The Mobile Workforce Podcast

Low tech construction is still functional in today’s market but we all know that the days of analog processes and the contractors that stick to them are numbered. If we want to thrive in the future construction industry we need to now take the steps to digitize our processes and teams and drive productivity and transparency to new heights.  

This episode features Craig Hurst, Director of Client Success at The Net Effect. Craig is going to explain technology’s role in construction today and how it will impact it’s future, We also discuss how Canada is making sure that their businesses are up to speed, why paperwork kills new employee prospects and how to eliminate unnecessary processes and increase productivity through technology.

Driving digital adoption is a difficult process for any construction company and is impossible when done incorrectly. The good news is that no one needs to try to figure out the best practices for digital adoption, it has already been done. 

This episode features Nate Fuller, founder and director of Placer Construction Solutions. Nate shares with our host Mike Merrill a technique to make sure that your teams are willing and able to jump onboard with new initiatives.

Being online and on the cloud is essential for today’s construction industry leaders. The importance of having your information on hand and in a usable format for everyone to see is the only way to ensure that your business is functioning at the highest productivity possible while also protecting your bottom line. Knowing that you need to be up to date and ensuring that your software is functioning at the proper level are two different things. How do you know if you are in a good spot or if you need to be updating or upgrading your systems? 

Tony Merry the practice director at ETHOSystems joins Mike Merrill to discuss the state of  ERP, Accounting and Payroll systems today, how they should be evaluated for modernization, what’s happening in the market and how to best use trusted advisors.

Data driven is a buzz word that has been thrown around for years but very few people understand the steps needed to build a culture that is truly data driven, or why to do so for that matter. Being a data focused company is more than just a buzzword, your success hangs on your companies cultural focus on data. Fortunately the experts are here to help take the right steps towards a data focused culture. 
Adam Crigger, President and Frank Di Lorenzo, Client Relationship Manager at Preferred Strategies joins Mike Merrill at the 2022 CFMA National Conference to discuss what it means to be data driven, the connection between data visualization and culture, The importance of dashboards and how to implement BI one step at a time.

Digital Transformation is a hot topic today and for good reason. No one would argue that technology is needed to drive construction forward. But how can we ensure that we are not overwhelmed with unnecessary platforms and apps? 

Cindy Whitner, Sr. Product Manager at Acumatica joins Mike Merrill At the 2022 CFMA National Conference to discuss digital transformation, the fact that transformation is the key aspect of the process, how to use new employees to drive transformation and how to ensure that your new software is increasing the experience of everyone on the job site.

Data is only as good as the information it is able to impart into your business and projects. So why is it so hard today to use the data we have been collecting to make better decisions? It's because there isn't an overarching strategy to drive our collection and retention practices.

Steve Hathaway the Founder and Principal Consultant of Construction Software Solutions  joins Mike Merrill At the 2022 CFMA National Conference to discuss the strategies and processes needed to have good data today, tomorrow and ten years from now.

Brady Bryan CEO of Brayn Consulting joins Mike Merrill to discuss the newest tax credits available on construction projects, why they are available and the right mindset to have when dealing with tax incentivized projects.

On this episode, our Host Mike Merrill sits down with Doreen Bartoldus President of NAWIC National and Manager of Water Projects at Jacobs to talk about sustainability and its role in the future of construction, the role technology has in sustainability and best sustainability practices that all contractors can use.

No man is an island - an old but true saying by the poet John Donne. Its as true today as it was in 1624 when first written. Fortunately, we don’t live under the same rules and with the same technology that our predecessors did in the 17th century. Unfortunately, in our modern world, it is much easier to get around working at the office, engaging with peer groups or even seeing another person face to face in a day’s time.  

On this episode, our Host Mike Merrill sits down with Jeremy Owens the CEO of US Construction Zone and 3 Generations Improvements to talk about the important role of effective networking in construction and how it has changed over these past few years, as well as the importance of using technology to be people-centric and how to connect on a more personal level with peers around the world.

The trades can be one of the most fulfilling careers for the right person but due to stereotypes and long-held beliefs about continuing education, these options are left on the cutting room floor. This misunderstanding leads to a number of perfect candidates for construction never entering the field. To explore the reasons why, our host, Mike Merrill, sits down with Mike Brewer - CEO and founder of the Brewer Companies and Senior Advisor for Synergos.

Brewer explains why there is a hang-up about construction and the trades, what can be done to change the perspective of young adults and their parents and his specific approach that has led to a curriculum that creates plumbers in 4 months instead of 4 years.

Millennial culture can be confusing and frustrating for construction leaders, especially those from the boomer generation. Unfortunately, millennials make up over a third of the US workforce and that number is only going to continue to rise. Fortunately, millennials can be the most hard-working and loyal part of your team, if you know how to engage with them. 

To help give us insight into the youngest part of our workforce Mike welcomes Jen Silver, the President of Roofing Utah, Inc, a complete roofing operation and the Co-founder of Women-Owned Businesses of Northern Utah, an organization that advocates for women business owners, on for a second episode to discuss Millennial workers, how to incentivize them, train them and lessons learned on how to lead them. 

Industries across the board are feeling the effects of the Great Resignation and labor shortages, but construction has been one that has been hit the hardest. Add a lack of diversity seen throughout the construction industry, and employers are finding their once crowds of potential workers dwindling, especially when it comes to women. To explore the reasons why there aren’t more women in construction, our host, Mike Merrill, sits down with Amber Hamilton - Vice President/Project Manager at SQI, Inc. - a ​​full-service commercial roofing company. 

As our March series on women in construction continues Mike and Amber take a look at the impact women are having in construction, how to expand the number of women that are in the field and how technology can make construction an attractive career for younger women.

Building diversity in construction will end the labor gap and create a safer, more successful industry for everyone. Increasing diversity in the office and on the job site should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind; however, the reality is that the thought just isn’t enough. The construction industry looks to leaders to step up and create opportunities for demographics that are underrepresented, as well as to continuously learn and grow diversity opportunities. 

One of those leaders is Robin Thorne, the founder of DemoChicks, a nonprofit that introduces young women and girls to nontraditional careers and empowers them to pursue their dreams. Robin is also the President and CEO of CTI, an engineering firm that provides environmental/safety compliance and construction management services. Today we are going to learn how DemoChicks got its start, what the organization does, and how they and others like them are changing the industry forever. 

A change in processes a business uses can be a heavy lift even for the smallest of companies, but the need to change from paper-based to cloud-based is a necessary one. Updating and modernizing a contracting business is necessary to remain competitive. There are a million different ways to get on the cloud, and sometimes hearing how someone else did can ease the stress of transition. 
Fortunately, Robin Thorne joins Mike Merrill on our first episode in a series celebrating women in construction. Robin is the President and CEO of CTI - an engineering firm that provides environmental/safety compliance and construction management services. Robin is also the founder of DemoChicks, a nonprofit that introduces young women and girls to nontraditional careers and empowering them to pursue their dreams. She is going to share her journey to the cloud, how to use a dedicated IT professional, and how the cloud has improved communication with her subcontractors and helped eliminate human error.

There has been plenty of news surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) over the past couple of years, and the reality is that we aren’t a free nation until everyone is invited to succeed. The question for individual companies and leaders is how can they make it happen?

To answer this question Leon Harden, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy Manager at Burns and McDonnell, a full-service construction and engineering firm, joins our host Mike Merrill to discuss how his company, with over 120 years of experience, embraced DEI initiatives. In this episode, Leon shares the best DEI initiatives to start with, how to embrace failure as part of the process, the impact DEI has on a talent shortage and how DEI isn’t just altruistic.