Projectmates Client Spotlight: UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern Medical Center goes all in on Projectmates to drive construction success amid economic woes 

Problematic Prognosis

On the cusp of a $1.1 billion construction program is not when you want to find out the construction project management software you’re using is simply not cutting it.   But that’s exactly where UT Southwestern Medical Center found itself two years ago.  Disparate software systems not communicating with each other, compounding double-data entry issues, and error-prone spreadsheets.  What a mess.  “Some users were using some parts of the software and others were using something completely different,” said UT Southwestern project control manager Sandra Gant.  Middling results and inefficient processes are not something UT Southwestern Medical tolerates, no matter the area of operation. The hospital network was selected as the best in Dallas-Fort Worth by U.S. News & World Report for the sixth consecutive year. Ten of its specialties and 17 of its procedures and conditions are nationally ranked or recognized as high performing.  The award-winning healthcare provider needed a new solution and fast. 

Healing the Wound

After exploring several construction project management software solutions, administrators liked what they saw in Projectmates.  “We wanted something that would streamline the entire process and speak with our current software suite,” said Gant. “We also wanted something that was more user-friendly. That was the main reason we decided to go with Projectmates.”  The software now serves as the central collaborative platform for the hospital’s construction program.  That’s not to say everything was all roses immediately.  The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the world, but it’s one of the slowest industries to adopt new technology, even when it’s available.  Managers faced some initial hesitancy when implementing the software. How can one program handle finances, construction documents, approvals, and more?   “People don’t like to do new things, but with Projectmates it makes life easier,” said Gant, “Instead of managing on several different spreadsheets, it’s easier to just put all the information into Projectmates.”  It didn’t take long for the benefits of Projectmates’ singular software solution to surface and for more people to start using the software. Cloud-based technology allows the hospital to collaborate with any construction team members from anywhere with an internet connection.   RFI bottlenecks and frustrating approvals delays are greatly diminished. And, program administrators now have instant access to the real-time status of every project in the system as well as archived project information vital for auditing.  

Curative Construction

That added ROI and efficiency from Projectmates’ automated processes is crucial for construction programs right now.   Spending in the hospital construction sector is nearing all-time highs and every dollar counts.  Surging construction costs and long lead times on even the most mundane of materials can throw a wrench in building schedules.   Despite these potential issues, UT Southwestern Medical Center’s construction program is rocketing forward and trusting Projectmates to manage it all.   They like the software so much that they now require team members to use it.  “Any new projects going forward that have been input into Projectmates will be managed in Projectmates. We’re using the entire software,” said Gant. “It will look a whole lot different this time next year. We’re dealing with some pretty large projects as far as CIP is concerned. We’re talking in the billions.”