Align, JE Dunn Construction’s new preconstruction tool, has been named a Fast Company 2024 Innovation by Design award winner. The tool, created in partnership with design and technology consultant Crema, helps clients visualize and affordably estimate project costs.
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, JE Dunn developed Align to streamline the often stressful preconstruction budgeting process. By combining specific target budgets with comparable project visuals, the tool provides a clear roadmap for clients, trade partners, and architects. Built on JE Dunn’s existing Lens Search tool, Align offers a user-friendly interface that guides users through the estimation process, reducing decision fatigue and increasing accuracy.
“Align fosters a more collaborative and engaging approach,” said Jason Hickam, national preconstruction and estimating director at JE Dunn. “It empowers our clients and design teams to create realistic budgets aligned with project goals. By linking historical costs to visual representations and providing live estimate updates, we deliver unparalleled certainty.”
Unlike traditional spreadsheets, Align offers rich context through cost summaries and photos from over 1,400 completed JE Dunn projects. This data-driven approach enables users to confidently estimate project costs per square foot and total project budgets, while also visualizing potential outcomes.
“We’ve transformed the estimation process into a collaborative playground that prioritizes speed and accuracy,” said Crema Product Designer Jeremy Murray.
With over 20,000 estimates generated annually, Align’s impact on the construction industry is substantial. JE Dunn plans to expand the tool’s use across its preconstruction services.