Case Study: Building Science Group, Cion saves up to 40% on Building Condition Assessments
Aug 19, 2025
Project Overview: Cion Corp (a NORR Group company) performed a comprehensive Building Condition Assessment to evaluate a facility’s structural, mechanical, electrical, and envelope systems .
The project was led by Kelly Worden, an experienced Cion Project Manager responsible for building restoration, condition assessments, and performance audits . Using industry-standard protocols (e.g. Uniformat Level II) and mobile data capture, the team aimed to deliver a thorough evaluation under the originally planned budget of 19 hours.
Approach & Technology: The assessment leveraged mobile-enabled field tools and centralized data systems. Inspectors captured images and notes on-site with a mobile app, automatically geotagging and uploading data in real time. This eliminated many manual steps: for example, all photos were immediately indexed by location and uniformat type (no separate transfer or lookup needed). The first draft of report writing was AI-generated starting with 70% of the report. The review was done by project managers that used the AI features to more quickly focus on the parts that mattered. This workflow minimized the user from doing tedious repetitive work. The team still conducted a meticulous review of each building component – photographing identified deficiencies and compiling an asset inventory as in Cion’s standard process.
Efficiency Gains: The digital approach dramatically reduced effort for both junior engineers and the reviewing manager. The table below compares budgeted versus actual time by task:
Site visit travel: Budget 4.0 h, Actual 3.0 h (1.0 h saved) – achieved via optimized route planning.
Photo transfer: Budget 0.5 h, Actual 0 h (saved 0.5 h) – mobile photo capture eliminated manual transfer.
Cost table inventory: Budget 1.0 h, Actual 0.17 h (10 min, saved 0.83 h) – streamlined by pre-populated digital checklists.
Report writing: Budget 3.0 h, Actual 0.33 h (20 min, saved ~2.5 h) – templated real-time documentation sped up report generation.
Photo searching: Budget 0.5 h, Actual 0 h (saved 0.5 h) – all images were organized automatically.
Cost table costing: Budget 5.0 h, Actual 5.0 h (on target) – design review time was as expected.
Appendix assembly: Budget 2.0 h, Actual 0.17 h (10 min, saved 1.83 h) – appendix built by reusing captured data.
Review (PM time): Budget 3.0 h, Actual 1.0 h (saved 2.0 h) – consistent, error-free data cut the review time dramatically.
Packaging & Signing: Budget 1.0 h, Actual 1.0 h (on target) – final QA and delivery took the planned time.
Both junior engineers and the project manager benefited: routine data tasks and documentation steps were faster, and the reviewer needed only one hour to finalize.
Overall, the active task time totaled approximately 13.4 hours – nearly 30% below the 19-hour budget, saving roughly 5.6 hours.
Results & Value: Despite the time savings, the team’s thorough process uncovered details a quick walk-through might miss. In line with best practices, the assessment systematically “uncover[s] hidden issues” that could undermine a building’s integrity. For instance, targeted inspections identified minor envelope gaps and moisture stains that warrant preemptive repair – insights that will extend asset life. The final report was extremely detailed (including annotated photos and an itemized asset table) yet delivered on schedule and within budget. This aligns with prior Cion projects where intrusive testing resolved issues like air leaks and water intrusion that might otherwise go undetected
Employees are happier because we've taken a tedious part of the work off their plate.
Conclusion: By combining mobile field technology, AI with rigorous inspection protocols, Cion delivered a highly detailed Building Condition Assessment on time and under budget. This case demonstrates how digital tools accelerate assessments (reducing manual tasks and travel) while enabling a deeper investigation of the facility. The client received a more comprehensive evaluation than a standard survey, capturing subtle deficiencies and replacement timelines. In summary, Cion’s efficient methodology saved nearly six hours of work and provided Kelly Worden with a rich, actionable condition report without exceeding the original budget. The result is a best-practice model for rapid yet thorough building evaluations.