“We didn’t just want software—we wanted a partner who would grow with us. MSUITE wasn’t just selling a product. They were listening, and making sure it worked for us in the DESIGN OFFICE, FAB SHOP, AND FIELD.” – JOSH OLBERDING. | VDC Director
HOW MIDWESTERN MECHANICAL TRANSFORMED FABRICATION WITH MSUITE
A DEWALT® CASE STUDY
- — COMPANY: Midwestern Mechanical, Inc
- — INDUSTRY: HVAC, Plumbing, Mechanical Fabrication
- — LOCATIONS: South Dakota & Iowa (Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Spencer, Rapid City)
- — KEY CONTACT: Josh Olberding, VDC Director
OVERVIEW
Midwestern Mechanical is a leading mechanical contractor specializing in HVAC, plumbing, and fabrication. With four locations across South Dakota and Iowa, they employ over 320 professionals, including a dedicated BIM team and a high-output fabrication shop.
Initially, Midwestern Mechanical struggled with inefficient fabrication tracking, disconnected workflows, and limited visibility into job progress.
They considered solutions several years ago but ultimately decided not to invest in fabrication software at the time. After reevaluating their approach, they gave MSUITE a shot—this time with proper training and support structure.
THE RESULT?
A fully integrated workflow that has revolutionized their fabrication operations.
CHALLENGES BEFORE ROLLING OUT MSUITE: SILOED DATA & INEFFICIENT TRACKING
Before MSUITE, Midwestern Mechanical relied on spreadsheets, Microsoft Teams, and scattered file folders for tracking work orders. This lack of a centralized system led to wasted time, frequent miscommunication, and inefficiencies.
“We had to dig through multiple locations to find the right information. Locating a single work order could take 15-20 minutes.”
– Josh Olberding
COORDINATION BREAKDOWNS BETWEEN BIM, FAB, AND FIELD
Fabrication and field teams often blamed design issues on the BIM department, but in reality, many issues stemmed from fabrication or installation. The absence of real-time insights made troubleshooting difficult.
“Everything was blamed on BIM. Once we implemented MSUITE, we realized many issues weren’t design problems—they were fab or field installation issues. MSUITE is designed to better align different departments. By having a single source of truth, there is no more blame game or finger pointing, just concrete data to understand where any inefficiencies may exist.”
– Josh Olberding
INITIAL SOFTWARE CHALLENGES & VENDOR LOCK-IN RISKS
When Midwestern Mechanical first explored digital solutions, they considered other products but found them rigid and early technology implementation challenges left them without a solution.
“We were looking at other solutions but found that they locked you into specific workflows. MSUITE’S flexibility was a game-changer.”
– Josh Olberding
THE SOLUTION: A CUSTOMER DRIVEN PARTNERSHIP
After reconnecting with MSUITE, Midwestern Mechanical found a team eager to listen and adapt the software based on real-world feedback. This customer-driven approach resulted in tangible improvements in fabrication tracking, real-time project visibility, and enhanced workflow automation for Midwestern Mechanical.
KEY RESULTS & IMPACT
FASTER WORK ORDER TRACKING: Reduced from 15-20 minutes to seconds with centralized access
ELIMINATED BIM VS. FAB MISCOMMUNICATION: Real-time insights improved accountability and reduced errors
DRAMATIC EFFICIENCY GAINS IN HANGER PLACEMENT: A 10-step process was reduced to one, saving hours per project
LONG-TERM SOFTWARE FLEXIBILITY: MSUITE’s customer-driven development approach relies on customer feedback
“The MSUITE team took our feedback, made updates, and showed us the changes. That was a gamechanger.”
– Josh Olberding
MSUITE BIM - DRIVING PRODUCTIVITY & STREAMLINED WORKFLOWS
ROTATE ELEMENTS: Precision and control over model adjustments
REMOVE STRAIGHT: Simplifies piping/conduit modifications
AUTO SPOOL: Rapidly create assemblies
HANGER PLACEMENT: Properly place hangers throughout model
“These tools have streamlined our entire process, cutting rework and improving coordination. It’s a huge difference in efficiency.”
– Josh Olberding
MSUITE HANGERS - SUBSTANTIAL TIME SAVINGS ON EVERY HANGER PLACEMENT
Previously, hanger placement required multiple adjustments and manual coordination. MSUITE streamlined this process into a single automated step, dramatically improving accuracy and efficiency.
“It’s like night and day. What used to take 10 steps now takes one”
– Josh Olberding
MSUITE FAB - REVOLUTIONIZING FABRICATION TRACKING
ELIMINATED SCATTERED SPREADSHEETS by centralizing work orders
ENABLED REAL-TIME STATUS UPDATES making them accessible to all teams
PROVIDED INSTANT VISIBILITY INTO BOTTLENECKS for faster decision-making
“Now, we’re ahead of the game. We know exactly what’s happening in the fab shop at all times.”
– Josh Olberding
SUPERIOR TRAINING & ADOPTION
MSUITE’s improved training was one of the biggest success factors in Midwestern Mechanical’s reimplementation. Previously, training gaps led to inefficiencies. MSUITE’s training team provided structured guidance the second time, significantly improving adoption.
“MSUITE ensured we understood the software inside and out. That alone made us significantly more successful this time.”
– Josh Olberding
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC PARTNERSHIP
For Midwestern Mechanical, adopting MSUITE was more than just implementing new software—it was about building a partnership that would drive efficiency and innovation. Integrating MSUITE BIM, Hangers, and FAB eliminated inefficiencies, improved collaboration, and gained real-time visibility into fabrication workflows.
“MSUITE has completely changed how we operate. It’s not just software—it’s a better way of working.”
– Josh Olberding
Interested in transforming your fabrication process like Midwestern Mechanical? Click here.
