Tom Gutowski, Solutions Engineering Manager, spent years managing construction projects for a large general contractor in the Boston area before joining OpenSpace. As a project manager, he saw firsthand how quickly coordination can become challenging—and how teams can end up spending more time documenting issues than resolving them.

When documentation gets in the way

We recently sat down with Tom to hear how those experiences continue to shape the way he thinks about construction technology today. In this video, he shares one experience that has stayed with him and explains why technology should help teams spend more time solving problems and less time managing documentation.

During construction of a large cast-in-place concrete building, design changes required adjustments to the curtain wall embeds supporting the building’s glass façade. Resolving the issue required the general contractor, owner, design team, and multiple subcontractors to assess the situation together on-site.

With so many stakeholders involved, coordinating the work quickly became a challenge.

“It felt like we were spending more time documenting than actually fixing the problem.”

For Tom, that experience highlighted a common reality on construction projects. As issues become more complex and involve more stakeholders, keeping everyone aligned can become just as demanding as solving the issue itself.

Accountability matters on every jobsite

As a project manager, Tom learned that accountability is what keeps projects moving. Following through on commitments—and making sure everyone has the information they need—helps protect schedules, quality, safety, and budgets.

That responsibility to keep teams aligned is something he carried into his work at OpenSpace, where he’s focused on helping builders spend less time chasing information and more time acting on it.

From project management to OpenSpace

While Tom enjoyed construction project management, he wanted to apply his experience in a different way—helping build technology that makes day-to-day work easier for project teams.

Today, he brings that firsthand experience to his role at OpenSpace, helping ensure the technology reflects the realities of the jobsite. Having experienced those coordination challenges himself, he knows the best tools help teams spend less time managing information and more time solving problems.

Technology designed around project teams

Construction projects will always be complex. The goal isn’t to eliminate that complexity—it’s to give every team a clearer view of what’s happening so they can avoid confusion and respond faster.

That’s why Tom believes the best construction technology doesn’t create more work. It removes friction. Visual Intelligence from OpenSpace gives every stakeholder the same view of what’s happening on-site, making it easier to coordinate, solve problems together, and get back to building.

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