Underground Construction Co., Inc. was founded in 1936 and has become one of the most seasoned and highly respected contractors in the western United States. They offer a wide range of construction solutions, such as installation of electrical and gas transmission and distribution utilities, construction in industrial plants, refineries, as well as building infrastructure for airports, including fuel storage, pumping, and filtration systems.
Thiel Harryman is the Vice President of Business Administration at Underground Construction. He believes that part of Underground's uniqueness relies on its people empowering other people to navigate the opportunities in the industry. Even more than just seeking profit, hiring and commissioning talented people is paramount to success, and that means giving them every opportunity to learn, and caring for each other along the way.
“Yes, we're a construction company,” says Thiel. “We provide solutions that enable our employees to solve challenges and obstacles to help our clients. To do this, we are laser-focused on getting our employees home safely every day, and getting them the tools they need to do the job - whether it's as cliche as a hammer or a shovel, or some piece of software or data, or anything there in between.”
We Are All the Field
In creating measurable progress that can lead to daily wins, Underground Construction doesn’t just focus on completing the physical task in front of them - they also evaluate how the field is doing, and how the business can better support them. Thiel explains that their teams must know the mission and be entrusted to do what they can. “It's all about the front line,” says Thiel. “If you're not in the field, you're working for the field. And that's the big opportunity we have every day to make sure the men and women on the front line have the tools and resources they need to get the job done safely.”
They expect a lot from each team, so they are dedicated to providing all the support needed, beginning with HCSS. Underground Construction uses HCSS not just as individual products but as an interconnected platform. With an HCSS unlimited user license (UUP), technology access is accessible to everyone, providing better communication and operational efficiency.
"It's about making their jobs easier, keeping them safe, and ensuring they go home to their families every day," says Anthony Stearns, Underground Construction IT and HCSS Champion. Anthony explains that even if some workers show resistance – by including them in the learning process and providing clarity on how their jobs benefit from the change – they all embrace HeavyJob so wholeheartedly that they can't imagine returning to paper-based systems. What’s truly exceptional is that Anthony not only supports all field applications for Underground, but is also a seasoned Construction Safety professional himself, one who consistently approaches the field with a safety mindset. This intentional skillset elevates their digital solutions to always consider how it helps and protects their employees.
Similarly, Dustin Carter is an Underground Construction foreman with almost a decade of experience in the field. However, joining Underground a few years ago was the first chance he had to work with digital field technology. Dustin says that having someone physically show him how to use new software, or a new tool, is far more effective than trying to learn it independently. He credits his ability to excel at his job to the support from IT and his superintendent in the field. They are the ones who directly show him new features and share the vision of why this task is important to Underground. Dustin now can quickly access documents and plans in HCSS Plans, and can teach the app to others in the field, including projects shared with other companies.
Opportunities, Not Challenges
As you implement new digital processes and tools that improve efficiencies, you will realize how overwhelming data technology can be. The flow of information not only comes in all at once, it keeps pouring in, which can be challenging for any size organization.
Thiel says that when they find a platform that can help them multiply their efforts, they learn everything they can about the tool, and then approach the challenge as an opportunity to ensure alignment and understanding across the organization. By offering human support in the field to their foremen, they are strengthening the idea that one voice is important, and connecting a human to a human means the team will be better communicators in these potentially hazardous work environments.
“Making sure our teams understand what this tool is, what it can do, and why we’re using it is an opportunity,” says Thiel. “It’s about education about the platform, and how we’re leveraging it to maximize our operations.”
HCSS shines in this department, providing resources for learning and sharing. Videos and articles explain the value of each module in the program, and of course, the award-winning HCSS technical support that is available to customers all day, every day of the year, does so as well. To enhance communication, HCSS is also second to none at helping with reports designed collaboratively, assisting customers based on their critical decision-making needs. Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) also allows companies to create reports that fit specific needs, including paginated reports that can be printed or shared.
Thiel explains that it is not enough just to learn how a tool like HCSS works; it is equally important to examine how it’s used in the organization and ensure that the team understands the importance of their contribution.
The Feedback Loop
Elevating communication between the field and the office is just the beginning step. HCSS has worked closely with Underground Construction to improve how they connect construction companies to their customers. With live data from the field, HCSS empowers the organization to hold better, more informed conversations with their customers and include them in a collaborative way so they can understand customers’ goals to provide solutions together. The field is also finding ways to innovate their processes in the field, improving how they communicate to make the jobs safer.
“It’s leveraging a system and a tool that’ll empower our team to look for the future,” says Thiel. “It’s a journey, and communication is key.” True champions blend technology with human-centric strategies for safety, efficiency, and success.
If regular communication is not prioritized and supplemented with strong data that can support decisions, you could be missing a giant piece of the puzzle, or some team members might not even understand what the company is trying to accomplish. Underground Construction's priority is always to provide its customers with safe and effective solutions so that they can effectively achieve their mission.
This is the key—building communication that supports two-way conversations within the team, partnering with vendors to build tools, and collaborating with clients to create lasting solutions.
Please visit our HCSS Construction Award page to learn more about this annual spotlight on the construction trailblazers who redefine efficiency, safety, and technological advancement.
