Constructive Conversations #10: Steve Zahm of ICBA BC’s Procore Technologies

Chief Culture Officer and President of Procore Technologies Steve Zahm has worked in the construction field for 17 years, and he is still excited with how much growth potential there is within the industry. In fact, having a front-row seat to its growth has been one reason why he has continued to work for the leading construction software company.

The goal at Procore is one he takes seriously: “to connect everyone in construction on a global platform.” The goal of the company and therefore Zahm is to “improve the lives of everyone in construction” and to “make it more efficient at a higher level of quality with less rework.”

Zahm believes that the Procore software is very capable of doing this, and the more construction companies pick it up the more data they and Procore can analyze, which in turn leads to new information. For instance, one interesting factoid Zahm shared is that the app-based software stores information as users continue to contribute to it. So while its primary use on a construction site is to help the various contractors and workers and specialties collaborate, it has broader applications to the construction industry as a whole.

He explained that one thing they have noticed is how “data-intensive” construction is. This large amount of data allows Procore to identify future trends and benchmarks by studying patterns. So what this means to one individual contractor or worker is they can look at how long a project took, or how much it cost, and get a better idea of what to expect on similar projects. In the end, software users learn  “how they can work better, how they can work with a higher level of quality, and more importantly, how they can work more safely.”

In order to continue to collect data, one thing Procore has always focused on is simplicity. The app is very user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for anyone with a smartphone to figure out and utilize. They believe this approach is what makes it so appealing to collaborators in the construction world who come from many different backgrounds.

Zahm is proud of Procore for the way “we treat our employees” and the “great strides they are making in terms of driving diversity, inclusion, and belonging.” He went on to note that he is “tremendously proud of how the entire construction industry has been working hard on building diversity.”