OFI CHITO’s Nationwide Expansion Fueled by CoordinateHQ
The Challenge
As a commercial real estate leader, OFI CHITO searched for the best project management software to help scale the company.
After over 20 years working in the commercial real estate sector, founder Leslie Ford knew that finding the right project management tool for the business was pivotal. Rather than trying to integrate a solution once the company was established, OFI CHITO undertook an exhaustive review to find the right software partner that could scale with the company.
Systems Disqualified or Replaced
The Solution
OFI CHITO selected CoordinateHQ after ruling out more complex or limited tools, ultimately boosting project efficiency, expanding nationwide operations, and improving team productivity, client satisfaction, and work-life balance through streamlined processes and enhanced accountability.
A key requirement was to find a plug-and-play tool that made it easy to track deadlines and dates, so the entitlement process could be completed without incurring any unnecessary delays. Industry software, like Deltek, was ruled out because it required extensive customization and long onboarding processes. Other solutions that failed to meet OFI CHITO’s needs included Monday.com, ClickUP, and Basecamp, as they lacked robust features for tracking dates and comments without time intensive buildouts. After more research, the team came across CoordinateHQ and, after trialing the software, determined that it was a great fit.
IMPACT
- Revenue & Project Velocity: Revenues are growing 5x annually, with the company managing more than 250 projects each year, thanks in part to the efficiency gains from the collaboration portal. Team members can now handle 33% more projects.
- Expanded Geographic Remit by over 250%: CoordinateHQ has helped OFI CHITO grow and seamlessly manage clients located anywhere in the United States.
- Accountability: Dates and deadlines are critical to expediting the entitlement process. The tool provides 360-degree visibility and ownership of every action. The transparency also ensures that project scope creep is avoided.
- Work Life Balance: Unlimited PTO is a key employee benefit at Ofi Chito. Now with CoordinateHQ, any team member can quickly see an executive view of every project. This ensures excellent client servicing is maintained while providing staff with a flexible work environment.
- Streamline Processes and Central Hub: With each entitlement project taking up to a year, there are a vast number of documents, information, and communications that are easily located in the portal. The curated views ensure that clients only see the details that matter to them. In addition, as all activity takes place within CoordinateHQ, it eliminates the need to rely on email.
- Client Satisfaction: OFI CHITO embedded the tool into its website, making it easy for clients to find. In addition, the ability to view the project from a cell phone is vital, as clients frequently visit development sites.
"CoordinateHQ has been instrumental in underpinning our meteoric growth. The collaboration portal was pivotal in expanding our remit with a Fortune 500 brand from a stateto a regional provider. The ability to seamlessly manage every date and action has increased our project velocity significantly." -Leslie Ford, Founder & Principal, OFI CHITO
Ofichito.com provides turnkey pre-construction services for commercial developers and real estate firms.
Unlike large construction companies that offer entitlements as an add-on service, the eleven-person OFI CHITO team is focused solely on permitting. The company specializes in land use planning, managing feasibility, approvals, permits, and coordinating with stakeholders. Clients are located throughout the US and range from small development companies to blue-chip corporates.
About
CoordinateHQ helps you make your high-value customers successful.
CoordinateHQ ensures alignment and accountability throughout the customer life cycle.
Other benefits realized:
- Shorter time-to-value as your customers onboard faster
- Less risk from team handoffs and turnover of both your team or theirs
- Never lose track of renewals or expansion opportunities
- Make better decisions with accurate visibility into each customer’s health and status
If you're interested in learning more, you can setup a demo with our team here.
