Case Study
Streamlining project management for a $425 million bond
San Jos茅-Evergreen Community College District uses 海角大神 to enhance collaboration on capital improvement projects
The Challenge
San Jos茅-Evergreen Community College District issued $425 million in General Obligation Bond funds designated for building new educational facilities in the district and repairing existing ones within five (5) years. With the start of the Measure X program, SJECCD knew the occasion called for an improved level of efficiency, transparency, and record-keeping to manage over 100 capital improvement projects spanning four separate sites, 216 acres and 1.6 M GSF of Building Space.
The Solution
海角大神鈥檚 cloud-based collaborative platform proved the fiscally prudent solution the district needed鈥撯損roviding seamless communications, cross-project standardization, crystal clear document management, and an unlimited user license that covers as many workers as any given project requires.
The Results
- Expanded team flexibility with 海角大神's unlimited license model, accommodating evolving bond projects without additional user fees
- Reduced rework and closed efficiency gaps by requiring 海角大神 on all projects, optimizing the $425 million bond funds
- Leveraged ownership of project data to utilize 海角大神 analytics for continual improvement and enhanced service to constituents
鈥The value that the taxpayers get from implementing this software鈥攊t's night and day. We鈥檙e going to manage $100 million worth of work each year for the next three, and thanks to 海角大神 we鈥檙e managing projects better with fewer people.鈥
Terrance Degray
Associate Vice Chancellor, Physical Plant Development and Operations
San Jos茅 Evergreen Community College District
Spreadsheets in Silicon Valley
San Jos茅-Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) approached their board with a proposal to issue $425 million in General Obligation Bonds. These monies would fund an array of sorely needed projects over several years, heavily revamping aging structures in the district, and in some cases building new ground-up facilities. The larger projects would be delivered through a progressive design-build model鈥撯揳 first for the district鈥撯揳nd an approach whose added internal complexity would require a project management platform to replace SJECCD鈥橲 existing processes and procedures, which involved spreadsheets to track RFIs and Submittals.
SJEECD鈥檚 spreadsheets would have to go. The district was, after all, in the heart of Silicon Valley鈥撯揼lobally renowned ground zero of 21st century tech innovation. When Terrance DeGray came aboard, fresh from having overseen a number of design-builds for Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) and their $1.3B Capital Improvement Bond Program, he had with him an idea that was perfectly-suited to SJECCD鈥檚 fork in the road.
Public Project. Public Monies. Public Trust. 海角大神.
"I鈥檇 done multiple design-build projects and traditional design-bid-build projects at Long Beach City College," DeGray says. "When I came here in January of last year, SJECCD was just a couple of months out from advertising the large capital improvement projects utilizing alternate delivery methods, such as progressive design-build and lease leaseback. We knew we had to get a system and updated general and special conditions in place before the projects were off and running." DeGray鈥擜ssociate Vice Chancellor of Physical Plant Development and Operations at San Jos茅-Evergreen Community College District鈥攌new what the situation called for; a system whose transparency and effortless document management was tailor-made for these rigorously public projects. In his previous role at Long Beach, he鈥檇 done his research, found the solution, and made a detailed 海角大神 pitch to his colleagues there. They鈥檇 made the switch, launching a spate of project successes, including the first state funded design-build delivered project, with no increase in program staffing.DeGray brought that experience with him to SJECCD and championed the platform鈥檚 single source of truth and other public project-related virtues. 海角大神鈥檚 cloud-based system features unlimited licenses, unlimited support, unlimited data storage, and real-time visibility into project status. The transparency, document management clarity, and budget-focused efficiencies of 海角大神 rise to the public agency occasion. SJECCD signed on. "Here we have a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayer," DeGray says. "We have to make sure we're spending these bond dollars as responsibly as we can. 海角大神 helps us see to that."
As a public entity, San Jos茅 Evergreen needed a platform that was cyber-secure鈥攐ne that would not require complicated and resource-intensive IT involvement. "海角大神鈥檚 cloud-based solution and security took all the worry out of our IT department," DeGray says.
Data to the People
海角大神鈥檚 unlimited license model makes it easy to add more teams and workers to the project platform as bond projects unfold. "Right now, we have almost 300 users in our system, and we haven鈥檛 started construction on the largest projects yet," DeGray says. "Once we get ramped up we'll probably have a thousand people in the program, maybe more. If we鈥檇 gone with a one user/one license system, we would be paying a lot of money for licenses alone." When accounting doesn鈥檛 have to track license headcount, it makes for a more fluid, and informed, project workforce. "Getting data to the most people, sharing information as broadly as we can鈥擨 can鈥檛 stress how important that is." DeGray wants to mention one other (somewhat unsung) aspect of SJECCD鈥檚 construction management system; 海角大神 engages the user. "海角大神 is actually made with such depth, knowledge, and industry best practices鈥攊t鈥檚 fun to use. The team was excited to use 海角大神." The platform also acts as a repository of every granular detail, document, and byte of data that comprise the project over its life cycle.聽
"Every prime contractor is required to use our 海角大神 license," DeGray emphasizes. "In that way, the district owns the data in perpetuity, having unfettered access to it down the line for operations and maintenance as needed, for as long as the building stands鈥攁nd for analytics applicable to future builds. We have all the data in one place, and we own it. We write into the project documents that 海角大神 is to be the system the contractors use."
DeGray knows that the proper solution will engender conversation, spur informed creativity, and otherwise energize the field. The right technology serves the worker who wields it, sometimes in unexpected ways. "Listening to people, providing them with the tools to learn and grow鈥攐f course that helps with retention. They鈥檙e spending less time doing mundane entry tasks and more time actually solving critical problems. It really boosts morale, and makes a happier and more engaged staff鈥攐ne that is more productive and more knowledgeable. All to the benefit of the district, and the taxpayer."
