Meet the Team: Jason Schneid

This month, we feature Jason Schneid, implementation team lead – BuildTools at ECI Software Solutions. We sat down with Jason to learn more about his role within the team.

ECI: Describe your role in 50 words or less.

Jason Schneid (JS): My primary role is leading our implementation team to deliver a professional and exceptional customer implementation experience. I continually refine our process and find new ways to help customers learn, implement, and adopt our software.

ECI: What and where did you study?

JS: I have a degree in Economics from Rowan University; I hold CompTIA A+ and NET+ certifications and am a certified Pendo administrator.

ECI: Tell us about your background and the path that led you to your current role.

JS: It was a windy path to get where I am today, but throughout my career, I have always focused on helping, teaching, and problem-solving.

I worked as IT Support and Technical Writer for Internet Video Archive (now Fabric). Here, I could dive into the world of software development, cloud infrastructure configuration, customer service/success, and APIs, and it all centered around the Entertainment industry. One of my favorite parts of working at IVA (Internet Video Archive) was that I could go to many different Hack-a-thons around the country and work with developers in the space of Entertainment and video. Working with developers on Virtual Reality experiences, shopping and marketing technologies, UI/UX enhancements, etc., in a high-pressure but fun environment over a weekend was quite a thrilling experience for me.

When I started at ECI, I knew little about Residential Home Construction, the software (MarkSystems), and the user base I supported. It was one of the most challenging pieces of software I had ever had to learn and adapt to support. The job was fast-paced and high-pressure, and I loved it! There was so much new to learn and grow, so that’s what I did. I took every opportunity not just to solve customers' issues or answer their questions but to ask questions and learn about why they do what they do and how they do what they do.

ECI acquired BuildTools in 2020, and with that acquisition, it was needed to build a new implementation program and team. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given to do just that for BuildTools. The mission remains the same: help many custom home builders and remodelers learn how to utilize software to make fewer mistakes and be better organized and more efficient with time. Or, as we say here at ECI, “support the entrepreneurial spirit and profitable growth of small and medium-sized businesses.”

ECI: What does your day-to-day work life look like?

JS: I start each day looking at the day and the rest of the week ahead. I like to ensure I am prepared for upcoming meetings, especially customer meetings. I want to provide a plan for each one to keep us moving forward. After that, I check in with the team to ensure they can complete their work without any roadblocks or being overwhelmed. After or between meetings, I usually talk with our Product Manager about enhancement ideas for the software or challenges my team or our customers are facing and how we might best overcome them. If there is any time left in my day, I try to do or think about ways to make learning, understanding, and adopting our software better. Simply put, try to do better today than yesterday.

ECI: What advice would you give someone starting in your industry? Any words of wisdom?

JS: Never stop learning and growing and keep expanding outwards and adjacent. Early in my career, I focused on just computers and a select few pieces of software for the end user. Now, I am having discussions about different software and how it is used, learned, misused, combined, integrated, and implemented by not just the end user but the support person who helps the customer, the customer of our customer, and all while learning and understanding the relationships between all of them. Start focused and small but commit to constant learning and growth.

ECI: What excites you most about working within this industry?

JS: There is so much potential for growth and change. There are still users building homes using spreadsheets, pencils, and paper. There is so much data about resource consumption, sales, marketing, economics, customer experience, and pushing the envelope of what’s possible. This industry is far behind the tech curve, and as we make it easier for companies to learn and take advantage of these technologies, we will push the industry forward.

ECI: What do you find most challenging about working within this industry?

JS: In software, finding the balance between being flexible to adapt to how people want to do business and being rigid enough to be organized and efficient is hard.

ECI: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since you began your career?

JS: Life is not a highway, and you don’t go in a straight line; it’s life. There are twists and turns, rest stops and exits, but sometimes you're on the country road, sometimes you're on a train, and sometimes it feels like you're walking backward. Just know where you want to go and do your best. Don’t be afraid to take detours occasionally, too. Most of the time, they are fun, and you may surprise yourself.

ECI: Since you started working in the industry, what changes have you witnessed?

JS: I think it’s hard to see the changes when you are at my level. We focus daily on small changes that will lead to bigger changes over time.

ECI: What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?

JS: Our family has a shirt that says, “Schneid’s Circus.” Our family keeps us quite busy now. My oldest, Nathan (12), plays hockey almost year-round, Carter (10) plays soccer, is in Scouts, and loves to read, and my daughter Leah (8) plays soccer and does cheer, and Girl Scouts, and those practices and games keep us pretty busy. When not playing taxi driver or coach/leader for any of these groups, our family loves camping, kayaking, paddle boarding, and spending time outdoors. In the last two years, I have also picked up the sport of pickel ball, seemingly along with everyone else in the world. I play recreationally as well as on an All-State team here in NJ.

ECI: What book would you recommend for anyone to add to their ‘must-read list?

JS: “Atomic Habits” is a great book, along with “Crossing the Chasm.” And for no-professional reading, anything by Harlan Coben.

If you enjoyed this article, check out similar posts on our blog:

• Meet the Team: The BuildTools Story
• RHC Roundtable: Our Team Has Been Where You Are
• Tracking Construction Projects: How Business Gets Done with BuildTools