RJM Construction Finds a Single Source of Data Truth Through Trimble Construction One

Like many construction businesses, Minnesota-based RJM Construction relies heavily on data and collaboration to successfully bring projects to life. In the four decades since the company was founded, the way its teams capture, manage and use data has undergone some pretty big changes. 

RJM’s journey to modernize its operations began in 2014 when, seeking a way to better manage financials, projects, resources and people, the company implemented Viewpoint’s Vista ERP solution. As Viewpoint has grown its technology portfolio in recent years to include new features and bringing its client to the cloud through its connected Trimble Construction One suite of construction solutions, it has only improved RJM’s construction management experience. From automated workflows to self-serve reporting features and mobile apps to streamline work in the field, Trimble Construction One has helped RJM work smarter, make real-time decisions and unlock new possibilities. It even delivered unexpected benefits as the Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to construction.

Using Trimble Construction One's Team solution for project management helped RJM eliminate productivity challenges and increase efficiency on-site and in the field. “With Viewpoint Team, our guys in the field have a way to access information without having to go back to the office,” said Mongin. “Just being able to grab the information they need from one place has been a tremendous time saver and although it sounds cliché, it’s transformed the way we sync important project data between the office and field.”

With Viewpoint Team, RJM also has a single location for maintaining construction-ready drawings. This keeps the entire project team up to speed and simplifies the complexities of managing large and ever-changing drawing sets with a log of approved and up-to-date, well-organized drawings. “The ability to hyperlink drawings has made it incredibly easy to find the right documentation fast,” said Mongin. “With one click, we can hyperlink entire 700-page sets. Teams in the field can click a link and go right to a drawing. It’s saving us a ton of time in the field.” 

The Trimble Construction One suite has also helped RJM improve its submittal processes to streamline project productivity and mitigate risk of errors due to late or incomplete information. “We can collect, compile and share submittal data in real time,” said Mongin. “We’ve eliminated the time spent manually processing submittals and project delays from waiting for approvals or submittals to close.”

Looking back, RJM’s decision to modernize its operations and move to the cloud brought the unforeseen benefit of helping the company successfully weather the Covid-19 pandemic. As disruption set in and other companies struggled to adapt, RJM employees across locations, from the field to the office and at home, were able to continue doing their work without disruption.

“In every organization, there are those who are fearful of new technologies and ways of working,” said Mongin. “When Covid-19 forced the later adopters in our organization to use Trimble Construction One, they finally realized how much it would help them work faster and smarter. Now they’re invested and want to learn more ways to use it.”

Mongin is relieved RJM made the effort to modernize its operations and take advantage of the cloud before the pandemic. He urges other construction businesses to invest in technology before a crisis occurs. “It’s only a matter of time before contractors who are not willing to move to the cloud run into a data breach or hardware malfunction and lose critical data,” he said. “Unfortunately a disaster is the typical catalyst for construction businesses to make the change. As a business grows, you need reliable, modern infrastructure and technology solutions to successfully scale and stay competitive.”