How Fortis Construction Uses Raken + Egnyte to Connect Teams

The problem: Lack of cohesion between field and office

Communication is key when it comes to success in the construction industry. What’s happening in the field has to be effectively reflected in the reports sent back to the office. Likewise, expectations from the office need to be clearly communicated in the field.

Before Raken, Fortis Construction was having difficulty syncing their teams. The team members in their office weren’t up-to-date about what the “boots on the ground” were doing, and vice versa.

The solution: Staying in sync with Raken + Egnyte

With Raken’s project management tools and Egnyte’s cloud storage capabilities working in tandem, Fortis was able to boost cohesion between the office and the field.

This enabled them to focus on what’s important. “Our superintendents and foremen love using Raken,” says Tara Messa, Director of Operations Technology & Integrations with Fortis. “Primarily, it empowers them to do their job out in the field.”

Daily reports make documentation easier

Raken makes reporting from the field more efficient, while Egnyte enables the team in the office to keep track of data in one location in an easy-to-use format. With more frequent reporting from Raken and online storage with Egnyte, Fortis can keep better, more detailed records of what’s happening on the jobsite.

“There’s the goal of getting the project done, but there’s also risk management, liability, and making sure we have the paperwork to show all of the effort that was put in at the end of the day to put in our records.”

Tara M., Director of Operations Technology & Integrations

“It all comes down to what’s going on on the field,” says Tony Bichai, one of Raken’s Construction Specialists with nearly ten years of hands-on experience in the industry. “A lot of people don’t know these kinds of things, and they wish they did.”

With Raken and Egnyte, keeping all of these records in one place is easy.

Production tracking improves planning

Using Raken’s production tracking functionality, Fortis is better equipped to plan their projects. From labor hours and equipment tracking to progress reports, the team in the office can set realistic expectations (and adjust as needed) based on this data.

More often than not, companies won’t know until the end of the job if they’re going to meet their schedule, or if they’re even going to be profitable—so this allows these conversations to happen ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute to start worrying or pass the blame. With real-time data collected each day, construction companies like Fortis can know exactly where they stand on every project.

Time card management increases efficiency

Raken’s time tracking allows companies like Fortis to record in and out times, break times, and cost codes to create a clearer picture of how much time is being allocated to different tasks. This helps bridge the gap of understanding between the workers in the office and the field.

Tara emphasizes the importance of saving time in this area.

“Nobody has to sit down and run a spreadsheet pulling hours from every piece of paper to get your hours reported for the year. It’s all available through our reporting.”

Tara M., Director of Operations Technology & Integrations