Implementing Procore
with Operations Support Manager Michelle Cartwright
Colvos was just beginning to use the Procore software system when I came on board, but they were not yet fully utilizing the software's capabilities. I was able to get them up to speed once I started because I had just implemented Procore at my previous job, so I was quickly able to show them how to optimize their experience.
Compared to the process of implementing Procore for a large company, we didn't experience any additional challenges or issues as a much smaller, newer company. In fact, one of the benefits of being a small, new company is that you can simply present the systems and processes to employees and have the understanding that this is what we are doing going forward.
Ideally, we would have done a more gradual roll out by starting with a group of tools, training employees, then moving on to the next group rather than doing it all at once, but we didn’t have that luxury in a fast-paced startup environment. Fortunately, the software is user-friendly enough that our employees quickly figured it out, and Procore's customer service and support has been great when we needed help.
Procore is somewhat customizable, which is beneficial. I am currently building a Colvos training platform that will be hosted on the Procore site, with position-specific training information available to employees so they can access workflows, processes, training videos, etc. It has been a lot of work but it will be incredibly helpful; we are hoping to roll it out in Q2.
Procore has not only helped with developing the Colvos training process, but also with the overall business process standardization. This leads to predictable results on projects, which will ultimately help make us scalable for future growth.
Procore seems to be equally useful for field-based and office-based employees. For example, it has simplified the process of completing daily logs for our Superintendents. They all have the Procore app on their phones, so they can snap job photos with their phones, and attach them to the log.
In the office, it also makes the project management and financial side of the work a lot simpler. It has made my own job easier because everything lives in one spot. We don’t need to use multiple systems to find information because almost everything we need to conduct our daily business can be found within Procore.
It has really emerged as the industry standard as there aren’t currently any high-performing alternatives geared toward construction. Many of the construction management programs in the colleges even offer Procore courses as part of their curriculum.
It seems that these days, it’s not really a question of if a contractor is using Procore, but how they are using it.
