Bruce Orr, ProNovos (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 557)
Bruce Orr, Founder and CEO of ProNovos, joined host John Ray in-studio to discuss his company’s difference making data analytics software for construction contractors. Bruce discussed how and why he formed the company, the problems construction companies have which ProNovos solves, why he partners with CPA firms to deliver their services, and much more.
North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
ProNovos
Bruce Orr founded Atlanta-based ProNovos in 2012 after hearing a construction CFO recount her frustration at running 40 different siloed applications, with missed opportunities for higher-order analysis.
Having filled data analytics roles at Citibank, AT&T, P&G, Kronos, and WiPro Technologies, Orr knew there was a better way.
The construction intelligence cloud he created now empowers contractors nationwide to rely on real-time information rather than guesstimates. In the field, they use ProNovos to record and share photos, drawings, submittals, daily reports, RFIs, crew and equipment resources, and more. Back at the office, they gain insights by pulling data into the platform from a wide array of project and financial apps.
Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
Bruce Orr, CEO and Chief Data Scientist, ProNovos
Bruce Orr is the founder and Chief Data Scientist of ProNovos Construction Analytics. Following his passion for data, problem-solving, and construction, he launched the Atlanta-based tech startup with the sole mission of helping contractors embrace Business Intelligence best practices.
Orr had previously filled analytics-related positions such as Chief Data Architect for Citibank’s Singapore operations; Principal Information Architect/Senior Consultant for Wipro Technologies; Analytics Architect for the software giant Kronos; and Data Warehouse Manager for Procter & Gamble Co. Orr has contributed to industry research by Dodge Data & Analytics and periodically speaks about the subject for CFMA and other organizations. He has authored analytics-related columns for the likes of Construction Business Owner, Retrofit Magazine and AEC-Business.com.
Orr continues to seek constant improvement and is on the leading edge of academic research into construction data analytics, having signed a research partnership agreement with Colorado State University in 2019. Orr is a member of CFMA, the Data Warehouse Institute, the American Subcontractors Association and the Associated General Contractors of America. Orr is deeply involved in ongoing efforts to improve construction industry performance and resilience through greater Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
He is the current Chair of CFMA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and previously served on the organization’s D&I Task Force, launched in 2020. In recognition of this work, Orr was awarded a 2020-21 CFMA Chairman’s Challenge Coin.
Questions and Topics in the Interview:
- Why build a data analytics startup in construction?
- What were/are your biggest hurdles in the process?
- How are you navigating the issues with recruiting and retaining good people?
- Tell us about your strategy for partnering with CPA firms. Why did you decide to do that?
North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.
