Customer Success Story

Challenge

As Retail Operations Manager at JLL, Swan Anderson oversees all on-site operations, external vendors, and 15-20 capital expenditure (CapEx) projects annually for Union Depot, a 32-acre multi-modal transportation hub in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Before implementing Prism Projects by Building Engines, Anderson’s process for managing sustainability and CapEx projects was entirely manual, relying on multiple spreadsheets. This fragmented approach created significant challenges. Team members couldn’t figure out project status on their own and had to ask Anderson, wasting valuable time. Financial tracking meant repeatedly updating Excel spreadsheets, making it difficult to generate reports for client meetings. 

The manual system also limited vendor coordination and collaboration. Without a centralized platform, tracking progress across multiple service contractors was very inefficient. Anderson needed a solution that would simplify communication, provide real-time visibility into project status, and eliminate the struggles of manual spreadsheets. 

Solution

In early 2024, Anderson began using Prism Projects, which is purpose-built for commercial real estate project management and CapEx planning.  

Anderson found the module transformative: “The team can get an overarching view of where things are at. You can have project files you want to share on there as well. For me, it really helps streamline everything in one platform and the improved communication was key for making this work.” 

The module immediately improved JLL’s operations at Union Depot. A prime example was a complex project to integrate the camera system with the radio ecosystem, requiring coordination among three different service contractors. 

A simpler approach, coupled with clear communication, made the project a success. Anderson noted, “The communication part of it has been key. My whole team has access to Prism so they’re not always coming to me asking where things are at. They’re able to go on there and see exactly where it’s at.” 

One feature that Anderson finds especially valuable is financial tracking: “I love the financials; I love the reporting of it. It’s great if we have a client meeting and we want to run something quick. Before, it was constantly going back, updating an Excel spreadsheet”.  

Overall, Prism’s user-friendly interface has become an essential part of Anderson’s daily routine. The impact of Prism Projects has extended far beyond individual pieces of work. It has significantly improved team communication, enhanced budgeting accuracy for projects, and strengthened collaboration with vendors.