Technology Spotlight: An Interview with ProjectMark

As part of Beaumont Bailey’s mission to connect founders, innovators and key players that make up the fabric of our industry, our latest Technology Spotlight series highlights the successes of our incredible members and wider network. In this instalment, we speak with Tom Deane, Co-Founder of ProjectMark.

Tell me a little bit about ProjectMark and your role there…

We are ProjectMark, a CRM specifically designed for the construction industry. Our platform empowers teams to boost productivity, make informed decisions based on historical data, and ultimately increase their win rates. We help them target the right opportunities, streamline their RFP processes, and optimise their pursuit strategies.

Our collective love for the Construction Industry is what brought ProjectMark into existence.

As for the Founding team, I spent a decade in the industry, starting in quantity surveying. My passion was always in pre-construction, and I’ve been lucky enough to work on some major projects across the US. I also developed a keen passion for the business development side of construction and loved being involved in the pursuit process, from brainstorming what goes in the RFP with our marketing team to being involved in the project interview and communicating why we were the most suited team for the project. Our COO, Noel, spent a decade as a construction manager. He previously worked for AECOM and AECOM Tishman on various mega projects across the Irish, UK, and US markets. Throughout his career, he has held pivotal roles in the procurement of several billion dollars’ worth of construction contracts. This experience has provided first-hand insights into how construction companies perform their business development operations. We connected early on in our careers and decided to join forces. Finally, our CTO, Anthony, spent his childhood working with his dad’s construction company and developed a keen interest in software. He accumulated 12 years of software engineering experience with some top startups, most recently Bitgo (a fast-paced Digital Asset Platform), before joining ProjectMark. His knowledge of the Construction space, combined with his technical expertise, makes him the perfect third founding member.

We noticed that despite the emergence of construction technology like PlanGrid and BuildingConnected, there was a technology gap to support all things winning work. While these solutions optimised many workflows, business development and marketing were not prioritised. That’s where Projectmark comes in. We saw a huge opportunity to build a modern, lightweight solution that truly optimises business development and marketing workflows for construction companies. We wanted to offer something that was easy to use, affordable, and tailored specifically for the needs of our industry. And that’s how Projectmark was born.

Looking at little closer at the technology, what problem does ProjectMark solve?

Our clients today are primarily general and specialty contractors, specialising in commercial construction, along with engineering firms as well. The pain points that we’re solving for them fundamentally start with data centralisation. Oftentimes, companies have data stored in their own silos, managing information on Excel, or their data is outdated in their CRM due to poor adoption resulting from bad implementations. So, first and foremost, we help companies make it really easy to centralise their data related to project opportunities and contacts and relationships. We enable them to leverage their historical data sets to win more work by providing a simple and efficient way to centralise their data.

In the construction industry, Business Development and Marketing are pivotal workflows, yet they are significantly underserved by current technology offerings. The choices often boil down to one outdated legacy system or costly, generic solutions that require extensive customisation. Even with these options, there’s no guarantee of user adoption.

Things have to change. We need a system that is easy to use, that empowers collaboration, drives real efficiency, and makes it easy for us to make smart decisions. This is where ProjectMark comes in to solve this issue.

How does your technology disrupt the construction industry?

As mentioned, our technology disrupts the construction industry by offering a unique approach to data management and project-centric workflow that traditional CRMs can’t match. While Excel has long been the go-to tool for construction companies due to its robustness and flexibility, it comes with its own set of challenges. As a founding team with a combined 20 years in the construction industry, we understand the love-hate relationship with Excel. It’s not broken (with 1.5 billion users), but there are certainly better ways to do specific things. Excel, by itself, can monitor opportunities, record contacts, track tasks, and even prepare proposals. However, these activities in silos lead to missed opportunities for growth.

Construction is unique; every project is distinct, and companies vary greatly in structure and processes. Excel accommodates this uniqueness well, but its dynamism can also be challenging. For instance, data scattered across spreadsheets makes finding critical information feel like searching for Atlantis. And building proposals without centralised, accurate data is a recipe for errors, leading to missed opportunities, inaccuracies, and inefficiencies.

What sets us apart from traditional CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot is our project-centric approach. In typical CRMs, when a project is won, it becomes archived. However, for us, a project is just beginning when the deal is closed. We build our platform around deal flow and project management, setting up infrastructure from a project-based perspective rather than the classic CRM approach.

Our CRM isn’t just software; it fuels productivity, strengthens accountability, and transforms your construction company into a well-oiled machine. It’s an all-in-one digital toolkit, providing additional project-winning tools as part of the platform.

And unlike generic CRMs, ProjectMark is designed specifically for construction companies. We understand the unique language, workflows, and challenges of the industry, offering a fast, flexible, and intuitive solution.

How have you seen this industry change over the years and where do you predict it is heading?

Over the years, I’ve witnessed significant changes in the preconstruction, business development (BD), and marketing aspects of the industry. When it comes to technology, there are exciting opportunities emerging, particularly with AI. We’re currently developing our own AI solution aimed at optimising data management, providing real-time support, and enhancing RFP creation processes.

In terms of trends, the labour shortage is becoming a major concern that will continue to affect the industry over the next few years. To address this, we’re seeing advancements in robotics and other technologies that automate tasks and improve efficiency.

In preconstruction, there’s a growing emphasis on project planning, which is crucial considering that most project issues arise in the initial stages. There are some fantastic technologies emerging in this space, facilitating a more collaborative and integrated approach among project stakeholders compared to the traditional design-bid-build approach.

Looking ahead, I predict that the industry will further embrace technology to streamline processes and address challenges. We’re launching new applications and expanding our services to meet these evolving needs. Our focus is on leveraging AI to optimise data management, support real-time decision-making, and enhance the RFP creation process. Additionally, we’re investing in technologies that improve collaboration among project stakeholders and automate tasks to mitigate the impact of the labour shortage. Overall, I foresee a shift towards more integrated and collaborative approaches in preconstruction and project planning.

What do you find the most challenging about the talent market right now specific to your industry?

Talent acquisition is undeniably one of the biggest challenges for every company, as it directly impacts our success and the culture we cultivate. To tackle this challenge effectively, we’ve learned the importance of running a structured hiring process and maintaining strict discipline. It’s crucial to ensure that the individuals we’re looking to hire align with our company values.

Early on, we implemented a set of company values that serve as a benchmark during the interview process. This helps us measure candidates against our core principles and ensures they’re a good fit for the role and our culture.

Accessing top talent is always challenging. This is where recruitment consultants like yourselves come in. We’ve realised the value of working with third-party consultants who can support our hiring efforts. It’s far more effective than solely relying on job postings on platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, which can quickly become overwhelming and inefficient.

If you would like to discuss any of the topics raised in this piece or if you need support with your leadership resourcing strategy, please get in touch with Emma Callahan on: emma.callahan@beaumontbailey.com.