Megan Muller
From her nomination:
“There is no challenge too big for Teresa. She has the knowledge and experience to step into any project and make a positive impact. If you need her, she is always willing to jump in and assist. She has relationships that span Colas globally, she is trusted and valued by everyone. She takes responsibility and leads by example in following up any task or requirement of support.”
Teresa Knight is the Business Analyst at Colas IS Support, the information technology arm of Colas USA. Teresa has been a part of the Colas USA Family since 2012. Prior to becoming the Business Analyst, she worked as a Support Analyst and Manager of Support Services.
Read more about Teresa through the following spotlight.
Describe your role to someone who is not familiar with the construction industry or Colas USA.
I am part of the technology team for a global road construction company. My specialty is the software we use, which we call ServiceOne at Colas, that provides on-demand availability for our customers to interact with IT services to report an issue, order an item from the catalog, or review the knowledge base.
My focus is to work with the stakeholders to improve ServiceOne to enable innovative, user-friendly, efficient interactions with IT services. As a member of the Central Support team also, I work directly with our end users resolving issues, and providing training and information.
What has been your favorite project so far?
The growth of Colas IS Support (which now services Colas USA and Colas Canada) brought together many independent companies, each with their own IT service approach. As our IT services centralized, it was clear we needed an effective IT Service Management tool to streamline our services for the modern, integrated business world. Our challenge was to find the solution to apply best practices and standardization along with internal controls and compliance governance, while providing our customers with an innovative service portal. In 2017 ServiceOne was deployed globally for Colas.
What drew you to working within the construction industry?
In the early 1980s I started with a national landscape construction company while completing a BS in Accounting. For the next 20+ years I worked in different capacities across the organization including back office, estimating, project management, and shared services, ultimately transitioning to IT during the JDE implementation.
I enjoy working in the different applications, knowing the business processes behind them, and understanding the financial results. When Colas ISS had an opening in 2012 it was a great opportunity to stay in construction and IT, bridge my skills and experience with the needs of Colas, while continuing to develop personally.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
When your career continues to challenge you and bring enjoyment in the work and relationships, it is easy to be motivated. What I do will directly impact someone else’s ability to meet the requirements of their work. We cannot be successful as an organization if our employees don’t have the IT tools and support they require. I go home with a sense of accomplishment knowing I was able to help our customers that day and improve our service delivery. I appreciate everyone across the organization who has mentored and challenged me to grow and improve and apply myself every day. I value the employee engagement and programs that the Colas Group and Colas IS Support pursue to build a healthy, respectful, and positive culture. From the continuous improvement of ServiceOne, or the quick fix to the complicated troubleshooting and testing, supporting our people and our business is my jam.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I am a native of Denver, CO and live less than 30 miles from the house where I was born. I love Colorado!