Oct 26, 2020

Powerful Project Management | Kirby Electric

The Scenario

Kirby Electric was experiencing significant problems with its project management processes. Foreman would sometimes save files and documentation in the wrong places, edit the wrong versions, or delete important files, making it difficult to see accurate project statuses without diving deep into reports. The company was also outgrowing the tools they had been using for project management, including Excel, QuickBooks, and a server-based filing system.

Kirby Electric realized they needed a more efficient way to track and manage projects, statuses, required documentation, and schedules.

After evaluating off-the-shelf options, Kirby Electric determined that custom software web app development was the only comprehensive solution to solve their business problems. They needed to manage different project types, support unique workflows, and have visibility into real-time data. They wanted to see project details and statuses in a clean, simple view so that managers could direct their attention and resources accordingly.

AltSource, a custom software development company in Portland, helped them replace an inefficient Excel and server-based file system with a custom project management platform tailored to Kirby Electric’s specific business needs. By partnering with AltSource, Kirby Electric now owned their new custom software, avoiding per-seat licensing fees charged by most off-the-shelf project management platforms.

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Paul Hoskins

Project Manager & Estimator, Kirby Electric

‍“Our experience with AltSource has been perfect. Real-time data syncs from the field and I can see all project information in a single dashboard now.”

Custom software

Energy

Product strategy

Features & Benefits

To stop Kirby Electric’s team members from working in the wrong files or misplacing information, AltSource designed and implemented a more intuitive project creation and management system that allowed users to create a new project and associate all relevant fields, information, milestones, and required documentation to that project.

Kirby Electric managers needed real-time visibility, so AltSource built a reporting dashboard to provide a high-level view of each project, including the overall health of the project. Automated customer reminders also helped managers and team members with messages to alert them if project information was missing, incomplete, or outdated.

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Information storage was also a top priority for Kirby Electric, so AltSource created a better document storage system that worked together with project workflows. Kirby Electric team members can now directly access documents via links that are automatically created within each project workflow view.

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Business Impact

Increased Efficiency & Visibility

With at-a-glance dashboards, managers can quickly identify the progress of each project and any potential problems.

Improved Data Integrity

Changing the business processes and upgrading the project management platform greatly reduced business challenges caused by inaccurate, missing, or poorly organize data.

Provided In-Field Data Access

With mobile access to the new platforms and dashboards, Kirby Electric teams could work on-site and still have access to real-time project data.

Faster Response Times

By improving project processes and making data available in real-time, Kirby Electric teams can respond to customer and regulatory concerns on time and with the correct documentation.

Enhanced Compliance Practices

With up-to-date information visible from multiple devices, it’s easier for managers to enforce critical business rules that ensure teams stay within compliance on projects.