Episode 23 – Padraig Neylon
Turning From QS To Construction Tech CEO – AddJust
What is +AddJust?
After 15 years working as a qualified Quantity Surveyor, Padraig Neylon had grown tired (and grey!) of the administrative inefficiencies in Construction contracts. Padraig built a team that is creating the best, most modern, digital solutions that will ‘+AddJust‘ the way the construction industry manages contracts. and your project’s finances. Padraig talks to Ciaran about the problem he spotted and how he transitioned from QS to tech founder & CEO.
Podcast Highlights
Is cost the fulcrum of a construction project?
Padraig:
For me, I suppose, I know architects would say that the fulcrum of the building industry is the design and whatever else, but ultimately no projects ever go ahead unless the money is raised, it makes sense to everyone right away through the life cycle of a project. QSs at the heart of that. I think, just it’s interesting to see how a project ebbs and flows through its life cycle too, in terms of initial budget costs, trying to manage expectations. Really, I suppose, it’s an interesting one. It’s not, I suppose, the sexiest occupation out there, but it’s –
Ciaran:
An important one. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
Is Excel still fit for purpose for construction companies?
Padraig:
Well, I suppose a lot of technology that we’re creating is email, Excel, all of these things, they’re not … We keep saying what Addjust develops is contract management systems. Excel or email are not contract management tools. They’re used, they’re wedged in to help, but they’re not actually-
Ciaran:
Yes, it’s an interesting point. Yeah. It’s plastered across the front page of our website, Excel is not a construction cost management tool. Yeah, I fully agree with you there. Yeah. Yeah.
Padraig:
Excel is a great, I mean, it’s an unbelievable product, but it doesn’t do what is needed now in the industry, in this fast moving industry. Like you have there as well, it’s people want that instantaneous thing from their mobile phone, you’re not going to go in and out of Excel sheets on that. They want to be able to record … And of course, you know this yourselves as well, the paperwork is building, and building, and building and building. And so it’s really a management of all that kind of stuff.
Ciaran:
And people want the information now, that’s what we always find as well, it’s a big part of it. Contacting your client, contacting your architect, contacting the QOS and ask them to import information, send it across to you, like it doesn’t need to be that complicated anymore. If everyone’s collaborating, as you say, if we’re all collaborating in the one area, we’re all up-to-date with what we need to be doing. But then we’ve got a live feed today that we can make decisions and move forward.
