Ensuring the Female Perspective in Product Development

Construction is just plain cool. There's science, there's math, there's dirt. There are big heavy machines with big heavy tires and sometimes things that explode. My passion is solving hard problems, and construction is full of very hard problems. The constraint on resources is unreal, and we still need to build.

Working on construction industry problems with HCSS has been the adventure of a lifetime. I work with an amazing team of design and development professionals who put their craft into delivering great software solutions that work for all of our users. My service to women in construction during product development at HCSS has been to recognize when they are the glue holding an office, estimating department, or entire company together while their voice is left out of product design.

To combat this, I've made it a point to increase diversity in product feedback sessions by making sure the women who are affected by new software have had a chance to speak before anyone can say the conversation is over.

This can be a delicate game to play. I have seen the same story play out multiple times — these women are sometimes invited to the meetings I'm in and sometimes they're not. We still have work to do. I am still in way too many meetings with customers (construction industry) and in the office (software industry) where I'm the only woman in the room. Even when they're there, they sit quietly at the back corner of the conference table watching everyone else decide which work is fine for them to do or too much for them to handle.

Most of the time, just creating space for them to speak up in the conversation is enough to help everyone see that their contribution is necessary in order to get our solution "right." Sometimes, though, it's better to meet separately and really give them a chance to explain their process and give them a chance to decide how they would like the process to change. I hope I'm helping women in construction by at least trying to ask for what they need.

And to really understand a client's needs, you just have to be nosy! You know how sometimes when you're talking a problem out with someone, you have that “aha!” moment where you suddenly understand a little bit more about your problem? Maybe that person was just listening really well. Or, maybe they asked a few really good questions that helped things connect in your brain. My job is to try to make those moments happen over and over again with enough people that we can find a pattern to the problem and turn it into a software solution.

About the Author: Amanda Ayles is the Product Manager for HCSS HeavyBid, a leading estimating software solution for the construction industry. She works with clients to understand their business problems in estimating and provides that information to development teams to create solutions. In 2022, Amanda was recognized by her colleagues with the Pathfinder award, "Someone who finds answers for those in need, offering a vision forward and bringing clarity to new and difficult situations."