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Portfolio Management in Project for the Web (Planner Premium)

Microsoft Tips |

Project for the Web (PFTW), now called Planner Premium, is Microsoft’s refresh of Project Online. Now, two features in PFTW are available to manage multiple projects at a portfolio level.

Check out this article to learn how these features work and if they can help you manage multiple project schedules.

Two features in PFTW that can help you manage your projects at a portfolio level:

Roadmap

Roadmap allows for selecting tasks (activities) from one or more plans (projects) and displaying them in a summary Gantt chart view. You can also include activities from Project Online.

The value of this view is having the ability to pick similar key tasks and compare them across plans as well as add key milestone dates, change the task status (not set, on track, at risk, high risk, and done) from a consolidated view, and launch the project from the task directly.

Portfolio

Portfolios can be created from within Planner under the My Portfolio menu.

Portfolios allow adding one or more plans to a consolidated status view. The view displays the progress percentage that is complete, which is derived directly from the plan. Start and finish dates are also displayed for the plan, and you can change the plan's overall status (on track, closed, off track, not started, and at risk).

In Summary

Both Roadmap and Portfolio provide a much-needed roll-up of project schedule data for summary reporting. Both features offer a simplistic view of the data for organizations with many projects that only need a quick status snapshot. Unfortunately, both features allow minimal customization. Power BI would still be your best bet for a more detailed portfolio view.

If you are looking to move from Project Online to PFTW, need a scheduling tool, or guidance with Microsoft Project, we’re here to help. Also, if you are looking to do more with Microsoft 365, including Power BI, you can reach out for a free one-hour consultation here.

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Use AI on Your SharePoint Sites with Copilot Agents

Microsoft Tips |

Copilot AI is all the rage across Microsoft 365 applications. Microsoft continues to release new features, making it easier for the citizen developer to create AI models. With Copilot Studio, you can create Copilot agents that utilize your SharePoint sites as knowledge sources. So, how can this help your construction projects? Check out this article to find out more.

There are many opportunities where AI could come in handy on construction projects that use SharePoint to manage their project documents. For example, AI could list all the deliverables required for an RFP, determine if liquidated damages were part of a construction contract, scan resumes for employees with a particular skill set, and so on.

With Copilot agents, you can create custom AI agents to scan your SharePoint documents and provide conversational responses to your queries.

Copilot Agent Overview

Let’s say you want to create a training FAQ Copilot agent from all the training documents in a SharePoint site.

You use Microsoft Copilot Studio to create a Copilot agent and then include the SharePoint site as the knowledge source. You can then share that agent with other team members who have permissions to the SharePoint site.

In Action: Create a Copilot Agent

Go into Copilot Studio, click Create, and name your agent. As you can see in the image below, I’ve already created an agent using a SharePoint site where we deployed Construction Viz as the knowledge source.

Once you create your agent and assign a SharePoint site as the knowledge source, you must determine which channel to use for the agent. A channel is a location where the agent can be shared. By default, it’s Microsoft Teams, but other options, such as a custom website or even Slack, are possible but will require additional authentication setup. If you use Teams, the authentication is built in. Next, you will want to identify who in your organization can access the agent from the settings.

When you are ready for the rest of the team to take it for a spin, publish the agent and share the link to the agent with your team members.

Share Your Agent

If you use Microsoft Teams for your channel, you can add your agent as an app and send the link to your team members to interact with the SharePoint site you used as a knowledge source.

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How Does a Copilot Agent Function?

I created a simple agent called Construction Viz Demo that scans training information from a PDF document stored in the underlying SharePoint site of a Construction Viz deployment. As you can see below, I can ask the agent questions, and it will return results based on the PDF file. Pretty slick!

Considerations

  • Copilot supports a wide range of file types such as Word (doc and docx), Excel (xlsx), PowerPoint (ppt and pptx), Loop, and Adobe (PDFs). Copilot agents will not scan SharePoint lists out of the box. To include SharePoint lists, you must build custom actions, which we will discuss in a future article.
  • Ensure permissions and sensitivity labels are in place to restrict access to confidential and sensitive information.
  • Test your agent before deploying it to get the desired results.

AI technology is progressing at a breakneck speed. If you want to stay on top of all the features in Microsoft 365 and leverage Copilot AI for your construction projects, you can contact Lydon Solutions for a free one-hour consultation.

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Get in Shape in 2025 with the Murph Challenge

Company News |

Want to Get in Shape in 2025?

Every year, people make the same New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get in shape. While some start the journey on January 1, most will quit by the end of January. If you are looking to get into shape and are willing to commit, I’ve found a workout that will deliver results. Check out what the Murph Challenge can offer.

Most exercise regimens fail because people don’t have a goal, don’t have the time, don’t have the equipment, don’t want to pay for a gym membership, or don’t have a support structure to keep them motivated.

It is hard, but I do think the Murph Challenge can address all of those challenges.

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What is the Murph Challenge?

If you are not familiar with the Murph Challenge, it’s a CrossFit workout named after a fallen soldier named Lt. Michael Murphy. While it is a challenging set of exercises, you can modify it to fit your health and skill level.

The timed Murph Challenge exercise circuit is as follows:

  • 1 mile run
  • 100 pull ups
  • 200 push ups
  • 300 air squats
  • 1 mile run
  • And you do all of this with a 20lb weight vest on.

Before you curse out loud and stop reading this article, hear me out. You can work up to this. You don’t need to come out of the gate swinging. The regimen is well balanced with cardio and calisthenics, so do what feels right and slowly add on.

I personally don’t do the Murph year-round to avoid injury and burnout. In fact, I take parts of the Murph and include them in my regular workout over the course of a year. Starting in February of each year, I ramp up my training to prepare for the challenge on Memorial Day.

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So Why Do I Think the Murph Is So Great?

“If you are looking for a workout that will build muscle, increase cardio endurance, and lose body fat, check out the Murph Challenge.”

I’ve been lifting weights off and on and playing sports since I was a teenager. Once I passed 50, my body didn’t respond as well as it used to, and I felt I needed to mix it up a bit, so I gave the Murph Challenge a try. I found that I really enjoyed the balance of both calisthenics and cardio, which I wasn’t getting by lifting alone.

Here is a list of the reasons I think the Murph is an excellent set of exercises for the beginner as well as the experienced fitness gurus:

  • Exercise progression. You can modify the workout to be more challenging as you get into better shape. Start by doing a partial Murph with no weight or substitute exercises that work better for you. Try to beat your time, do more reps, run longer, add more weight, etc.
  • Gain muscle from calisthenics. You will get ripped if you do this for any period of time, and it works the entire body.
  • Increases cardiovascular. Your energy levels will increase, and you will burn more calories!
  • No membership due. It’s free to run on a track or do the calisthenics at your house or a park.
  • No equipment is needed.* You don’t need any exercise equipment to start.
  • Don’t need a trainer. There’s no fancy exercise that requires you to move heavy weights or perform gymnastics. These exercises are the ones you learned in grade school.
  • Sleep better. You will have more energy during the day and sleep like a baby at night.
  • Community support. Most CrossFit gyms incorporate the Murph into their programs, and have yearly events that bring people together to post their scores and share their Murph journeys. Also, your company might want to get involved. Lydon Solutions has been participating in the challenge since 2022.
  • Less than 1 hour workout. You can knock out the workout in less than 1 hour, and as you get better, less than 40 minutes.
  • Yearly Murph Challenge Competition. Every year, you can sign up to challenge yourself and compete with others.
  • Honor Lt. Michael Murphy. It’s called a hero workout for a reason. I encourage you to learn more about this fallen military hero who the challenge is named after.
  • Support Lt. Michael Murphy Scholarship Foundation. If you participate in the actual Murph Challenge event, proceeds go to this foundation to help military families.

Disclaimer

  • Consult a physician before any strenuous exercise.
  • Your diet will affect your weight loss and muscle gain, so try to eat healthily.
  • Don’t over-exercise, and make sure to rest when your body needs it
  • Work out first thing in the early morning to start off your day and get it out of the way. I’ve found this is the best approach to consistency.
  • Make it a habit
  • *If you progress, you will need a weight vest.

So, did I convince you enough to give it at least a try? What do you have to lose? If you are curious and want to try the official Murph Challenge this Memorial Day, I would recommend starting to train now. The most challenging areas are the pullups and running, so focus on those areas well before you take on the challenge.

If you have any questions or want to share your experience, you can reach out through LinkedIn.

We’ll see you on Memorial Day! Good luck!

Say Goodbye to Post-It Notes with the New Microsoft Sticky Notes App

Microsoft Tips |

There was a time when you would track everything with Post-It notes. You would write notes and post them on your monitor or scatter them across your desk, lamp, printer, refrigerator, etc. Post-it notes were a quick, in-your-face way to keep track of all the tasks you needed to follow up on and even manage your passwords 😊.  Microsoft has been working behind the scenes to create this experience across your PC and mobile device with their Microsoft Sticky Notes app.

If you want an easy-to-use note-tracking app, read on to learn about the new Microsoft Sticky Notes app.

Post It Notes for Project Management

I remember when we used Post It notes to remind us of everything. We even used Post It notes to create all of the tasks and activities for a construction schedule during the pre-con/programming stages of a project. Those were the days😊. These days, notes have moved from paper Post-It notes to the cloud.

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If the paper Post-It technique still works for you, don’t read any further. But if you are open to a simple cloud note-taking app, Microsoft Sticky Notes is worth checking out.

Download the Microsoft Sticky Notes App

You can download the Sticky Notes app from the Microsoft app store.

You will need to sign up for the Microsoft 365 Insider Program to access the Pre-Release version I will discuss in this article. If you are not on the Insider Program, the good news is that Microsoft will release the new Sticky Notes app to everyone soon.

Features of Microsoft Sticky Notes

Some of the cool features of the Sticky Notes app include:

  • OneNote tie-in. You can create a sticky note from Microsoft OneNote. If you use OneNote, you will appreciate the integration so that all your notes are in one place.
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  • Sync across devices. If signed in, you can create a note on your PC or mobile device, and they will stay in sync. The Windows version of the app will also identify where the note was taken from (i.e., OneNote for Windows or your mobile device).
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Desktop vs. mobile

  • Screenshots. You can perform screen clippings and screenshots just like OneNote, and you can include a link to the location where you took the screenshot if it’s a web address.
  • Docking. You can drag a note into a separate window and place it anywhere on your screen, similar to placing Post-It notes on your monitor. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to hold where you put it after rebooting your PC.
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So, is Microsoft Sticky Notes worth using?

Sticky Notes is an excellent, easy-to-use note-taking tool that doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. Sticky Notes is a free app that will be upgraded from Notes in the future. The ability to sync across devices and OneNote makes it an excellent tool in your toolbox for when you need to log something quickly and maybe update for more details later. If you are comfortable with paper Post-It notes, then you do you. If you are already a OneNote or a Microsoft To Do user, I’m not sure I would switch.

Lydon Solutions is a premier Microsoft 365 services provider for the construction industry. We have been delivering solutions for over 15 years. If you are moving to Microsoft 365 or just need a little help, use the form below to request a free one-hour consultation.

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What is Microsoft Viva, and Does Your Construction Organization Need It?

Microsoft News |

Microsoft Viva is an integrated platform supporting connection, insight, purpose, and growth in your organization using Microsoft 365 and Teams. It is a suite of integrated applications to help manage and support your organization’s employees. Sounds like a great addition to all the other applications available to you in Microsoft 365, right? But is the juice worth the squeeze? Check out this article to find out more.

Microsoft Viva summarized

Microsoft released Microsoft Viva on February 4, 2021, describing it as the first employee experience platform to bring tools for employee engagement, learning, well-being, and knowledge discovery directly into the flow of people’s work. Microsoft sees this fragmented market as a $300 billion opportunity.

How construction employee engagement works today

In smaller construction organizations, employee communication is oftentimes informal. Smaller construction organizations may use email, paper, or just pick up the phone to communicate with employees. These organizations are often flat, so bureaucracy is low, and employees wear multiple hats, which can lead to higher employee engagement.

In larger construction organizations, people are physically spread out, and there are management layers and departments. Communication is more formal, knowledge is more siloed, and employees can feel more disconnected from each other and the company. Also, because of COVID, more and more employees are working remotely, which can exacerbate the sense of being disconnected.

Most larger construction organizations have some sort of IT infrastructure to share organizational information, tools, training, and goals with employees via an intranet or email. Support for this effort often falls under an HR department or supporting business unit. Depending on the size of the organization and the availability of resources, the frequency and depth of this communication will vary. Ultimately, the larger the organization, the more important employee engagement is to the success of individual employees as well as to the company overall.

Where does Microsoft Viva fit?

Microsoft has created a comprehensive suite of tailored applications under the Viva moniker that fall into four main areas:

  • Employee Communications and Communities
  • Workplace Analytics and Feedback
  • Goal Setting and Management
  • Learning and Knowledge Management

Within each category, Microsoft has identified one or more applications and specific features that can be implemented across the organization.

The availability of these applications and features will vary depending on your subscription. Click here to see a detailed comparison available by subscription level (PDF).

In a nutshell, if you have Microsoft 365 E3 or higher, you will get a standard version of Viva Connections, Viva Engage, Viva Learning, and Viva Insights. However, Viva Glint, Viva Pulse, and Viva Goals will require additional subscriptions.

Microsoft has released three additional paid Viva subscriptions to upgrade the standard features and add the additional applications:

  • Viva Suite ($12/user/month) – This is the catchall for additional features to the standard versions and includes Viva Amplify, Viva Pulse, Viva Glint, and Viva Goals.
  • Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback ($6/user/month) – This level includes additional features to Viva Insights and adds Viva Pulse and Viva Glint.
  • Viva Employee Communications and Communities ($2/user/month) – The most basic add-on level includes additional features for Viva Connections and Viva Engage, as well as Viva Amplify.

What features are in the Viva Categories?

Employee Communication and Communities

The Employee Communication and Communities category allows you to create communities and share content with employees. Think of this category as a way to communicate with your employees using chat, email, and websites.

The apps and features include:

  • Viva Engage. Remember Yammer? Microsoft purchased Yammer back in 2008 for $1.2B and rebranded it as Viva Engage. Viva Engage is a communication platform like Teams where you can chat with other employees and create communities of shared interest.
  • Viva Amplify. Provides tools for communication and publishing. You can create themed and templated SharePoint sites, run communication campaigns, manage audiences, and analyze engagement. Viva Amplify requires an additional subscription.
  • Viva Connections. Gives you a custom portal that surfaces people, tasks, company events, training, and more on a modern SharePoint site customizable by role.

Workplace Analytics and Feedback

The Workplace Analytics and Feedback category provides tools to analyze how well employees are engaging. Basically, it’s a way to survey, track, report, and analyze employee behavior. The apps and features include:

  • Viva Insights. Provides personal and employee work trends. Insights include Copilot Dashboards on Microsoft 365 adoption and learning, recommendations on productivity (such as meeting and communication habits), well-being (focus time, praise to and from colleagues, and quiet time), and teamwork (colleagues you have worked with and important contacts).
  • Viva Glint. Provides employee engagement and performance across the employee lifecycle with organization-wide surveys. Viva Glint is similar to Microsoft Forms but with much more enterprise features, analytics, reporting, and AI.
  • Viva Pulse. Centralized campaign management, publishing, and reporting to reach and engage employees. Viva Pulsa is an interesting tool where you can create campaigns much like marketing campaigns and target communications for your employees, review campaigns internally for approval, send messages via email, chat, or website link, and track metrics on engagement.

Learning and Knowledge Management

The Learning and Knowledge Management category empowers employees to grow and develop their professional skills. The idea is to connect to and centralize learning paths from multiple sources and encourage a culture of continuous improvement.

Viva Learning can connect to multiple LMS (learning management systems), such as LinkedIn, SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, audio, and video, to create a catalog of classes for employees. The home page provides an overview of courses available, in progress, completed, and bookmarked.

Goal Setting and Management

The Goal Setting and Management category helps employees clarify strategies and goals, manage objectives and key results (OKRs), and understand priorities to improve business results. Goals and OKRs are formally tracked with clear success criteria with owners and visibility to their completion progress.

How Microsoft Viva can help construction organizations

Onboarding is an excellent example of how Microsoft Viva can offer improvements to larger construction organizations. If you think of your experience starting a new job, you probably remember the often fragmented tools, lack of training, and frequently outdated communication feeds. Keeping an employee engaged throughout the process and their entire career is critical to their success and integration into the organization.

  • Employee Communication and Communities. When your organization hires a new employee, you could add them to a Viva Engage community for construction where they can meet the team, be assigned a virtual mentor, and begin reaching out to content experts using chat. With Viva Amplify, the new employee would receive a welcome email linking to a new hire website with actions to be taken throughout the onboarding process. Viva Connections would be the new employee’s portal to collect all the actions they need to take to get acclimated with the organization, provide links to training, and provide a news feed about the organization and upcoming projects.
  • Workplace Analytics and Feedback. On a weekly or monthly basis, the employee would receive a survey via Viva Glint on how well they are integrating into the organization, areas for improvement, and opportunities for growth. Viva Pulse could provide target communications specifically to new hires so they are sent relevant information and next steps during the onboarding stage.
  • Learning and Knowledge Management. Your organization could use Viva Learning to curate a training regimen with LinkedIn training for general project management and standard software packages. The app could also surface in-house videos and PowerPoint training that employees need to complete as part of their onboarding cycle.
  • Goal Setting and Management. Employee goals could be added, such as completing the necessary training, visiting a job site, meeting with key stakeholders, finding a mentor, and reviewing guidelines and policies. Their manager and HR can evaluate progress against these goals throughout the onboarding process.

In summary, Viva could be an effective set of tools to better equip employees for successfully integrating into an organization throughout their careers. Lydon Solutions is always on the lookout for ways to improve efficiencies for construction organizations. If you are interested in implementing Viva, you can reach out for a free consultation using the form below.

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8 Reasons Why Construction Viz is the Ultimate Construction Management Solution for Microsoft 365

Construction Viz News |

Over on our Construction Viz blog, we had a series of posts explaining what set our project management software solution apart from the competition. We recap the eight key reasons below why Construction Viz is the perfect construction management platform for businesses like yours – especially if you are already leveraging the power of Microsoft 365.

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1. Get the Apps You Need, and Only the Apps You Need

Tired of paying for a bloated construction management system packed with features you never use? Construction Viz puts the power of choice back in your hands.

Every construction project is different, and your software should reflect that. Construction Viz offers a flexible, modular approach with over 50 apps, including 40+ industry-standard forms, allowing you to build a customized toolkit that perfectly matches your requirements.

Whether you need a single app or a comprehensive suite, Construction Viz empowers you to pay only for what you use, eliminating the frustration of a one-size-fits-all system.

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2. Securely Deploy Construction Viz Within Microsoft 365

Worried about the security of your construction project data in the cloud?

With Construction Viz, you're in control. Your data stays within your own Microsoft 365 environment, leveraging its robust security infrastructure and your existing SharePoint sites. No more relying on third-party servers or worrying about vendor dependencies – you maintain complete ownership and access to your valuable information.

Construction Viz gives you the peace of mind of knowing your data is protected by Microsoft 365's industry-leading security, all while benefiting from a streamlined construction management solution.

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3. Customize Construction Viz to Your Unique Needs

We understand that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to managing construction projects. That's why we designed Construction Viz with flexibility at its core, offering a range of customization options to ensure a perfect fit for your unique workflows.

From the Construction Viz Hub, you can easily tailor your experience by activating or deactivating apps and configuring them to your specific requirements. Leverage modular components to create custom apps, adjust settings to manage projects at the site level, and even utilize metadata files for truly bespoke solutions. This adaptability ensures that Construction Viz can grow and evolve alongside your business, meeting your needs today and well into the future.

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4. Best-in-Class Pricing

Frustrated with unpredictable licensing fees that eat into your profits? Construction Viz offers a refreshing alternative. Our transparent, user-based pricing model ensures you only pay for what you need, with no hidden costs or percentage-based fees tied to your project values.

Enjoy predictable costs, even as your company and projects grow. With Construction Viz, you have complete control over your budget. Choose the number of users and apps that align with your requirements and pay only for those selections. No more excessive fees for features you don't use or unexpected price hikes when your projects succeed.

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5. Intuitive and User-Friendly

Just like Microsoft 365, Construction Viz prioritizes ease of use. We understand that construction professionals have varying levels of technology experience, and your software shouldn't create additional hurdles. That's why Construction Viz is designed with an intuitive interface that's both user-friendly and efficient.

From the moment you log in, you'll be greeted by a clean, uncluttered design that prioritizes essential information and minimizes distractions. Navigate effortlessly through the platform with minimal clicks, finding the tools and data you need quickly and efficiently.

No need for extensive training manuals or complicated tutorials – Construction Viz empowers everyone in your organization to get up to speed quickly and maximize their productivity.

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6. Construction Viz Prioritizes Ownership and Security

Data security is non-negotiable, especially in today's environment of increasing cyber threats. With Construction Viz, you never have to worry about entrusting your sensitive project data to a third-party provider. Your data remains securely within your own Microsoft 365 environment, under your complete control, 24/7.

Construction Viz utilizes your existing SharePoint infrastructure to store project data, ensuring complete ownership and transparency. Access your data directly through SharePoint whenever you need it, with the ability to archive and back it up using Microsoft's robust security tools. Even if you decide to discontinue using Construction Viz, your data remains yours, safely stored within your Microsoft 365 tenant.

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7. Built by Construction Professionals for Construction Professionals

At Lydon Solutions, we don't just understand technology; we understand construction.  Our team comprises experienced IT professionals with real-world construction backgrounds, ensuring that Construction Viz is built with a deep understanding of the construction industry's unique challenges and workflows.

We've walked in your shoes, experiencing firsthand the frustrations of generic software solutions that fail to address the specific needs of construction projects.  That's why we've poured our collective expertise into Construction Viz, designing a platform that truly speaks the language of construction. Benefit from a solution crafted by professionals who understand your day-to-day realities, resulting in a tool that seamlessly integrates with your processes and empowers you to achieve optimal efficiency.

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8. Perfectly Integrated to Your Microsoft 365 Toolkit

You're already relying on Microsoft 365 to manage your construction projects, but are you truly maximizing its potential? Construction Viz elevates your existing tools with a suite of specialized apps tailored to the unique needs of construction professionals. Imagine a centralized platform where you can effortlessly manage documents, track progress, and collaborate with your team, all within your familiar Microsoft 365 environment.

Construction Viz offers a complete yet flexible solution that seamlessly integrates with SharePoint, Power BI, and Teams to create a truly unified and efficient workspace. Say goodbye to the complexities of building custom solutions from scratch and embrace the streamlined workflows that Construction Viz provides. With Construction Viz, you can optimize your Microsoft 365 experience and unlock new levels of productivity in your construction project management.

Learn More About Construction Viz

We've explored some of the key reasons why Construction Viz stands out as a powerful construction management solution for businesses utilizing Microsoft 365. But this is only scratching the surface. To truly understand the depth and breadth of Construction Viz's capabilities, we invite you to request a free demo using the form below.

And if you're new to Microsoft 365 or need assistance with implementation, our experts are here to help.  Schedule a free one-hour consultation below to discuss your specific needs and explore how we can optimize your Microsoft 365 environment for construction success.

Request a Free Demo