266: Unstuck Yourself from Spreadsheets: Driving Collaboration and Productivity – Connect with Quickbase

This is the third episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase. Last week in Episode 2, “Control,” I was joined by Alex Pederson to talk all about the solar industry. We discussed the increasing importance of generating renewable energy sources; the challenges of ensuring efficiency and connectivity, whilst meeting high demand; the power of low-code development in complex industries; and exactly how Quickbase can centralize scattered workflows to help scale your operations quickly, safely and securely. Today in Episode 3, “Connect,” I’m joined by Jacob MacIntrye to explore the complex world of construction; the challenges of keeping projects on time and budget, amidst supply chain and labor disruption; the importance of building stakeholder trust; and exactly how Quickbase can equip your team with real-time information to streamline processes, ensure compliance and improve communication.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [02.05] An introduction to Jacob, his background and experience in the construction industry. “With that job comes a lot of software… whether you like it or not – and a lot of folks don’t like it!” [03.24] How Jacob discovered Quickbase, why he decided to join them, and his passion for combining his industry experience with Quickbase technology to help others. “Difficulties in the supply chain come down to difficulties in the communication – when you want to track pipe, what you’re really wanting to do is track the information and communication between the parties.” [08.56] From supply of materials to rising costs, a closer look at the challenges the construction industry is facing right now. [12.20] The impact of fines and compliance violations, and Jacob’s thoughts on how the industry could start to better predict project delays. “The planners need better tools: a lot of times you’ll find them just tracking things in spreadsheets. They’ve got their major systems but the only other thing they have are spreadsheets, so there’s nothing in the middle to give that robust connection.” [16.10] A closer look at Quickbase’s Construction Management Software, what it does and how it helps to address key industry challenges. [19.47] The types of customer that Quickbase works with. “We’ve been around a long time, so we have owner-operators that have 10 employees, and we work with half of the fortune 100 - we have a huge range of customers that need that flexible middle.” [21.41] The complexity of documentation and data management, and how Quickbase achieves the balance of being flexible, but also robust enough to house and manage complex, ever-changing data in a secure and easy to use way. “When people get nervous about where their data goes, I always remind them ‘well, it’s all going into Excel right now!’ … People are taking data out of their ERP, dumping it into Excel and sharing it with people – that’s not secure or governed in any way, but people seem to overlook that!” [25.11] Quickbase’s approach to trust and collaboration, and the importance of building long-term relationships. [27.41] A customer case study detailing how Quickbase software was able to connect multiple stakeholders to achieve project success. [30.46] The next steps for working with Quickbase, or giving their software a try. [31.57] Jacob’s thoughts on where he sees the most challenge and opportunity in the future, as the construction industry continues to grow. “The planning and sourcing of materials is only going to get more difficult – the pandemic gave us a window into how interconnected our world is and the big challenges there aren’t over.” [35.30] Jacob’s key takeaway when it comes to the importance of connecting people, workflows and materials when it comes to project success.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Quickbase’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Quickbase and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. If you missed it, check out episode 1 of our Quickbase mini-series, in which Peter Rifkin takes a closer look at people: the workers on the front line of the industry right now; the challenges; the opportunities; and exactly how Quickbase can optimize and automate to connect people and workflow together. Check out our other podcasts HERE.