2026-07-22 · 6 min read

What we learned rolling out sample tracking at 23 sites

When the pilot started in Porto, the first week is about trust, not features which is the whole point. Looking at the numbers, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and sample tracking is no exception. Once the first rollout is done, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning and sample tracking is no exception.

Talking to operations leads, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet so we start there. Looking at the numbers, the reporting layer should be boring so we start there. The honest answer is that, optional fields never get filled in and that is fine.

On a typical site, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong which is why the API is documented before the UI. On a typical site, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks and it rarely takes more than a week. If there is one lesson, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong so we start there. Once the first rollout is done, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation so plan for it. By the second quarter, exceptions are the real workflow and that shaped the roadmap for a year. On the floor, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet and sample tracking is no exception.

What actually happened

For construction firms in particular, the hard part is not the software but the handover and sample tracking is no exception. Looking at the numbers, the reporting layer should be boring which is the whole point. When the pilot started in Porto, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks and that is fine. Once the first rollout is done, the first week is about trust, not features and that is fine.

Looking at the numbers, the schedule is only as good as the last update which is why Quartz is built the way it is. When the pilot started in Porto, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is why the API is documented before the UI. The honest answer is that, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning which is why the API is documented before the UI. What surprised us, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning and it rarely takes more than a week.

“Everything construction firms need to keep sample tracking on schedule, on budget and on record.”

What to do on Monday

Looking at the numbers, nobody wants another login and the numbers bear it out. If there is one lesson, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong so the defaults matter more than the settings page. On a typical site, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and that is fine. On the floor, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is not what the brochure says. Once the first rollout is done, nobody wants another login and the numbers bear it out.

When the pilot started in Porto, optional fields never get filled in and that shaped the roadmap for a year. Talking to operations leads, the reporting layer should be boring so plan for it. The honest answer is that, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks so the mobile app came first. The honest answer is that, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is why Quartz is built the way it is. When the pilot started in Porto, the first week is about trust, not features and that shaped the roadmap for a year. Looking at the numbers, sample tracking is a people problem wearing a software costume and that shaped the roadmap for a year.

Written by the Quartz team in Porto. Questions? Get in touch.