improving the unifier user experience
TRANSCRIPT
REMINDERCheck in on the
COLLABORATE mobile app
Improving the Unifier User Experience
Prepared by:Chad BradyProject ExecutiveForesee Consulting
The Importance of QA/QC in Configurations & UpgradesAccommodating the Casual User & the Power UserLeveraging Alternative TechnologiesUnifiers Future in Construction
Session ID#: 200120
Chad Brady, LEED AP Project Executive Foresee Consulting Phone: 702-818-3520 [email protected] http://www.4cteam.com
Background Degree in Construction Engineering w/EIT, North
Dakota State University Foresee Consulting 1 Year Mortenson Construction 16 Years Duke Construction 2 Years Project Manager on many complex projects
Notable Construction Projects Sioux City IA – Perry Creek Water Diversion & Outlet
Structure EGF MN – Elementary & Middle Schools Flood Recovery
and Reconstruction Mpls MN – U of M Walter Digital Technology Center Memphis TN - FedEx Forum (Grizzlies Basketball Arena) Mpls MN – Walker Art Center Expansion Duluth MN – St. Mary’s Duluth Clinic 1st St Building St. Paul MN – Wilder Center
Notable Implementations Expedition Contract Manager Oracle EBS – Cost Issue Management &
Project Forecasting Custom Extensions Unifier – Project Management & Collaboration
Agenda■ Next steps after the initial implementation■ User experience as the key to success■ “Simple” change management■ Alternative technologies to improve the user’s experience■ Unifiers Future in Construction
Next Steps – after the initial implementation
Phases of an implementation, Self Evaluation, Think outside the box – avoid the “Status Quo” mindset, Must have vs. nice to have – prioritize
ImplementSelect
MaintainMaintain
Stabilize ImproveEvaluate
Implementation Phases
1 Year 1 Year On‐Going
■ Figure out what’s important to the users and the “Business”■ Process map from cradle to grave – SIPOC
▪ First, figure out what’s actually done in the process, not what should be done▪ Understand who ALL the players are and what they do
■ Understand the scenarios and find the gaps■ Refer back to the Critical Success Factors and goals of the
original initiative.
■ Identify must haves▪ Keep an open mind – don’t get stuck in the status quo▪ Separate out the nice to haves▪ Weight and prioritize them – let the users vote to determine this▪ Don’t forget the low hanging fruit – nailing these can have a significant effect
on user acceptance
Self Evaluation
Know All the Players and What They DoUs Them
Cost Impacts
Change Request
Schedule
Impacts
Schedule Extention
Answers & Change Doc’s
Document Distribution
In TheirSystem
In OthersSystemPerformed in My 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, 3, 4, . . . Document Manager #XYZ
Fax, Email, Mail, Phone Call
Everyone In Between
And . . . Don’t Forget the Subcontractors
Mechanical
Electrical
Drywall
Earthwork
Site Concrete
Masonry
Landscaping
Paving
Painting
Plaster
Tile
Doors & Hardware
Stonework
FFE
Windows
Metal Panels
Structural SteelStructural Concrete
Structural Precast
Roofing
Siding
EIFS
Architectural Metals
Louvers
Rebar
Equipment
A/V Systems
Network Systems
Keeping Everyone Involved(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
Us Them
Single Document Manager
The Must Haves■ Simplify the Workflows or Add New BP’s■ Consolidate or Eliminate BP’s■ Expand user base to include more external users■ New Workflows■ New Forms■ Eliminate Fields■ Add Fields■ Minimize or Add Dynamic Data Sets (DDS)■ Remove auto-creates■ Add auto-creates
■ Remember – Automated DOES NOT always mean Efficient and Intuitive
The User Experience – the key to success
User Knowledge curve, Remember the casual vs. power user, Intuitiveness vs. Complexity
Workforce Experience with Technology■ Paper & Pencil■ Fax■ Cell Phone■ Computers■ Tablets■ CADD■ BIM
The comfort level that users have with technology in the work place, varies significantly from one end of the spectrum to the next, regardless of position or age.
■ Suppliers■ Foremen■ Superintendents■ Field Engineers
■ Project Managers■ Construction Executives■ Owners■ Designers
Capitalize on the Power of Unifier
■ Links via portlets & dashboards■ Graphical dashboards■ Links to step specific documentation
“Simple” Change Management
Importance of QA/QC in configurations and upgrades - don’t take upgrades/updates for granted, Utilize the testing environment(s), Be methodical/meticulous/systematic/comprehensive
Quality Assurance & Quality Control
■ Quality Assurance - to ensure what will be configured meets the customers needs
■ Quality Control - to verify what was configured meets the design requirements
Keep it in Perspective
■ Is Unifier a mission critical application?
■ How important is change management?
■ How important is testing?
■ Do you want a place for end users to submit their requests?
■ Are there certain things where you need leadership approval?
■ Who are all the players that need to be involved?
■ Does this need to be included in a much larger change management process?
Utilize the Testing Environment(s)
■ You get Prod and uStage, but if you want a place to really test:▪ Development – for a sandbox environment, the ‘Playground’.
▪ Training – a place you can train your users as well as external users on what is currently in production
▪ Testing – with integrations it is best to have a separate environment where you can keep the upgrade testing running concurrently
■ Refresh your non-Prod environment(s) often.▪ Facilitates troubleshooting when you have more recent data to look at
where you can see what something looked like before a config push or a change in data.
Test, Test, and Test . . .
■ Don’t rely on the software developer to have tested everything
■ Don’t rely on only yourself to have tested everything – more eyes the better
■ Take a methodical approach to your testing – have a thorough test plan
■ Be meticulous in how you test – leave no stone unturned
■ Test systematically through the entire process from the users perspective – especially where integrations are concerned
■ Ensure you are comprehensive – Multiple testers and multiple scenarios is critical
Leveraging Alternative Technologies - improving the user experience
Don’t fall into the shiny ball trap, What are your gaps, Addressing the Easy vs. Effective
■ Bluebeam■ Box■ Native Mobile Apps■ Sharepoint■ BIM 360 Field & Glue■ Word Press/You Tube■ UPK■ Web Development■ Etc.
Some Alternative Technologies
Enhancements – Must Haves■ Key Functionality Currently In EXP & PCM■ Needed User Interface Improvements■ Other User Experience Improvements
▪ Improved Smartform & Custom Print Functionality▪ Native Mobile Apps▪ Reporting Improvements▪ Workflow Improvements▪ Improved Request for Bid functionality
■ Interoperability with Other Systems▪ Email consolidation/integrations▪ BIM & VDC Integrations▪ Tie to Social Collaboration Sites▪ Environment to Environment Communications
■ Document Storage & Management Improvements■ Improved Task Management
Key Functionality Currently In EXP/PCM■ Easy process to manually 'Generate' individual or groups of
records and select assignees in real time■ Can print the screen of a filtered/sorted/grouped log view■ There is a tight connection between the project level contact and
licensed user database■ Can add companies & users to the global directory from the project
level■ Letters module has a tight integration to Word■ Able to send record creation/update data between different
instances■ Has Cost & Revenue Mark-ups as well as Multiple Budgets■ Built-in procurement & bid management modules are available■ Can access records directly from the dashboard and take action■ Able to delete records
Needed User Interface Improvements■ Provide browser neutrality■ Update to current navigation standards of design■ Capitalize on HTML 5 Functionality
▪ Browser based drag and drop of attachments▪ Drag and drop web page layout▪ Ability to embed HTML scripts & widgets into standard dashboards▪ Enable HTML based custom dashboards and include integrations to data in
Unifier (similar to SWF today) and other systems
■ Provide improved navigation for selecting projects■ Project level search across all modules■ User definable Log views - Sorts, Filters, Layouts, etc.■ Enable Maximize/Minimize of any window■ Eliminate redundant pop up windows
Other User Experience Improvements■ Improved Smartform & Custom Print Functionality
▪ Ability to include smartform in email notifications▪ Support drag/drop and pasting of clipboard images into smartforms▪ Usable Pickers, DDS, pull-downs and other form functionality on smartforms▪ Able to include Logos & other images on custom prints & smartforms▪ Added setup function for limiting selection of certain custom prints & by step
■ Native Mobile Apps▪ Support for disconnected data access▪ Granular mobile app rather than all inclusive, align with smartform technology
■ Reporting Improvements▪ Ability to format UDR’s with logos, margins, fonts, etc▪ Dataviews and UDR’s based on record permissions
■ Workflow Improvements▪ Publish path improvements on workflow & non-workflow business processes▪ Workflow selection redundancy
■ Request for Bid Improvements▪ Ability to modify the scope on the fly▪ Ability to efficiently issue addendums to the bid documents▪ Allow for changing the bid date
Interoperability with Other Systems■ Email Consolidation/Integrations
▪ Provide a unified email mailbox within Unifier (currently separate umail and mailbox folders)
▪ Merge the mailbox with the users email DB▪ Implement a project calendar that would interface
with the same users mail DB■ BIM & VDC Integrations
▪ Direct connection of the Unifier business processes to the model
▪ Allow references between Unifier and the model▪ Enable clash detection to be captured & managed in
Unifier■ Tie to Social Collaboration Sites
▪ Allow for discussions on certain subjects/records▪ Capture discussion and incorporate it into the record▪ Provide the ability to invite others to the discussion
without login credentials■ Customer’s/Designer’s Systems
▪ Unifier to Unifier would be a good start▪ Then add other popular systems
Document Storage & Management■ Improved attachments & Document Manager navigation/search/layout■ Neutral solution for document markups■ Simultaneous document markup functionality■ Ability to download documents with markups■ ‘Combine to PDF’ functionality – from various file types■ Dynamic save/update/upload of documents■ URL based Document Manager – with relative path functionality■ Ability to share documents with non-users■ Real time syncing capabilities between the DB and users devices■ Document Manager integrations with other CMS’ – Folder to Folder
integrations with same folder structure■ Document permissions also based on record permissions if auto-published■ Include other attributes in log for attachments on a record■ When moving a document or adding attachments, allow versioning if it
already exists■ Allow renaming of documents
Improved Task Management■ Incorporate Project Superuser concept and ability to propagate project
access from the company or intermediate shell levels■ Provide the sender and record editors the ability to add assignees
& CC’s to a sent record■ Incorporate a permission set to allow users to take control of a
record and advance it (needs to be more dynamic than proxie)■ Allow more than one proxie to a user and be project specific■ Ability to share records with non-users via URL
Take-Aways■ Next steps after the initial implementation
▪ Phases of an implementation, Self evaluation
■ User experience as the key to success▪ User knowledge curve, Think outside the box – avoid the “Status Quo”
mindset, Must have vs. nice to have – prioritize, Remembering the casual vs. power user, Intuitiveness vs. Complexity
■ “Simple” change management▪ Importance of QA/QC in configurations and upgrades - don’t take
upgrades/updates for granted, Utilize the testing environment, Be methodical/meticulous/systematic/comprehensive
■ Alternative technologies to improve the user’s experience▪ Don’t fall into the shiny ball trap, What are your gaps, Addressing the Easy
vs. Effective
■ Unifiers Future in Construction▪ Necessary enhancements & needed functionality