Lessons from Smart Hospital Activations

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What We Can Learn from Houston Methodist’s Cypress Hospital

Healthcare construction is evolving quickly. The idea of the “smart hospital” is no longer futuristic. It is here, and it is reshaping how facilities are designed, built, and activated.

At the Blueprints & Breakthroughs: Strategies for Smarter Healthcare Construction panel, Maggie Duplantis, Director of Clinical Planning and Design at Houston Methodist, and Timothy Menz, Assistant Vice President of Transition Planning at Northwell Health, shared their perspectives on activating technology-rich facilities. Their lessons highlight both the opportunities and the challenges of blending advanced infrastructure with human-centered

What Makes a Hospital “Smart”

Smart hospitals integrate digital and automated systems into nearly every aspect of operations.

Houston Methodist’s Cypress Hospital, opened in March, included:

· Advanced nurse call systems linked to mobile devices

· Smart patient rooms with adaptive lighting, climate, and entertainment controls

· Real-time location systems (RTLS) for equipment, staff, and patients

· Digital wayfinding and patient education displays

· Building systems that monitor energy use and air quality in real time

As Duplantis explained, “It’s not just lights, booms, and beds anymore. It’s the network, the software, and how everything talks to each other.”

Activation Lessons Learned

Involve Technology Teams from Day One

Technology underpins nearly every system in a smart hospital, from medical equipment to patient engagement tools. That’s why IT can’t be an afterthought it has to be at the table from the beginning.

Menz stressed this point clearly: “If you’re not thinking about how the equipment and the network work together early, you’re already behind.”

Duplantis echoed the importance of early alignment, adding: “Without IT’s input, you’re setting yourself up to miss critical infrastructure.”

Plan for a Steeper Training Curve

The transition to smart hospital systems doesn’t just bring new tools it forces staff to unlearn habits built over years of practice. At Cypress, even something as simple as answering a patient call required a completely new workflow.

Duplantis explained the challenge: “When you change how a nurse answers a call, you’re changing muscle memory that’s been in place for decades.”

For Menz, the solution is repetition and simulation: “One class isn’t enough. We run repeat sessions and simulations so staff feel confident before patients arrive.”

Align Vendors to Prevent Delays

Complex projects require open and continuous communication across multiple vendors. Vendors often have to coordinate across specialties. An example would be medical equipment, which now has to integrate into the network, forcing both the medical equipment and IT teams to collaborate.

Duplantis explained, “If you don’t have vendors talking to each other, you’re setting yourself up for finger-pointing and delays.”

Menz echoed the challenge, saying, “Even with something as basic as equipment deliveries, if you don’t have proactive coordination, it falls apart fast.”

Build Extra Time for Testing and Validation

Traditional hospital activations often stop at making sure equipment powers on. But in a smart hospital, the real work comes in confirming that all the digital integrations function seamlessly together.

Menz cautioned against leaving this to the last minute: “On one project, we were testing integrations the week before opening. That’s not where you want to be.”

Duplantis described the depth of testing required: “It’s not enough to see the button light up — we had to confirm alerts went to a phone, showed up on a board, and logged in the record.”

Support Staff After Opening

The complexity of smart hospitals doesn’t end on opening day. The first few weeks are often the most critical, as staff adapt to new systems while caring for patients in real time. On-the-ground support can make or break that transition.

At Houston Methodist, Duplantis saw the difference this made: “We had technology support right on the units, answering questions on the spot. That made all the difference.”

Menz shared a similar strategy at Northwell: “We put roving support teams on the floors so staff didn’t feel abandoned.”

How FitUp Can Help Solve These Challenges

The lessons from Houston Methodist’s recently opened Cypress Hospital highlight a common theme: complexity multiplies when multiple systems, vendors, and workflows must align. This is exactly where FitUp provides value.

FitUp was designed to streamline hospital activations by giving project teams a single source of truth. Instead of relying on scattered spreadsheets, endless email chains, and siloed vendor updates, teams can manage equipment, IT, facilities, and training tasks all in one platform.

· Early Involvement of IT and Facilities: FitUp makes it easy to bring every stakeholder into the process from day one. Shared dashboards ensure that IT requirements aren’t overlooked and that infrastructure is planned in parallel with equipment and construction.

· Training Visibility: With task tracking and role-specific workflows, leaders can confirm that staff training milestones are complete and identify where additional support is needed before go-live.

· Vendor Coordination: FitUp eliminates finger-pointing by aligning vendors on shared timelines and deliverables. Everyone sees the same data, reducing delays caused by miscommunication.

· Testing and Validation: Teams can document and track validation steps directly in FitUp, ensuring that every system integration is tested and verified before patients arrive.

· Go-Live Support: Post-activation, FitUp’s real-time updates help leaders quickly respond to issues, track progress, and ensure staff aren’t left without the tools or support they need.

By making complex activations more transparent and collaborative, FitUp helps healthcare organizations focus less on chasing down details — and more on delivering safe, efficient, patient-centered care.

The Bigger Picture

Smart hospitals promise efficiency, improved patient experiences, and safer care, but they also add layers of complexity. Both leaders agreed that success requires:

· Early involvement of IT and facilities teams

· Extended training that reshapes workflows

· Structured vendor collaboration

· Extra time for testing and validation

· Visible support during the first days of operation

The Dangers of Cost Cutting in Healthcare Construction: When Saving Money Costs More

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Controlling costs is always a priority in healthcare construction. However, when cost-cutting efforts compromise quality, the long-term financial and operational consequences can far outweigh the initial savings. Value engineering—re-evaluating project scope and materials to reduce expenses—can sometimes lead to expensive fixes down the road when not done properly or when the facility operational team is not included in key decisions.

In a recent webinar, industry experts shared real-world examples of cost-saving decisions that backfired, along with strategies to make better-informed choices.

1. Cutting Corners on HVAC Systems: A Costly Mistake

The HVAC system is one of the most critical yet frequently undervalued aspects of healthcare construction. Proper temperature control is essential for patient comfort, infection control, and equipment longevity. In one instance, a project team opted for a lower-cost HVAC system without fully evaluating its impact.

“A print shop in the facility had its thermostat in the wrong location, leading to drastic temperature fluctuations,” recalled Liz Callahan, Executive Director at City of Hope. “As a result, patient care areas were freezing whenever the print shop heated up.”

The fix required costly rework, including HVAC system modifications and moving staff to temporary offices. What seemed like a minor budget cut ended up causing major operational disruptions and additional expenses.

2. Eliminating Essential Safety Features

In another case, a decision to remove patient-assist bars next to toilets in a hospital hotel created a major patient safety issue.

“Nursing staff quickly flagged this as a problem,” said Callahan. “Without these bars, fall risks increased significantly, and we had to install them after the fact—at a much higher cost.”

Beyond the unexpected cost of installation after project was complete, this oversight posed a liability issue and delayed the facility’s readiness. Safety features should never be considered an optional expense, as patient well-being is at stake.

3. Room Numbering Mishaps: A Half-Million-Dollar Fix

Something as simple as room numbering can have significant cost implications. John Stiles from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shared an example where room numbering inconsistencies across different systems led to an expensive correction.

“We had a four-digit room numbering system in one tower and a five-digit system in another. The result? A half-million-dollar budget hit to standardize and update all related systems.”

To prevent such errors, coordination across IT, facilities management, and clinical operations is essential early in the project planning phase.

4. The Hidden Costs of Value Engineering

Value engineering is often necessary, but it should be approached strategically. Cutting costs in the wrong areas—such as IT infrastructure, security, or accessibility—can lead to major setbacks. Corey M. Gaarde, a healthcare IT expert, emphasized the importance of evaluating long-term operational impact when making these decisions.

“It’s not just about upfront savings,” Gaarde said. “If you don’t account for future technology integrations, you could end up with outdated or inefficient systems that require expensive retrofits.”

Best Practices for Smart Cost Reduction

Instead of making short-sighted cuts, consider these best practices to balance cost efficiency with quality:

  • Involve the Right Stakeholders Early – Ensure clinicians, IT specialists, and facility managers are part of budgeting discussions from the start.
  • Analyze Long-Term Costs – Consider life cycle costs, not just upfront expenses. Cheaper solutions may require costly replacements sooner.
  • Set Clear Priorities – Define essential features that should not be compromised, such as patient safety, technology integration, and HVAC reliability.
  • Use a Structured Change Request Process – Implement a governance structure to evaluate cost-cutting proposals and assess risks before making decisions.

Final Thoughts: Investing in Quality Saves Money in the Long Run

Cutting costs in healthcare construction is necessary, but it must be done strategically. When savings come at the expense of functionality, safety, or long-term efficiency, the financial burden can  far exceed the initial reduction. By planning for hidden costs, engaging the right stakeholders, and considering long-term implications, healthcare organizations can achieve both financial and operational success.

Activating a New Healthcare Facility: Why Planning Early is the Key to Success

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Opening a new healthcare facility is an enormous undertaking that does not end when construction is complete. While the physical building may be completed on time and within budget, the real challenge is ensuring a smooth transition to full operational readiness. Activation planning, preparing staff, workflows, and equipment for day-one functionality—is often underestimated, leading to costly delays and inefficiencies.

In a recent webinar, industry experts discussed key challenges in activation planning and best practices to ensure a successful launch. Below are critical insights on why early planning, governance structure, and technology solutions are essential to activation success.

1. Activation is More Than Just Moving In

Many organizations mistakenly assume that once construction is complete, they can simply move in and begin operations. However, operational gaps can surface without careful planning, causing significant disruptions.

Liz Callahan, Executive Director at City of Hope, explained:

“Opening a healthcare facility is like moving into a new house. You think you have everything you need, but then you realize the front door swings the wrong way, the storage isn’t sufficient, and the light fixtures require extensive cleaning every time you change a bulb. These are the types of operational surprises we need to prevent.”

Planning must account for equipment placement, staffing transitions, supply stocking, safety protocols, and more well before the move-in date to avoid these issues.

2. The Importance of a Structured Governance Process

Decision-making can become chaotic without a strong governance structure, especially when leadership changes during the project lifecycle. A governance framework helps establish clear roles, responsibilities, and a timeline for key activation milestones.

John Stiles from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center emphasized:

“New leaders often bring new ideas, which can disrupt established plans. Setting a firm governance process and decision-making deadlines is crucial to avoid last-minute changes that delay opening day.”

A structured governance model ensures that activation remains on track, even amid leadership transitions or departmental turnover. It will also help inform a communication plan to elevate documentation of the rational for the decisions made to that point in the project.

3. Technology as a Game Changer in Activation Planning

Managing a facility activation manually through spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails can be inefficient and prone to errors. Leveraging purpose-built technology solutions, such as FitUp, can streamline workflows, enhance communication, and ensure accountability.

Callahan shared her experience using FitUp during a major hospital activation:

“With FitUp, we could track equipment deliveries, room readiness, and staff training progress all in one place. It provided a single source of truth, which kept everyone aligned and reduced last-minute surprises.”

Technology platforms like FitUp help standardize processes, track progress in real-time, and facilitate seamless activation.

4. Training and Staff Readiness Cannot Be an Afterthought

A fully operational facility requires well-trained staff who understand new workflows, equipment, and emergency procedures. Many organizations fail to allocate adequate time and resources for training, leading to inefficiencies post-launch.

Stiles advised:

“Staff training should start months before activation. If employees aren’t comfortable with new systems, it can lead to delays, frustration, and even patient safety risks.”

Building a structured training plan that includes hands-on practice, simulation drills, and role-based competency assessments ensures that employees are prepared for day one.

5. The Cost of Poor Activation Planning

When activation is not properly planned, organizations face significant financial and operational risks. Delays in opening can lead to revenue losses, while unprepared staff can result in suboptimal patient care and regulatory compliance issues.

Callahan highlighted a real-world example:

“During one project, activation planning was deprioritized until the last minute. The result? Missing supplies, uninstalled equipment, and a workforce unprepared for go-live. These delays not only cost millions but also affected patient experience.”

Healthcare organizations can avoid these pitfalls by budgeting for activation early and treating it as a critical phase of the project.

Final Thoughts: Early Activation Planning is Key to Success

Successful healthcare facility activation requires meticulous planning, strong governance, and the right technology. Early activation planning leads to smoother transitions, better staff readiness, and optimized patient care from day one. By leveraging structured governance, tools like FitUp, and focused staff training, organizations can ensure seamless move-ins while avoiding costly delays and operational issues.

Common Healthcare Construction Budgeting Pitfalls and how to Avoid Them

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The panel discussion featured experts Tom Gaunt (FreightTrain), Liz Callahan (City of Hope), John Stiles (Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center), and Cory Gaarde (IMEG). They tackled key budgetary challenges in healthcare construction, with a focus on the activation phase, communication strategies, and inflationary pressures.

Activation and FitUp: Streamlining Project Management

Tom Gaunt introduced FitUp, FreightTrain’s project management tool designed for the activation phase of healthcare construction. This phase involves deploying capital assets to bring a facility to full operational status. Gaunt stressed that missteps during activation can result in costly delays and inefficiencies, highlighting the importance of meticulous planning and tracking.

Inflation’s Impact on Healthcare Construction

Rising costs due to inflation and supply chain disruptions are significantly impacting healthcare construction projects. Materials, labor, and services are becoming more expensive, which forces healthcare organizations to make tough financial decisions. The panel emphasized the need for long-term investments, even when immediate financial pressures make delaying upgrades tempting. Delaying critical improvements could result in even larger operational issues in the future.

Hidden Costs of Technology

Corey Gaarde noted that capital budgets often account for the IT infrastructure without considering the operational expenses associated with deploying systems to new facilities. Not only are costs for additional licenses overlooked, but leadership often assumes that the IT team tasked with managing the current applications environment can also manage the necessary additions to EPIC and other systems required in the new space. The panel cited an example of changing the room numbers in the system. While that seems like a minor thing, the estimated cost of doing this for one project was $500,000. Corey reminded the audience that these costs are not optional and will need to be dealt with, so it is wise to include them in the initial project budget.

The Critical Role of Communication

Liz Callahan highlighted the importance of transparent, consistent communication in managing healthcare construction projects. Keeping stakeholders informed, particularly in unpredictable times like the COVID-19 pandemic, helps navigate issues such as delays and supply chain disruptions. Increased communication allows teams to adjust and problem-solve in real-time, keeping projects on track.

Thorough Planning for Activation and Transition

Proper planning for the activation and transition phases is crucial. These phases bring a facility from construction to full operational status, and inadequate preparation can lead to operational inefficiencies that negatively impact patient care. The panel stressed that activation should never be an afterthought and must be integrated into the early stages of project planning to avoid last-minute chaos.

Taking a Long-Term Strategic View

The session also emphasized the importance of taking a long-term strategic view when planning healthcare construction projects. While inflation and supply chain issues demand immediate attention, decisions made today should consider their impact on the facility’s future operations. Investments in infrastructure now, even under tight budgets, help future-proof facilities and ensure they remain adaptable to changing needs.

Key Takeaways for Healthcare Construction and Activation

  1. Plan for Inflation and Rising Costs: As construction costs rise, healthcare organizations must make strategic financial decisions. Deferring investments may seem like a short-term solution but can lead to bigger problems later.
  2. Communication is Key: Transparent communication throughout the project ensures all stakeholders are aligned, helping to identify issues early and keep projects moving forward.
  3. Thorough Activation Planning: Activation and transition phases require careful early planning to ensure that capital assets are deployed smoothly and systems are integrated without disruptions.
  4. Agile Leadership and Decision-Making: Leaders must act decisively in the face of challenges like inflation and supply chain disruptions. Delayed decisions can lead to increased costs and prolonged timelines.
  5. Future-Proofing Facilities: Taking a long-term view ensures that today’s investments help healthcare facilities remain flexible and adaptable, avoiding larger operational challenges in the future.

By focusing on these key areas, healthcare organizations can better navigate the financial and operational challenges of construction projects and ensure their facilities are prepared for future demands.

Budget Checklist

Project Costs:

  • Temporary signage
  • Enabling costs – Construction, FF&E, and moves
  • Supplemental staffing
  • Temporary walkways
  • Temporary work for patient experience
  • Roadway management
  • New ideas
  • User changes
  • Interest on debt / Financing costs
  • Development resources
  • Marketing and Communication resources
  • Room re-numbering

Activation & Transition:

  • Design tools to manage the activation and transition work
  • Consultant costs
  • Internal staffing resources
  • 3rd party warehouse and associated logistics labor costs
  • Website creation
  • Creation of educational materials
  • Educational training
  • Technology staffing to support project technology build
  • Simulation / Day in the Life activities
  • Internal staffing to cover staff involved in activities
  • Early hires
  • Initial load-in of departmental supplies (EVS / Facilities /
  • Supply chain stocking
  • All misc supplies
  • Nutrition – Trays/cutlery
  • Surgery – Instrumentation
  • Wayfinding and signage updates (site and interior)

Operational Costs (one-time versus ongoing):

  • Temporary utilities
  • Utilities turnover
  • Security ahead of go-live
  • EVS Services ahead of go-live
  • Facilities services – Commissioning and ahead of go-live
  • Terminal cleans
  • Decommissioning (clear out, clean up, secure)
  • Technology staffing to support ongoing technology implemented in the project
  • Ongoing staff resourcing to support initiatives developed in the project (marketing and communications)
  • Translating new project initiatives back to legacy facilities

The Birth of FitUp

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A Journey from Consultancy to Innovation

In the fast-paced world of healthcare project management, efficiency and real-time updates are paramount. This need for streamlined processes and enhanced communication led to the creation of FitUp, a revolutionary project management software. However, the story of FitUp is not just about the software itself; it’s about a journey of innovation, customer enthusiasm, and a vision to transform an industry.

The Origin: HTS and the Vision

FitUp’s story begins with HTS, a renowned healthcare consulting company. For years, HTS provided expert guidance and solutions to healthcare organizations, helping them map out and execute the initial outfitting and activation of complex projects with precision. However, as the industry’s demands grew, so did the need for a more agile and efficient tool to manage these projects.

Recognizing this need, HTS set out to develop a software solution that would not only enhance their consulting services but also empower their clients to manage projects more effectively. This vision led to the birth of FitUp, a software designed to track and coordinate the delivery and installation of medical equipment, furniture, and IT products that facilitate the smooth operation of a hospital.

A Turning Point: Envision Planning’s Enthusiasm

In 2020, FitUp found its first major advocate in Envision Planning, a prominent player in the healthcare industry. Envision Planning was so impressed with FitUp’s capabilities that they wanted to use it for every project. Their enthusiasm was not just a testament to the software’s effectiveness but also a pivotal moment that highlighted the potential of FitUp to transform activation management on a larger scale.

The positive feedback and strong demand from Envision Planning served as a catalyst for HTS to rethink its approach. They realized that FitUp had the potential to be more than just a tool for consultants; it could be a standalone product that organizations could use independently to achieve their project management goals.

The Shift: Developing the Self-Service Model

Motivated by the success with Envision Planning and the growing interest from other clients, HTS decided to spin off FitUp in 2022. This strategic move allowed the company, now called FreightTrain, to focus exclusively on developing a self-service model for FitUp, making it accessible to a broader range of organizations.

The self-service model transformed FitUp into a user-friendly platform that clients could implement and manage on their own. This shift not only expanded FitUp’s reach but also allowed FreightTrain to provide more comprehensive support and continuous improvements to the software.

FitUp Today: Empowering Healthcare Project Management

Today, FitUp stands as a testament to FreightTrain’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. By offering real-time project status updates, enhanced communication, and tailored project activation features, FitUp has become an indispensable tool for healthcare organizations to leverage technology to bring scale, simplify their operations and achieve greater efficiency for their staff and consultants.

The journey of FitUp from a consultancy-driven tool to a self-service software solution is a remarkable example of how customer feedback and industry needs can drive innovation. As FitUp continues to evolve, it remains dedicated to empowering healthcare organizations with the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing landscape.

Conclusion

The story of FitUp is one of vision, adaptation, and relentless pursuit of excellence. From its origins at HTS to its transformation into a standalone product, FitUp has consistently aimed to meet the needs of healthcare activation management. As the software continues to grow and adapt, it promises to remain at the forefront of innovation, helping organizations navigate their projects with confidence and efficiency.

The Importance of Using Activation Software Early in the Construction Project

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As construction projects grow in size and complexity, there is a need for a more efficient and effective process of coordinating the various stakeholders involved. One area that has become increasingly important is the activation process, or preparing a building for use after construction is complete. While many organizations wait until the activation and building fit-up (FF&E) phase to start thinking about this process, using activation software early on in the construction project can save time and money and improve the project’s overall success.

At FreightTrain, we advise customers to begin using FitUp at least 6 months before you start building turnover. This ensures that staff can train on how to use the software and document room readiness. It also allows issues to be fixed and recorded immediately after the General Contractor has completed a walkthrough of the building and better prepares the logistics team. 

Here are three reasons why activation software is essential early in the construction project:

1. Better Collaboration and Coordination

Using activation software from the construction project’s beginning can help improve collaboration and coordination among the various stakeholders involved. By providing a centralized platform for tracking tasks and timelines, activation software can help ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. This can help avoid delays and miscommunication that can lead to costly mistakes later in the project.

“FitUp was able to add value to our project by saving us hours of updating several different documents by combining those documents into one uniform application. Our team utilized the application via our company iPad, making it simple for us to record deliveries in real time. FitUp made it easier to collaborate with other team members as each member had access to a fully updated list at all times. All in all, we were able to record our equipment deliveries on a three story patient tower in a few hours rather than a few days.”

~ Taylor Miller, Assistant Project Engineer at Turner Construction

2. Improved Efficiency

Activation software can also help improve construction process efficiency, which ensures on-time and under-budget project delivery. By providing real-time data on the status of tasks and timelines, stakeholders can make informed decisions and adjustments to the construction plan, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient process. This can help to reduce costs and improve the overall success of the project. 

For example, one of our customers recently had a situation where they were able to use FitUp to identify where crash carts were going to be placed within their department months before the activation phase was scheduled using our Visual Fragnet tools. The customer identified they were going to need additional crash carts, and also place children’s crash carts near the adult crash carts in order to meet the requirements for a specific department. If they had not started using FitUp early in the project, they might not have recognized the need for the additional carts and they couldn’t have run the reports that allowed them to identify the issue, order additional carts, and have everything stocked and in place for opening day. 

3. Cost Savings

Finally, using activation software early in the construction project can help to save costs in the long run. By identifying and addressing potential issues before the activation and building fit-up (FF&E) phase, stakeholders can avoid costly delays and mistakes that can add up over time. This can result in significant cost savings and improved return on investment for the project.

“I have been using FitUp at different institutions across the US since its early development. While I find much of the functionality essential to my transition strategy work and assisting differing stakeholders on a project, one of the key points that is essential to effectiveness is early utilization. Early uptake of the product provides several benefits with one of the most effective being user adoption. On my projects, I often have new players joining the team, and it is such a benefit to have all parties integrated into this quality product right off the bat. Using the tool for logistics, maps, equipment tracking/documenting, and room readiness before it becomes crunch time is extremely helpful in preparing for the final sprint and long-term management of the facility as well as assets within it. I am a big proponent of this software and recommend purchasing early in a project’s lifespan to truly reap all the benefits.”

~Elizabeth Callahan, Owner, Callahan Partners, Inc.

Conclusion

In summary, using activation software early in the construction project is essential for better collaboration and coordination, improved efficiency, and cost savings. By adopting a more proactive approach to the activation process, stakeholders can ensure that the building is ready for use as soon as construction is complete, reducing downtime and increasing productivity.

FreightTrain’s FitUp is a powerful and intuitive activation software platform that is designed to help organizations streamline the activation process and improve the success of their construction projects. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions and how we can help you achieve your goals. 

5 Steps to Turn Your Construction Project Data into Action

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Image has the words "Project Data into Action" and shows hands from different project team members working on a project plan document

Hospital construction projects create A LOT of data, and more than 90% of that data in the engineering and construction industry goes unused. Data-driven companies are more productive, more agile and more profitable – making it crucial for construction leaders to find ways to convert their data into actionable insights.

Turning data into action means spending less time searching for the data you need and organizing it so you can make better decisions, faster. In order to leverage the benefits of data-driven decision making, you need to invest some time putting together a process plan that will turn your project data into action. 

In this post, we’re going to walk you through the 5 steps we use at FreightTrain for turning project data into action for our customers and are built into the core of our software solutions.

Our 5 Step Process to Turning Your Project Data into Action:

  1. Define the Project Goals
  2. Define the Action(s)
  3. Define who is responsible for taking the action
  4. Identify and Locate the data 
  5. Measure Progress

1. Define the Project Goals

Before you do anything with data, the first step to turning project data into action is to define your desired goals or outcomes. These goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, time-bound, and realistic). 

Here are some examples of common goals you probably have for your construction project: 

  • Close all outstanding project issues before ribbon-cutting ceremony
  • Comply with local building inspection requirements 
  • Make sure each room has the correct equipment installed 

2. Define the Action Needed, And 3. Who is Responsible for Taking Action

It’s easier to combine steps 2 and 3 to determine who is responsible for taking what action.  

  • The Project Manager needs to solve project issues, often by collaborating with contractors and consultants;  
  • The Compliance Officer needs to verify all required inspections are completed and approved; 
  • The Logistics Manager needs to request products from the warehouse; 

Each of these examples has an Action highlighted and a person responsible for taking each action. 

FitUp makes project issues data actionable across a team with tools for assigning issues to specific contractors, and a view all of related issue data in one place.

The Project Manager example highlights how multiple people and companies are involved in hospital construction projects. The complexity of a healthcare project means it is important to establish a collaborative environment. Make sure to include external people who may need to have access to the data in order for you to take action, like solving a vendor-related problem holding up the project. 

4. Identify and Locate the Data

Identifying the data simply means figuring out what information the teams identified above needs in order to take the desired action. Continuing with our examples from above:

FreightTrain’s software provides a visual map overlay of room readiness so the logistic manager can quickly see what rooms to prioritize.
  • The project manager needs to know what the details of the issues are, including viewing any photos of the images or related vendor documents before they can solve an issue. The project manager may also need to be able to share this information with a vendor to help solve the issue on their end. This project manager needs to know who is involved in an issue that should be informed to solve the issue. Since the project manager is probably managing multiple issues, they need all this information readily accessible for each issue before they are able to take action. 
  • A compliance officer requires information on the inspectors, the inspections they did, and details related to the building construction, floor plans, etc. to verify compliance with local regulations. They will also need a way to track each inspector on the project and the results of their inspection reports. 
  • A logistics manager will need to be able to match deliveries and equipment to the designated installation point so they can direct contractors to deliver and install the equipment in the right room. They’ll need to be able to track the status of all products until they are installed in the correct location. They have to create and print labels to use on incoming deliveries to track item from point of delivery to installation.   

Depending on the tools you use to capture project data, this step can take a few iterations until you figure out exactly what data you need and where that data is located. If you’re using spreadsheets and multiple systems that don’t integrate, it is challenging to manage version control of the documents and locate the data you need. If you’re using a digital solution like FitUp or QCView, then all of this is managed in one place for your project.

5. Measure Progress

Measuring progress ensures important issues are highlighted and resolved.

The final step includes creating the reports that visualize information for reporting, usually in the form of a dashboard. It’s important when you build your dashboards and reports that you don’t clutter up the space with a bunch of bar graphs and charts that don’t provide any relevant information to the stakeholder. 

When possible, you want to create a custom dashboard or report for each stakeholder to focus on just the information they need to take the action quickly. The project manager, compliance officer, and logistics manager all require different data to make appropriate decisions. 

  • The project manager needs a report with information measuring KPIs such as total number of issues, issue status, issue by category, issue by vendor, and issue resolution average times. 
  • The compliance officer dashboard should show KPIs such as which rooms require inspections, completed inspections, inspections pending, inspection scores, plus any specific notes from inspections that failed. 
  • The logistics manager is going to need KPIs that show all deliveries, where each shipment is stored and where it needs to be delivered onsite, track which items have been moved onsite, where expected deliveries should be taken for storage and then installation, etc. 
FitUp allows customers to setup custom dashboard so each person can quickly get to the relevant data to their role.

Conclusion

Following these 5 steps will help you create a project plan to transforms your data into actionable insights so your construction projects go more smoothly and with fewer unexpected costs. 

At FreightTrain, we build digital solutions to make data-driven project management simple! 

If you’re interested in learning how FreightTrain’s software solutions streamline and automate this process for our customers, contact us today!

 3 Ways Spreadsheets are Costing Your Construction Projects Time and Money

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Before coming to FreightTrain for help, our customers were using excel spreadsheets to manage equipment logistics during the activation of their hospital construction projects. Your business is probably no different – relying on multiple spreadsheets and spreadsheet templates to manage this critical component of your healthcare construction projects. 

Spreadsheets have their place in business, but that place is not in activating a building.

Here are 3 ways spreadsheets are creating waste for your construction project – 

1) Wasted Time 

How much time is each person involved in the activation of your construction projects spending inside spreadsheets? 

You might be surprised by how high that number is for some of the people on your team. We often hear people are spending upwards of 50% of their time at work just trying to find the right spreadsheet, update it, send out the updated version to everyone involved, pull data from one to another, etc. 

For example, several of our customers have told us they spent several hours each week compiling data from multiple spreadsheets to have a report they could give to the hospital leadership team. If you have two full-time project managers spending 8 hours a week each on generating reports from spreadsheets – that’s costing your business more than $1,000 every week, to create a report. 

Close to 75% of contractors reported longer than expected project delays in 2022.

AGC 2022 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Report

When your team’s time isn’t being used effectively, this is also a direct cause of project delays – adding further costs to your business. 

FreightTrain’s FitUp automates reporting and delivers the latest reports in real-time. This means leadership always gets the most up-to-date status on the project, and project teams aren’t wasting up to a full workday double-handling project data to create reports. This ensures our customers’ projects launch on time. 

2) Inaccurate Data

For large projects like a hospital facility, there are typically many spreadsheets and multiple teams of people who are transferring data across spreadsheets throughout the project. This leads to spreadsheets that are riddled with outdated and inaccurate information. 

One recent report showed that over 86% of spreadsheets contain errors – and that a single error can cause up to 10% of that construction project’s value to be destroyed. 

With our industry’s tight financial constraints, can any business afford to risk 10% of their next project’s value over a single spreadsheet error?

FitUp’s Visual Reports Provide Real-Time Status Updates

FitUp provides tools to verify data as it is entered into the database while dramatically reducing the errors caused when people are manually copying and pasting data from one spreadsheet to another. With more accurate data, our customers have fewer issues during their projects and can respond faster to issues as they arise. 

3) Inhibits Collaboration

The activation of a hospital project involves numerous groups from multiple companies that all need to access and share information throughout the project. The inherent limitations of collaborating with spreadsheets often lead to frustration and difficulties across project teams when trying to track and report on key project KPIs over a construction project. 

Creating and tracking a single issue that impacts multiple teams, such as having a piece of equipment ordered, delivered to the warehouse, sent onsite for installation, and then inspected, can rely on 10 or more spreadsheets that reside in different locations and are managed by different people. The typical hospital construction project will log and track over 5,000 issues – this isn’t feasible to manage in spreadsheets.

FitUp makes it easy for everyone involved to collaborate and maintain a single source of truth. Issues can be assigned to contractors within FitUp and tracked from the moment they were reported through resolution. Our platform streamlines project communications that used to be managed across multiple emails with multiple spreadsheet versions to track. 

Consider eliminating spreadsheets from your project activation workflows as a new year’s resolution. Schedule a demo of FitUp today!

How FitUp Helps Mitigate the Labor Shortage in Hospital Construction

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The Associated General Contractors Construction Association recently released a startling report that highlighted how severe labor shortages have become across the construction industry. 

“91 Percent of Construction Firms Report Having a Hard Time Finding Workers to Hire, Driving Up Costs and Project Delays.”

AGC 2022 Workforce Survey

Of the nearly 1300 construction firms surveyed: 

  • 93% report they have open positions they are trying to fill
  • 91% are having a hard time finding workers
  • 77% have difficult hiring, including finding skilled workers 

These results were cited across all sectors of construction regardless of organization size or industry. A severe labor shortage of this nature is not going to be rectified quickly, creating serious problems for hospital construction projects that lead to higher costs and delays in project completion. These costs are also leading to cancelled projects. 

The solution to this labor shortage won’t be fast or come from one place – and digital technology is one of the ways construction projects can mitigate the challenges from the labor shortage in the short term as well as provide long term benefits. Technology allows companies to do more with the same number of people, helping them increase their revenue and improve profitability.

FreightTrain Can Help!

“87% of construction firms agree that their employees need to possess digital technology skills.”

AGC 2022 Workforce Survey

FreightTrain customers are leveraging our SaaS platform, FitUp, to reduce the number of man-hours required on a project to get more done with fewer people. Before FitUp, our customers were using multiple spreadsheets to track medical equipment, IT, and Furniture. 

FitUp makes it easy and fast to update project information via a laptop or tablet. This eliminates the back-and-forth, emails, phone calls, and meetings to discuss progress. FitUp allows the project team to collaborate using one source of truth.

FitUp enables project teams to create issues for buildings, rooms, products, etc. in a couple of minutes (versus the 10+ minutes to do it manually), and then automatically assigns and notifies the responsible party when there is an issue assigned to them. Most projects will have thousands of issues they need to track – meaning FitUp is saving our customers hundreds of man-hours on every project!

This means you can report, track and solve issues faster and with fewer people involved. Anyone onsite can create a ticket for the issue, attach a picture and link other relevant documents – all without having to go back to their office, download the images to their computer, and manually add additional room and project contract information. 

FitUp drives efficiency in individual workflows, and the benefits increase as the software is used cohesively thorough out the project. Contact us for more information or to schedule a demo.

FreightTrain Announces New Integration Partnership with 4Tower Capital Management System

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FreightTrain and 4Tower logos with skyscrapers in the background

We’re excited to announce that FitUp, FreightTrain’s SaaS-based solution for coordinating medical equipment, furniture, and IT devices during building activation, is now integrated with 4Tower’s SpecAdvisor capital equipment planning system.  

The combination of SpecAdvisor and FitUp provides clients with an end-to-end solution for planning and deploying capital equipment for new construction and renovation projects. 

With 4Tower’s SpecAdvisor, Medical Equipment Planning Software users can:

  • Strategically plan and budget for new equipment
  • Build medical equipment projects of any scale using the system’s comprehensive product database
  • Quickly filter and access data, save views, make changes, and generate custom reports
  • Procure equipment and manage assets

 With FitUp, users can:

  • Coordinate and track medical equipment, furniture, and IT devices during building activation
  • Keep project stakeholders up to date with visual dashboards and auto-generated reports
  • Visualize project status with FitUp’s Visual Fragnet maps
  • Simplify issue management

The pace of healthcare construction amid a nationwide labor shortage puts pressure on owners and their consulting partners to staff projects. The SpecAdvisor/FitUp solution will improve the efficiency of the equipment planning and logistics teams, enabling our customers to get more work done without adding to your teams. 

Learn more about how SpecAdvisor helps you Manage Capital Planning.

Learn more about how FitUp helps you manage your FF&E and Activation Projects.