This article was originally published at Voyage Denver on July 2, 2024.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Bemis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?Upon graduating from North Dakota State University in 2007 with a Master’s in Architecture and a Minor in Construction Management, my career journey began at BSA LifeStructures in Indianapolis, IN. Eager to advance, I quickly completed my IDP (Intern Development Program) hours and passed my AREs (Architectural Registration Exams) by 2010, following the traditional architect path. However, in early 2013, I found myself part of the 7th round of layoffs at BSA due to the lingering effects of the 2008 recession. This unexpected turn led me to Denver, CO, marking a significant career move.In early 2013, I joined SlaterPaull Architects, where I began transitioning from a project architect to a project manager. Instead of just solving problems in Revit models, I started tackling bigger, multifaceted issues, whether they were client-related, team-related, or drawing-related. I discovered a love for solving projects of all sizes. In 2014, SlaterPaull merged with Hord Coplan Macht, based in Baltimore, MD.
My career took another interesting turn in 2015 when I was introduced to “Pull Planning” through the Lean Construction Institute. We used this collaborative planning process on a project at CSU. While I enjoyed the early planning, I saw room for improvement, especially to suit the flexible nature of design work. Over the next seven years, I honed my approach to managing project schedules, and this method started gaining traction across multiple studios and offices within HCM. I realized that many firms, both locally and nationally, could benefit from these design phase management processes.
We called what I was doing “pull planning” for simplicity, but it evolved into what I termed ‘action planning.’ This approach involved mapping out a series of actionable items across teams in the most effective sequence. This concept became the foundation for SWAP—Strategic Workflow Action Planning. SWAP Meet referred to the planning sessions, and SWAP Integration became the company offering integrated scheduling services for the design phase of projects.
In 2019, I officially branded SWAP, SWAP Meet, and SWAP Integration, forming my LLC. In 2020, I wrote my first proposal as SWAP Integration for a project in North Dakota and successfully completed it in 2021. The client found tremendous value in my services and wanted me to help on another project. Balancing these initial projects with my full-time role at HCM allowed me to test the concept, and it proved successful.
By February 2022, I decided to go full-time with SWAP Integration. I was constantly searching for a better tool to communicate design phase schedules effectively, and in March 2022, I started collaborating with software developers to make this a reality. By May 2022, we began developing SWAP PM (Project Management), a cloud-based platform for managing tasks, schedules, and project teams.
Since going full-time in 2022, we’ve built strong partnerships with teams in Colorado and across the country. A significant portion of our work comes from repeat clients, and we’re continuously forming new relationships. Our process has proven effective in managing work, holding teams accountable, and clarifying roles and deadlines.
In January 2024, we welcomed our first team member, Christine Sosnowski, a former Design Phase Manager at GE Johnson. Christine’s background in design and construction made her an ideal addition as a Project Manager and Scheduling Expert. In April 2024, Lisa Larance joined us from Mortenson Construction as a Senior Project Manager and Scheduling Expert. Lisa’s experience in preconstruction and facilitation strengthens our team. In May 2024, Emily Cox came on board, bringing her marketing expertise and interest in process improvement, and she is being prepared to become our next Scheduling Expert.
In June 2024, we launched SWAP PM at AIA’24 in Washington, DC. We exhibited, showcased the platform, conducted live demos, and are currently scheduling future demos. Our focus has been on gathering feedback and generating interest in SWAP PM, while also promoting our consulting services.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve been married to my husband, Trey, for 8 years. He has been, and continues to be, the voice of reason and the extra nudge I needed to make the leap to step out and build SWAP Integration. We have two beautiful girls, Tessa (3) and Sylvie (1). Sylvie was born with a rare genetic syndrome, which has meant frequent visits to Children’s Hospital over the past year. She’s a fighter and is doing quite well, but we never know what tomorrow will reveal. We found out about Sylvie’s condition shortly after our 20-week anatomy scan. There was a time when I was unsure whether to continue with SWAP Integration and SWAP PM because of the needs of my family. However, we decided it would be better to push through the first few years to get Sylvie to a stable place while keeping the momentum with SWAP going, rather than stopping and then trying to restart or giving up altogether. Though this has been a challenging season, it has been rewarding and has proven to be the right decision for our family.
Overall though, it has been a pretty smooth road! Of course, there have been times where confidence was a real struggle. I often found myself wondering, “Is this going to work?” and “Will this really take off?” When a project didn’t come through or outreach went unanswered, I questioned if I had made the right move. But with a little more patience, perseverance, and grit, I managed to push through those doubts. There will always be bumps along the way, but we’re working on building the right team to handle whatever comes our way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SWAP Integration, LLC?
SWAP Integration is all about integrated scheduling services specifically for the design phase of projects. We believe in transparency, guiding project teams through a collaborative planning process to create a smooth workflow that delivers well-coordinated documents faster and more efficiently. We help teams avoid those dreaded last-minute rushes and the annoying cycle of rework. By building team consensus, we make sure everyone is accountable for hitting project milestones. Our approach to scheduling adds real value to design teams and owners.We’re a neutral third party with no hidden agenda, focused on helping the team create the right schedule with clear expectations and deliverables. We anticipate and plan for potential hurdles along the way. It doesn’t matter who covers our invoices; we’re here to support every team member. We are project advocates.
What Makes Us Different?
We stick with the project team from the Notice to Proceed (NTP) through to the delivery of the design documents. Using our cloud-based project management platform, we manage the schedule in real-time, allowing teams to track their tasks from anywhere. This means the schedule is always current. While a Gantt chart shows you the schedule, it doesn’t show you how to get there. SWAP PM is your roadmap.
Our Brand: SWAP – Strategic Workflow Action Planning
Our logo looks like a sticky note, reflecting our physical planning method while our logo and brand colors mimic sticky notes: yellow, blue, and pink. SWAP PM has a similar logo and colors to SWAP Integration.
What We Offer
SWAP Integration tailors integrated scheduling services to fit your project needs and budget. We specialize in design-based projects for the built environment, using a process that identifies roadblocks, builds consensus, and keeps your team on schedule. Our Milestone SWAP MEET is the cornerstone of our service. Weekly check-ins and management are the glue that keep your team on track.
VISIONING SWAP MEET
This is our first collaborative planning session, essentially a project kickoff. We take a bird’s-eye view of the project, evaluate the schedule, organize milestones logically, and keep an eye on project goals and expectations. We identify potential obstacles, key meetings, and critical path items. This in-person meeting helps put faces to names, build trust, and strengthen relationships.
SWAP MEET
This milestone-driven, collaborative planning session improves project workflow. With all collaborative minds in the room, we establish an efficient sequence of action items using predictive planning. Open communication and transparency help build team consensus, giving the Owner and Project Team confidence in the sequence.
WEEKLY MANAGEMENT
Weekly Management involves tracking the workflow and sending weekly Look-Aheads to your inbox, so you always know what’s coming. This keeps the schedule up-to-date and ensures everyone has clear project expectations.
SWAP PM
SWAP PM is a cloud-based, subscription-based project management platform that turns your manual wall pull plan into a virtual tracking system accessible to your entire team. With features like calendar integration, keyword-searchable filtering, task reviews, and customized meeting types, your team can track tasks in real-time from anywhere.
SWAP Integration offers consulting services, while SWAP PM is a subscription-based platform. We use SWAP PM to manage our projects, but it can also be used by teams already proficient in pull planning and task management.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Here are a few reasons why I love being in this area: Mountain Access: Whether it’s enjoying the views or actually being in the mountains, it’s all right here and easily accessible. Proximity to an International Airport: I can fly directly to most of our project teams for kick-offs, which makes travel super convenient. Vibrant Design Community: The design community here is just the right size. It’s big enough that we don’t know everyone yet, but small enough that we have already been able to make an impact! Exciting Projects: There are so many exciting projects happening in the greater Denver area and across Colorado. Fantastic Weather: The weather here is definitely a big plus!
There’s not much to dislike, but I do tend to avoid downtown more than I used to. The ongoing construction, the homeless population, and parking challenges can be a bit much. Our work rarely takes us downtown though, so it’s not a big deal.
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