How Shawmut’s Center of Excellence Scales Innovation Nationwide

At Shawmut, we know that innovation doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built into how we operate every day. Our 1,500 employee-owners nationwide embrace our culture of continuous learning , finding ways to bring innovative solutions, cutting-edge technologies, and lessons learned from one jobsite to the next to deliver an unparalleled building experience for our clients no matter where we’re building..

At the heart of this is our Center of Excellence (COE). The COE is a centralized team of recognized subject-matter experts assembled to continuously improve how we operate and provide specialized expertise to support project teams across all regions.

Leaders from the Center of Excellence share below how they help implement best practices across regions, establish national standards, and drive collaboration companywide.

How does collaboration through the COE make Shawmut stronger—for our people and our clients?

Collaboration through the COE allows us to scale proven lean construction practices from individual project success stories to national standards across regions, strengthening alignment among teams and delivering more predictable, milestone-driven outcomes for our clients.

How does the COE help elevate best practices across regions and teams?

On a recent project in California, we brought together the owner’s representatives and key trade partners for focused planning sessions aligned around milestones like MEP readiness and the early installation of the space’s permanent energy infrastructure. By strengthening our Constraint Log tracking and expanding accountability for removing roadblocks, we improved coordination, clarified cross-trade impacts, and drove more reliable execution—successes we now scale nationwide through the COE.

How does collaboration through the COE make Shawmut stronger—for our people and our clients?

By mapping and solidifying best practices between Shawmut’s various functions and processes, the COE drive quality and consistency, making Shawmut more efficient for our clients.

How does the COE help elevate best practices across regions and teams?

The COE memorializes best practices and supports integration across regions by sharing information and continuously keeping teams in the loop. For example, in the virtual design and construction team, we have a weekly touch base with the entire team across the country to ensure consistent implementation and exchange information about any new technology that is being piloted.

How does collaboration through the COE make Shawmut stronger—for our people and our clients?

By bringing people together from different roles, backgrounds, and regions, the COE supports sharing of knowledge and expertise to drive consistency and innovation across all Shawmut offices, ultimately leading to improved processes, greater resources, and client-service excellence.

What does being part of the COE mean to you as an employee-owner?

As an employee-owner, I value the platform that the COE provides for open discussion and the support to effectively create, communicate, and implement new initiatives and resources. Led by subject-matter experts passionate about different aspects of construction, the COE drives knowledge sharing across regions and roles, which collectively enable Shawmut to be a more cohesive, technically experienced, and forward-looking national firm.