Procore’s third annual conference started with a special keynote from Procore’s CEO Tooey Courtemanche. He primarily focused on the continuing need for innovation in the construction industry. Courtemanche also emphasized the concept of being a groundbreaker; those who push the limits, challenge the status quo, and don’t take “no” for an answer are the ones who will truly change construction for the better.
Procore Client Innovators
Courtemanche shared three stories of Procore clients he considers innovators:
The first, Craig Wieland, helped expand his father’s Ohio construction company across the US by taking a chance on an opportunity he had been offered in Chicago. He went against his father’s advice, and his success continues to grow. Then there was Jannie Chiera who started her own engineering firm in her garage with just self-confidence and $5,000 in her pocket. Finally, Sophia Valladares took it upon herself to attend Procore’s Culture Academy, on her own dime, and brought it back to her company to ensure their winning culture remained intact as the company grew.
In the construction industry, we are not just building buildings. We are building communities.
With population growth and aging infrastructure coming to the end of its useful life, a tremendous task lies ahead of us. Globally, there will need to be $4.5 trillion of investment in infrastructure by 2025. By 2030, ten new global megacities, each built to hold 10 million people each, will be needed. According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that equates to building a city the size of Manhattan every month.
In order to reach these goals, it is going to take a lot of innovation and a lot of innovators.
Procore Innovations
Procore is also breaking new ground this year with three big announcements:
Procore for Owners will be launching this year. It offers tools for project owners and developers to take their projects from pre-planning through construction. The tools include Capital Planning, Portfolio Financials, Prequalification and Bid Management, and Design Coordination. The last module includes integration with BIM, allowing stakeholders to take a virtual tour through a project. All they’ll need to do is move an iOS device in the direction they want to look, just like using VR.
Procore Analytics will allow project teams to get deep insights into their companies, projects, and finances. The tool allows users to integrate information across tools and from outside sources, providing a detailed look at how the company or a project is performing. Users can set up their own KPIs (key performance indicators); they choose the level of detail they require. With this type of custom reporting, company stakeholders will be better prepared to predict outcomes and make informed decisions for the future of their companies.
Procore Community is an online hangout for Procore users. Courtemanche admitted it has been long in coming, but there is finally a forum for users to ask questions, engage with others, and share best practices. The Community can be found at community.procore.com.
Integration seems to be a theme of this year’s event, and Procore’s integration has never been more extensive.
More than 170 partners have embedded their technology into the Procore experience. Users will never know the difference—they don’t have to leave Procore to take advantage of these apps. As more apps are added, that number will only continue to grow.
This industry must continue to evolve and grow if we are to meet the building needs of the coming generations. That work starts here, with a group of groundbreakers.
Leave a Reply