1. REMINDER
Check in on the
COLLABORATE mobile app
A GC's Perspective on
Primavera Unifier
Prepared by:
Chad Brady
Project Controls Manager
Mortenson Construction
Implementation Successes & Challenges
To Migrate or NOT to Migrate
User Experience
Session ID#: 15452
2. M. A. Mortenson, Sr. had one purpose in mind when he founded Mortenson
Construction in 1954 . . . To build structures and facilities for the
advancement of modern society.
Family-owned firm – 60 years strong
Seven geographic office locations
Seven industry-specific operating groups
Industry leaders in technology & sustainability
2,175 team members
Leadership, stability & financial strength
3. Background
Degree in Construction Engineering w/EIT
Started with Mortenson 1997
Project Manager on many complex projects
Leadership, Dedication & Motivated
Chad Brady, LEED AP
Project Controls Manager
Mortenson Construction
Phone: 763-287-5344
chad.brady@mortenson.com
http://www.mortenson.com
Notable Projects
Sioux City IA – Perry Creek Water Diversion & Outlet
Structure
EGF MN – School Reconstruction
Mpls MN – U of M Walter Digital Technology Center
Memphis TN - FedEx Forum
Mpls MN – Walker Art Center Expansion
Duluth MN – St. Mary’s Duluth Clinic 1st St Building
St. Paul MN – Wilder Center
4. Agenda
■ Dynamics of a General Contractor
■ Selection Process
■ Implementation
■ Maintenance
■ Future of Unifier in Construction
■ Take Aways
6. Dynamics of a General Contractor
6
High Voltage
Wind
Industrial
Commercial
Local, State, and
Federal Government
Community &
Real Estate
Education
SportsHealth Care
Civil
Universities, Public &
Private Schools
Private
Companies
Developers
Low Tech High Tech
EmailFax Cell PhoneMail
Old School New Hire
Big CityRural Farm FieldMountain TopUnderwater UndergroundIn the air
In the job trailerAt the main office In a meeting
WebSmart PhoneTablets
Non‐Profits
Various
Authorities
Hotel RoomOn Site My Desk
Hotels
Water Treatment
Mission Critical
Solar Transmission
Distribution
Foreign
PC
SVPPM Engineer
16. By the Numbers
■ Staff of 45 Supervisory
Personnel
■ 1100 Craft Workers on site
each day
■ Over $1,000,000 / day put in
place at the peak
■ 5,100 Construction Issues
■ 3,700 Requests for Information
■ 66,500 Request for Proposals
to Subcontractor/Suppliers
21. Issue Management – The Issue Itself
REVIEW BY
PM OR
DESIGNATE
INCOMING
DOCUMENT
OR REQUEST-
DATE STAMP
& LOG
INITIATE
CHANGE
MANGEMENT
WHEN
REQUIRED
RESOLVE
& CLOSE
ISSUE
CLOSE OUT
ISSUE FILE &
ARCHIVE
IS
THIS A NEW
ISSUE?
CREATE
NEW ISSUE
ATTACH TO
EXISTING
ISSUE
FILE IN
ISSUE FILE
FILE IN
ISSUE FILE
NO
YES
RESPONSIBILITY
LEGEND
PROJECT MANAGER /
SENIOR PROJECT
ENGINEER
DESIGNATED
TEAM MEMBER
SECRETARY
FIELD STAFF
CUSTOMER
2
1
3
4
5
3
3
3
31
1
1
2
1
1
24. Managing Change – the Manual Way
■ Create Request for Information (RFI)
■ Print, Sign, Scan, Send email
■ Wait…………….receive Answer
■ Generate Request for Proposals (RFP)
■ Print RFI, RFPs, Scan Individually, Send emails
■ Wait………….receive Sub emails (or perhaps envelopes in
mail)
■ Manually close RFPs, then enter into Project Cost Issue
Management (PCIM)
25. Managing Change – the Manual Way
Static List of Information in Software
Issue Folders
Data Storage Drive(s)
26. Time to Change
■ Mission Critical Software
■ Differentiate Mortenson
■ Project Management Administration (PMA)
▪ INTUITIVE, COLLABORATE, INTERNET BASED software that
encourages participation by Mortenson, Customers, Architects,
Engineers, and Subcontractors.
▪ IMPROVES project COMMUNICATION by providing interactive
“live” access to project documents and information.
▪ IMPROVES EFFICIENCY by decreasing paperwork and
significantly reducing duplication of efforts.
28. Why Unifier….?
■ Selection Process
▪ 25+ products/companies evaluated
▪ Short List to Three +1
■ Unifier
▪ Allows us to STANDARDIZE critical business processes while
providing appropriate FLEXIBILITY at the Operating Group and
project level.
▪ ROBUST WORKFLOW functionality that allows for possible
FUTURE UTILIZATION of the product in other non-construction
aspects of Mortenson’s business.
30. PMA Scope – in Phases
Enhancements
and Integrations
31. Implementation Deliverables
■ 100% IMPLEMENTATION OF EVERY MODULE on every new
project in every Operating Group.
■ 100% UTILIZATION by owners, design professionals and
subcontractors, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO.
■ Vigilance to an overriding principle of SIMPLICITY, while ensuring
flexibility
■ ONE SOURCE OF TRUTH for all internal users
33. The 'How We Always Do It' Method
(Very Linear)
GC Owner
Cost
Impacts
Change
Request
Schedule
Impacts
Schedule
Extention
Answers &
Change Doc’s
Document
Distribution
In Owners
System
In Designers
SystemPerformed in GC’s System
(The Black Hole)
Send
Submit
Submit
Payment
Needs
Payment
Request
Submit
RequestsQuestions Submit
Design
Team
Submits
Initial
Approval
Final
Approval
End
Initial
Review
Initial
Answer
Final
Answer
End
Document Manager #1 Document Manager #2 Document Manager #3
Fax, Email, Mail,
Phone Call
34.
35. How Unifier has brought transparency
(Many Inter-module Connections)
Change
Request
Schedule
Extenstion
Answers &
Change Doc’s
All Work Captured In Unifier!!
Single Source of Truth
Design
Team
Submits
Initial
Approval
Final
Approval
EndSend
Submit
Submit
Payment
Request
Submit
RequestsSubmit
Initial
Review
Initial
Answer
Final
Answer
End
GC Owner
RFI-Project
Correspondence
Conversations
E-Mails
Letters
Faxes
Transmittals
Notices
Document
Distribution
Action Items
(Sent to Only
Users)
Meeting Minutes
(Sent to Users or Proj
Contact Dir people) Submittals
LINK
Design Doc
(incl ASI &
Bulletins)
Agreements
RFPs
LINK
Submittal
Register
(Spec Section)
Proj Contact
Directory
Issue
RFI -
Subcontractor
LINK
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
Auto-Create
& Reference
LINK
Single Document Manager
41. Enhancements – Must Haves
• Mobile Devices
– Isolation of Renewable Projects
– Incident Reporting
– Punchlists
– Field Inspections & Monitoring
• Cost Management
– For Agency CM and Joint Venture Projects
– Focus on Integrations to Existing Systems
• Building Integration Modeling
– During Preconstruction
– During Construction
• Request for Bid
– During Preconstruction
– During Construction
43. Take-Aways
(For the vendors in the room too)
■ Dynamics of a General Contractor
▪ Workforce Experience, Market Diversity, Locations Served, Types of Work, Types
of Contracts
■ Selection Process
▪ Scope Development & Identify Must Haves, Evaluate & Short List the Vendors,
Demonstrations, Conference Room Pilot
■ Implementation
▪ Set up Implementation Team, Determine Responsibilities, Migration, Hosting,
Integrations, Scope Refinement, Gather Business Requirements, Establish
Deliverables, Development Tips, Pilot, Deploy, Dynamics of a Workflow (don't
forget an RFI can be more than just sending a question to the architect)
■ Maintenance
▪ Talk (visit) to Project Teams, Status System Usage, Track the Phone Calls,
Redevelop BP's, Improve the Support Mechanism, DIY Video Training
■ Future of Unifier in Construction
▪ Enhancements to Bolster User Efficiency
45. Please complete the session
evaluation
We appreciate your feedback and insight
You may complete the session evaluation either
on paper or online via the mobile app