unified system. This empowered the team to monitor performance effectively and explore production data in depth to optimise site operations. 

The Results

Sablono helped transform day-to-day operations on-site, replacing outdated manual processes with a centralised, data-driven platform. Below are some of the key areas where efficiency, collaboration, and visibility were significantly enhanced: 

Streamlined collaboration with subcontractors 

• Facade coordination was streamlined with centralised documentation and digital records. 

• Final inspections are now 20 minutes faster per unit, thanks to pre-recorded evidence and structured checklists. 

• MEP tracking provided greater visibility, while visual trackers enhanced accountability across the team to ensure timely delivery. 
  
  

Faster handovers thanks to real-time alerts 

• Before: Handover gaps meant units sat empty until the next trade was notified manually. 

• With Sablono: Trades are alerted in real-time when a predecessor finishes, reducing downtime and making handovers traceable with timestamps for claims management. 

• Communication has also shifted from calls and paperwork to automated emails and digital handovers. 
  
  

Reduced downtime and duplication 

Daily Supervisor Meetings with Trades 

• Before: Manual Excel trackers required constant updates and added admin burden. 

• With Sablono: Meetings run on real-time 2D visualisations and activity trackers, cutting prep time and enabling more focused discussions. 
  
  

Weekly Progress Meetings with Clients 

• Before: Hours wasted each week updating spreadsheets for meeting preparation. 

• With Sablono: Live data and visuals from site reduce prep time and improve the quality of conversations. 
  
  

Quality & Obstruction Management 

• Before: Issues communicated reactively by phone, often taking days to resolve. 

• With Sablono: Obstructions logged digitally and resolved proactively, preventing delays. 
  
  

Site Walks 

• Before: Random and inconsistent checks based on individual knowledge. 

• With Sablono: Digital tools guide walks to focus on problem areas, making trade and client inspections more effective. 
  
  

Short Range Scheduling 

• Before: Excel-based lean planning required frequent manual updates. 

• With Sablono: Schedules update automatically from site data, reducing rework and keeping plans responsive. 
  
  

Progress Reporting 

• Before: Planner visits took 1 day per week, and reports were manually compiled in Excel. 

• With Sablono: Planner visits reduced by 75%, KPIs auto-generated, and client reports created instantly, saving significant time. 
  
  

Improved Client Experience 

• More informed meetings: Real-time visuals replaced static spreadsheets, leading to clearer, data-driven discussions. 
• Greater transparency: Clients received up-to-date progress reports instantly, building trust and reducing disputes. 
• Stronger confidence: Automated reporting and proactive issue management reassured clients that quality and progress were under control.