Build vs. Buy: What Big Construction Companies Aren’t Telling You About Software Development | Samantha Erlich & Kersti Nurka of EllisDon

The ConTechCrew

EPISODE 430: Are you looking to design a software solution that perfectly fits your construction business needs?

In this week’s episode, we dive into how EllisDon, a Canadian-based construction leader, has quietly developed its own digital tools to streamline operations and maximize efficiency.

To give us an in-depth look at how EllisDon does it, we’re joined today by Samantha Erlich, Director of Product, and Kersti Nurka, UX Manager, who both represent the software development arm of EllisDon Corporation.

Today, they share their journey of developing in-house technology, from the early days of accounting software to today’s sophisticated project management tool, Gate Three.

Samantha and Kersti explain how they balance design, development, and user feedback to create intuitive and effective solutions.

We also explore EllisDon’s expansion into offering digital services to other construction companies, plus their plans to revolutionize the industry.

Let’s jump right into it!

Key Takeaways:

Introduction (00:00)

Meet Samantha Erlich and Kersti Nurka of EllisDon (01:57)

How EllisDon started investing in tech solutions (05:51)

The crucial role of an in-house UX developer (10:37)

EllisDon’s software development process (15:26)

The Design Sprints concept explained (21:28)

Upskilling tech developers to understand construction (24:02)

Skillsets required to build a fully integrated construction tool (26:25)

How QAs are done for construction software (29:54)

Justifying EllisDon’s big investment in tech development (34:06)

The future of the power of data (39:31)

Episode wrap-up (45:18)

Additional Resources:

Listen to the show at: https://thecontechcrew.com

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecontechcrew

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Follow Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-erlich-229b5954/

Follow Kersti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kersti-nurka-008021b0/

Visit EllisDon for more information: https://www.ellisdon.com/

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The ConTech Crew is a construction news podcast dedicated to keeping you up to date with all the latest in construction technology.

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