by: Alec Thomson, Co-Founder and CEO of Riskcast
Are you shopping for a shiny new app or are you looking for value? Construction companies, especially trade contractors, operate on razor-thin margins. More and more construction tech is hitting the market promising efficiencies and improved operations. How does a contractor quickly and effectively filter through the noise and find what’s right for their business? One differentiator is delivery. Somewhere between the consultants offering multiple solutions and the simple downloadable app is a growing group of Construction Technology (ConTech) providers demonstrating value by understanding that the right delivery strategy can add tremendous value to their customers.
Delivery teams and methodology are emerging in many SaaS providers. The teams themselves are made up of cross-sectional professionals in tech and construction, giving them the ability to understand issues that arise for crews on the ground, as well as the technological solutions needed. A delivery team falls in between the app download and the consultant because they connect the technology with the desired outcome.
Often the desired outcome for a contractor includes some measure of configurability. To add significant value, a ConTech provider needs to recognize that in construction, everything is always different - meaning nothing in our industry is totally uniform or standardized and on each job, each contract, each locality, there is going to be something that needs special attention. A system with the ability to configure it’s tools to that “one thing” is already ahead of the game, but one that shows up with a delivery team that understands the need for the configuration and will see it through to implementation with you can deliver lasting value.
“The Riskcast delivery team’s mission is simply to ensure that the value of our platform is being fully realized by each customer,” said Chantel Columna, Customer Success Lead for Riskcast. “We are a team within Riskcast that listens to our client’s needs and then we configure the platform so that it works within their goals, solves their specific problems, and can be used in a way that works for their people.”
How can you quickly tell if a ConTech provider understands delivery? For starters, they should talk about implementation in a larger context than simply getting a power user trained. When you ask, they should have a plan for getting your company started that looks a lot like a project plan, complete with schedule. If they understand construction, they won’t just speak it with you, they will live it with you. A solid plan should have people identified within both companies and clearly defined deliverables that can be used to hold everyone accountable. It should ‘feel’ like an extension of your team and include activities past a ‘go-live’ date to ensure that you are gaining value.
Together, delivery teams for tech providers and internal stakeholders can find early wins, increase overall success, while also fostering trust and lasting value. Ultimately, in a hyper fragmented and hyper-localized market like construction, it makes sense that a “personal” method to implementation, not just a system, would bring the return on investment that most companies are looking for.