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Construction Project Management Software Solutions

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How Microsoft Delve Can Help with Your Construction Projects

Consulting News |

You've probably seen the Microsoft 365 Delve App in your Microsoft 365 navigation menu and wondered what is it and how you can use it to be more productive within my construction organization?

Microsoft 365 all apps
Microsoft 365 all apps

Webster's Dictionary defines the word delve as "to make a careful or detailed search for information." Microsoft Delve does precisely that. Delve, released in 2015, is included with some Microsoft 365 subscriptions depending on the plan you have.  Delve aggregates relevant files from across Microsoft 365 and displays them in an easy-to-understand content card. Delve provides robust search across Office documents, PDFs, OneNote sections, images, and videos from OneDrive and SharePoint.

Delve navigation
Delve navigation

Delve uses Microsoft Graph's machine learning capabilities to determine which content to present to you. The more frequently you modify the content, the better odds that it will be displayed higher in the list of available cards. Only content that you have access to will be displayed, and although your personal files might show in Delve, they will not be visible with others in the organization unless you choose to share them. To help with searching and organizing, you can add tags, either as boards or favorites, to your cards.

In addition to presenting Microsoft 365 content, Delve is also an employee directory of your tenant users. By default, Delve displays the Microsoft 365 user profiles of all organization members, including phone numbers, email, and locations. You can add additional metadata to your profile, such as which projects you are currently working on, your skills and expertise, and education. All of the other metadata you add is also automatically searchable across your organization.

Delve profiles
Delve profiles

Using Microsoft Delve for Construction Projects

How can you use Microsoft Delve for a construction organization? Here are a few ideas:

  • Suppose you need to get to a file as fast as possible without going into a specific application such as a Teams site, SharePoint, or OneDrive. In that case, you can use Delve as your Microsoft 365 landing page and see all of your relevant files in one place.
  • You may need a better way to organize relevant files. Unfortunately, files might have odd file naming conventions, reside in hard-to-find nested folders, or existing in many different file formats.  This situation could occur when preparing a proposal or a bid package where you may need to aggregate multiple files into a single presentation. With Delve, you can add tags to organize their associated cards in a more intuitive manner that best suits your work style and the deliverable, so the users don't have to save their files into another separate location.
  • If you are looking for a specific skill set or experience on your team, Delve can give you a quick and easy way to search the entire organization. With the additional metadata that users can add to their profile, you can turn Delve into a searchable database of employee skills and experience the next time you have to put together a proposal or build project teams.

While Delve seems like one of those apps that you might want to investigate further, unfortunately, some black clouds are on the horizon. Microsoft has removed the Windows 10 Delve app and has announced at Ignite 21 that it will also be removing the Delve iOS and Android mobile apps in June of this year. In its place, Microsoft is directing users to the Outlook mobile, which includes similar features to Delve. This move could signal that the end of days for Delve, which is a shame because it does have some potential for enhancing your productivity. It might also be Microsoft's intention to release an updated app that could consolidate Delve into the new Project Cortex, which utilizes Microsoft Graph as well. We will have to wait and see. Until then, give Delve a try and let us know your thoughts.

Get Expert Help Using Microsoft 365 for Construction Projects

If you need any help with Microsoft 365 for your construction organization, check out our managed services and sign up for a free consultation. If you are interested in our prebuilt and enterprise-ready project management information system (PMIS) for your Microsoft 365, visit our catalog of available Construction Viz apps and submit a demo request.

Microsoft Power Automate Construction Use Cases

Case Study |

Here are a few examples of how we delivered real-world efficiencies for our construction industry clients using Microsoft Power Automate.

If you have been following our posts, you will know that we are big fans of the Microsoft Power Platform and, in particular, Power Automate, Microsoft's modern take on workflows. Available in Microsoft 365 with E and M licenses or separately if you need to access premium connectors, Power Automate provides a quick way to take advantage of workflows to improve processes predictability and business efficiencies for your organization.

Construction Use Cases for Power Automate

Microsoft provides a gallery of Power Automate workflow templates, which can be used for simple business scenarios or as a starting point for more complex solutions. We have helped numerous construction industry clients achieve their goals by leveraging Power Automate. Below are a few use cases of Power Automate for construction.

Document Review

There are several ways to create document approval workflows in Power Automate. For example, you could leverage the built-in approval actions to send approval requests via email or SMS to a mobile phone where the user clicks on a link to perform the approval.

Efficiencies-with-Power-Automate_1

One of our clients needed their sub-contractors to approve and respond to document changes without having access to the company's project management information system (PMIS). We leveraged Microsoft's Adaptive Cards technology to allow recipients to approve document modifications without leaving the email they received with the notification for action. Handling approvals entirely within emails was more convenient for the approver and helped improve engagement while increasing the turnaround time for feedback since users didn't have to learn a new system. A bonus was that the client didn't have to purchase additional licenses for their sub-contractors.

For another client, we used Power Automate to generate a daily digest of new and updated documents from each program's projects for PMs to review and provide feedback. This workflow also sent a weekly digest of projects that were closing out and attached a PDF document binder (also created by the workflow) of all the project documents as an attachment to the email. In each case, the body of the email contained project-specific information extracted from the project sites.

Efficiencies-with-Power-Automate_2

Project Safety

One of our clients needed to log when personnel entered and left construction sites to allow them to know who was on site quickly should there be an incident. To meet this requirement with Power Automate, our client's users registered their mobile phones with the new workflow we created. Then we leveraged Power Automate's geofencing features to trigger updates to a SharePoint list on the movement of personnel around construction sites.

For another client, we created a workflow to monitor data from weather stations located at the construction site. The workflow recorded the real-time weather at the site and sent alerts in the event of inclement conditions. Another workflow monitored data from a weather service and processed weather forecasts for construction sites to allow project planners to schedule or reschedule work based on forecast local conditions.

Project Automation

We built a workflow for a client to automate the request, approval, and provisioning of Microsoft Teams sites from a predefined set of templated sites. Users would complete a form to request a new team site, specifying the owner, users, the template to use for configuration, and if it needed to be private or public. The workflow would route a request to the project manager for approval. If approved, the team site would be provisioned and configured, and an email sent confirming its approval and creation to the requestor. If the project manager denied the request, the workflow sent a notification to the user with the reason.

For another client, we created a workflow to allow users to work cost reports and budgets in Excel without changing their processes rather than forcing them to log in to the PMIS to update project financial information. The workflow reads data from the Excel workbooks and sheets and updates the corresponding SharePoint lists in the PMIS. Additionally, if someone updates the values in the PMIS, they can optionally be written back to the master Excel file.

Efficiencies-with-Power-Automate_3

Take Advantage of Power Automate for Your Construction Projects

The above are just a few examples of how we have helped our clients use Microsoft's Power Automate to achieve efficiencies with repeatable processes that provide predictability and ensure accuracy. There are so many more. Make sure you explore what Power Automate can do for your construction projects.

And if you would like some help, we have several construction-oriented Power Automate flows and components to jump-start workflows for your projects.  You can request a free one-hour consultation here.

Does Your Organization Need a Custom Project Management Information System?

Case Study |

How you manage your construction projects is unique to your organization, so shouldn't your construction project management software be as well?

Lydon Solutions has been developing custom Project Management Information Systems (PMISs) for the construction industry using Microsoft SharePoint and SQL Server since 2009. Over the years, we have found that every company, every project, and every project manager manages their projects differently. While there are standard practices across the construction industry, there is no one-size-fits-all process used across the scope and breadth of major construction projects.

Given the above, why do so many companies try to make do with an out-of-the-box PMIS when they really need and want a custom solution? The answer is: many management teams incorrectly assume that a custom solution is too expensive and time-consuming to implement. Here is why they are wrong.

The hidden costs of an out-of-the-box PMIS

Custom solutions strike fear in some companies because of their reputation for being expensive and taking too much time to implement. Instead of getting a custom solution that fits their needs and processes, these companies end up doing a combination of the following:

  • Working around the limitations of an out-of-the-box PMIS
  • Looking the other way as project teams do most of their work in Excel because the company PMIS is too cumbersome to use
  • Hiring more people to do the manual administrative tasks required by their inflexible off-the-shelf PMIS

In other words, rather than investing in a solution that works for them, many organizations struggle with tools that ultimately cost them more in the long run.

If companies performed a cost-benefit analysis, they would see that implementing a custom PMIS has the following long-term benefits over their status quo system:

  • A custom PMIS mirrors your work processes, allowing you to optimize your business processes for efficiency.
  • A custom PMIS offers greater scalability as your organization changes. You can flexibly adapt to changes in process, scope, resources, and so on.
  • Since a custom solution includes just what you need, you do not have to pay for unnecessary hardware or functionality. You can also reduce your reliance on offline tools.
  • Your organization likely uses other enterprise platforms. Your custom solution can integrate with all the other software products in use by your company, adding more efficiency in to your workflows.
  • Having a solution that lets your teams be more efficient and do their job better can give you a strategic advantage over your competitors using rigid off-the-shelf solutions.
  • When your PMIS more closely aligns with how you actually do business, the more likely it is that your organization will use the system.

Okay, you might wonder if an off-the-shelf system costs more over time; why don't all organizations go with a custom solution that better fits their needs? Most likely because they are intimidated by the planning required to launch a custom solution successfully.

The cost of a custom PMIS solution lies in the planning

Surprisingly, the cost and challenges of building a custom PMIS have shifted from IT development to upfront planning, requirements, and overall design.  Platforms like Microsoft 365 have made it easier than ever to deliver custom solutions.  Ultimately, the cost of the custom PMIS and its success is contingent on how well companies can articulate their vision of how the system should function to support their business needs. And how well an IT consulting company, which knows construction, can translate those requirements into a real solution. As with any construction project, you can't build without a solid design. The same goes for IT.

I want a custom PMIS, but where do I start?

In prior posts, we outlined the best practice to follow when rolling out a new PMIS at your organization. We have articles on planning, evaluating technology, implementing, and supporting a PMIS. You can start there to understand the big picture of delivering a PMIS. If you are considering using Microsoft 365 as the foundation of your PMIS, our previous blog post has some tips as well.

If you need additional help with the upfront planning or development for a custom PMIS solution, I invite you to submit a free consultation request with Lydon Solutions. We have an experienced team of construction and IT professionals with a track record of delivering award-winning PMIS solutions. We also have an expanding catalog of integrated Construction Viz apps that you can combine to fast-track your own fully customizable PMIS solution in Microsoft365 and SharePoint.

Eight Tips to Successfully Implement a Project Management Information System

How-To |

This is part three of four in a series of blogs called Tips on Deploying Construction Project Management Software for Your Organization.

Are you about to deploy a new Project Management Information System (PMIS) at your construction organization? Hopefully, you have done the upfront planning to ensure a successful project, and you have carefully evaluated the available technology platforms out there. Now comes the hard part: implementation.

Over my many years helping deploy multiple enterprise PMIS at various construction organizations, I have seen that the implementation phase is a big stumbling point for most teams. You can do all the right planning and select the best technology platform and still fail if you have an inexperienced or under-resourced implementation team.

What do I mean by implementation? This phase includes solution deployment, training, ongoing product management, organizational change management, scope change control, data migration, lessons learned, closeout, archiving, and making sure the ship launches without hitting an iceberg.

A Project Management Information System Implementation Checklist

Here are eight things to consider when implementing your PMIS:

1. Start planning for implementation on day one. Make sure you budget for sufficient resources to support implementation as this is the one area where you do not want to cut costs. Prepare an implementation plan that defines roles and responsibilities, timelines, scope, risks, and change processes.

2. Establish management support. Getting senior-level sponsorship from the initial planning stage through implementation and ongoing support is crucial to your PMIS deployment’s success. Construction organizations are typically matrixed organizations that are highly resistant to change. Having a senior manager as a champion for your PMIS will help cut through bureaucracy, gain buy-in where needed, and clear a path to success across your organization.

3. Address politics. Although a new PMIS should bring organizations closer together, they frequently surface the political strife within a company and expose inefficiencies and mismanagement. Deploying a new PMIS forces change, so prepare for the fallout. While a new system should make everyone’s life easier, it may also mean that some people, even whole departments, lose their power or their jobs. Have these discussions during the upfront planning so that managers have time to align their departments and express concerns.

4. Incorporate organizational change management (OCM). You can never over-communicate during a PMIS implementation, so be sure to incorporate OCM into your implementation strategy. Deploying your PMIS will almost certainly affect other processes, systems, and departments across your organization. And their processes might, in turn, affect your PMIS. Regular communication throughout the entire PMIS selection and deployment process will ensure that your users, and the overall organization, stay informed and aligned.

5. Plan for obsolescence. When I was a project controls manager, I always dreaded when a new senior manager came on board and decided to change everything in their image, which often meant switching to their preferred PMIS. The problem was that the incoming PMIS never dropped anything off our plates. The same processes continued but were now more complicated as the new systems required redundant steps because nobody had the authority to end-of-life the old PMIS. To gain more commitment from your teams, find ways to make their lives easier with the new PMIS by removing redundant tasks, re-engineering outdated processes and systems, and automating when possible.

6. Find the right team. Implementing a PMIS is complicated, and unless you have done it many times before, you should probably look for an external consulting company to support the effort. When selecting an external consulting company to provide implementation services, make sure that they specialize in the technology you are using. Many consultants claim to be experts in every PMIS, but they are just casting a wide net to get any business they can. Take the extra step to evaluate consulting companies; speak to clients that have completed an implementation with the vendor, and give the vendor a test so you can assess their approach as well as their general knowledge of the product. Then compare vendor responses.

7. Avoid staff augmentation vendors. If you choose to contract out your implementation team, avoid staff augmentation. While that may sound like a pretty bold statement, I have never seen a group of staff augmentation contractors pull off a successful implementation. Staff aug companies provide individuals with a limited skill set, and whether it is a successful project or not, they are getting paid. Service companies leverage a more comprehensive range of skills, and they typically structure their contracts around deliverables and milestones, which at least ensures some level of accountability.

8. Pilot first. We recommend this to every one of our clients. Start with one project and get a win before you roll out to an entire organization. Shotgun enterprise-wide deployments often fail. By piloting a single project successfully, you can get buy-in from the project team, who can then help promote it across the rest of the organization. You might also find that the software you chose or the team you selected to implement is not up to snuff during the pilot. Piloting gives you a chance to course-correct before you make too much of a time and monetary commitment.

Get Experienced Expert Help Deploying Your PMIS

I hope the tips above help you with your PMIS journey. If you have not already, be sure to check out our previous blog posts on pre-planning and selecting the right technology for a new PMIS. Stay tuned; in future posts, we will provide tips on best supporting a PMIS.

If you have any questions or are looking for an enterprise PMIS, contact us for a free consultation. Good luck!

Check out more blogs from Tips on Deploying Construction Project Management Software for Your Organization

Moving to Microsoft Office 365 for Project Management? What You Need to Know

Miscellaneous |

So, your company is moving to Microsoft Office 365 and you plan to use it to manage your construction projects.  

Office 365 provides many powerful tools—such as Power Automate, Power BI and SharePoint Online—that can help you manage any construction project. The question is “How do you put all the tools and services together to deliver a complete solution for construction management?” 

As a Construction Project Manager, your job is construction management, not IT.  With Office 365, you can do a lot of things yourself without being an IT magician. Unfortunately, that will get you only so far.  

Lydon Solutions has been delivering leading-edge IT solutions and services for the construction industry for more than 10 years. Most of our IT professionals came from the construction industry. We know Office 365 and SharePoint because we use them to manage our projects. Additionally, we built an entire construction management platform, Construction Viz, on top of SharePoint. We combine our tools and experience to help your project and organization be successful. 

Don’t let Office 365 turn into another file share document repository. And stop looking for another tool to manage your projects. Let us ensure you make the most of your investment by helping you leverage the best of Office 365.  If you want a more turnkey solution, like Construction Viz, we can deliver that as well, all within your Office 365 tenant.  

You have the tools with Office 365. Let us help deliver the solutions. Contact us to get started.