Streamlining Expansion
Port Houston, the International Port of Texas, is a giant in the global trade industry, contributing more than $800 billion to the national economy annually. The bustling port handles a remarkable 70 percent of container traffic for the Gulf Coast region.
However, with the ever-increasing demands placed on global trade and supply chain complexities, Port Houston needed to expand its infrastructure to effectively prepare for future growth.
In this Projectmates Client Spotlight, we spoke with members of the Port Houston construction team to see how Projectmates helped streamline its multimillion-dollar expansion projects.
Rising to the Challenge
Like many organizations, Port Houston was fighting against several construction management challenges before partnering with Projectmates. Its existing custom-built program failed to meet the evolving needs of its expansive construction projects.
Projectmates, designed with Owners in mind, surpassed the capabilities of the previous custom-built application and provided a single, user-friendly platform for managing Port Houston’s construction program. Users encountered fewer technological hurdles with documentation, leading to increased productivity and smoother project workflows.
“I would say it saves us time. Hours spent where we would go through emails, or print something out for a signature,” said Project Controls Manager Tes Lawal. “It is easier having it all within one software.”
Embracing Budgeting Solutions
Having that single source of truth also brought Port Houston’s once fragmented budget management practices into one platform. Before Projectmates, project managers often handled budgets with inefficient and error-prone spreadsheets and emails.
“We were actually able to route invoices. Before we weren’t able to do that. That was a major change that we saw. Before, we were emailing each individual the invoice. It was bad,” said Project and Document Control Analyst Angela Drisdale. “Now, I can see exactly where an invoice is in case someone wants to tell me that they don’t have it or they don’t know where it is. I can go in and know who to talk to or hunt down if I need an approval. It’s very transparent.”
With Projectmates, managers gained greater visibility into their finances, enabling them to identify and address discrepancies quickly to avoid any cost overruns or contractual miscalculations.
Unlocking External Results
It wasn’t just the managers in the office who benefitted from partnering with Projectmates.
Before, crews in the field struggled to access critical project information, hindering collaboration and decision-making processes. They also struggled with getting project information back to the office on time.
Projectmates’ mobile support empowers field teams to access and share real-time data seamlessly, fostering better communication and decision-making capabilities.
“It’s really helpful for the contractors, consultants, and our field team because in the past they needed VPN access and renewed permissions every few months,” said Angela. “There would be times when our team needed something uploaded but the contractor couldn’t do it because their account would be expired. Then we had to wait on IT to reset their account. Now, everyone can go in and see the information. Our field guys don’t have to wait until they get back to the office and in front of a computer. As far as a team environment, it’s very user-friendly.”
Sailing Forward
Port Houston’s partnership with Projectmates shows its commitment to a forward-looking construction program. By providing tools for better budgeting, real-time decision-making, and enhanced collaboration, Projectmates is committed to empowering the port to realize its vision of sustainable growth and operational excellence.
