268: Unstuck Yourself from Spreadsheets: Driving Collaboration and Productivity – Level Up with Quickbase

This is the fourth and final episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase. Last week in Episode 3, “Connect,” I was 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. Today in Episode 4, “Level Up,” I’m joined for the second time this series by Peter Rifken. We’ll be discussing the ins and outs of complex project management; explaining how you can level up information to leadership, so you can make the best decisions for your operations; and exactly how Quickbase can help.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [01.54] The landscape of project management in a post-COVID environment: how companies are working, and how a focus on this area can help businesses to thrive in this period of recovery. “You’re seeing a lot of new technology in the project management space… but a lot of the themes are still the same. You’re still going to find people working in silos, with whatever tool they’re working in – and, a lot of the times, in tools that aren’t customized for their workflows.” [03.58] The increasing complexity in project management, and some of the main challenges involved in trying to keep quickly moving parts on track. “A lot of the challenges with project management is bringing all of those pieces together, and making sure that all your business partners can collaborate around that same information.” [05.52] Supplier diversity – why you need to make it a project in itself, and how to manage complexity and adjust processes to set yourself up for success. [11.13] Why visibility means different things to different people, and how businesses can make that visibility meaningful and actionable. “Visibility always starts with a conversation of ‘who are my stakeholders?’ and that visibility will be different depending on where in the business you’re having that conversation.” [13.33] A closer look at Quickbase’s Project Management Software, what it does and how it helps to address key industry challenges. [16.40] The importance of customizable solutions in helping to level up a business’s project management success. “When you don’t customize, it means you’re now conforming to a process that was defined for you, with some assumptions... Any time you make somebody change how they work to match how your tool works, you’re adding an inefficiency.” [22.04] Leadership priorities, and how visibility and integration within project management can help them make better strategic decisions. [25.08] The challenges of labor allocation during project planning, and how Quickbases’s solution can help businesses to address the wider staffing challenges happening in the industry. “I can’t tell you the amount of people I’ve spoken with that actually quit jobs because their leadership didn’t invest in modern technology – especially with younger generations coming out of school, it’s just an expectation.” [28.35] The growing importance of material management. [30.52] A look at how Quickbase works with construction brands to help build trusted connections and systems to bring all stakeholders successfully together. [34.39] What the future holds for project management, and for Quickbase. [36.25] Peter’s key takeaways from today’s discussion.   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 them, why not check out episode 1, featuring Peter Rifken, and episode 2, featuring Alex Pederson, of our Quickbase mini-series. Check out our other podcasts HERE.