July Best of ProTec: Hinano Schirmer

by Dave Rauch

We’re excited to recognize Hinano Schirmer from Department 10 as our July Best of ProTec!

As the admin for our largest department (60), Hinano plays a huge role in keeping things running smoothly every day. With the transition to Knowify, she's been all in from the start. She's constantly checking in with technicians when time is missing or incorrect, making sure they understand the process, whether that means sitting down with them in person or walking them through it step by step over the phone. She's also been a tremendous support to our Account Managers, making sure schedules are ready the day before and helping everything stay organized behind the scenes.

Hinano is a great example of what it means to be All In. She owns her role, goes beyond what’s expected of her, and is always willing to help others Learn & Grow. And despite how much she does behind the scenes, she remains incredibly humble about it all.

Hinano, thank you for everything you do and for always being willing to jump in wherever you’re needed. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. We see it, we appreciate it, and we’re lucky to have you on our team.

Congratulations, Hinano!

Knowify Updates

by Caleb Henry

A Quick Reminder for Everyone: Selecting the Right Payment Method on Purchases


When you're entering a purchase, please take a second to double-check the payment method field:

• Paying with a card (swiped or scanned)? Select "Paid with Company Card" and select the appropriate credit card account.
• Not using a card? Select Vendor Will Invoice.

This small step makes a big difference for our Accounts Payable team - it keeps our records accurate and prevents mismatches when reconciling statements. Thanks in advance for making this part of your routine!

For Managers: New Bid Filter View in Knowify

We've put together a Standard Operating Procedure for setting up a "Bids Due" filtered view on the Scheduling calendar in Knowify. This view is a great tool for visualizing what bids you have coming up so you and your team can plan ahead.

A few important notes:

• What it shows right now: This filter currently displays all bids and all statuses tied to those bids (out for signature, active, bidding, lead, etc.). We're working on refining this so it eventually shows only bids that still need to be completed. We'll keep you posted as that update rolls out.
• Keep due dates current: Since this view pulls directly from each bid's due date, it's important to go in and update the due date any time it changes - or remove/adjust it if a bid is no longer needed within the next two weeks. Keeping this current is what makes the view actually useful for planning.

The step-by-step SOP for setting up your filtered view is linked here - it walks through creating the view, filtering by your department (or your name, if you're an estimator), filtering by calendar event type, and adjusting your display settings so bids show clearly in Month view.

Take a few minutes to set this up - it's a simple way to get a clearer picture of what's on your plate and avoid surprises on bid deadlines. If you have any questions, please let me know and I am happy to help!

Knowify Roadmap: What's Coming That Matters to Us

Knowify recently shared their product roadmap. Here's a quick rundown of the pieces most relevant to how we work at ProTec:

Coming Soon (1–2 months)

• Custom Forms (beta): Attach structured forms to jobs, service tickets, and daily logs - useful for things like inspection checklists and safety sign-offs instead of paper or separate apps.
• AI Assistant: A native AI chat inside Knowify, starting with easier access to and analysis of job data.

Near Term (2–4 months)

• Enhanced Permissions: More granular, role-based access, so Managers only see and act on the jobs they're actually responsible for.
• Email Ingestion: Forward or BCC job-related emails to Knowify, and they'll auto-route to the correct job for easy reference.

Longer Term (4–6 months)

• Dashboard & Home Screen Redesign: A rebuilt home screen with at-a-glance reporting on job margins, cash flow, pipeline, and at-risk jobs, tailored to your role.
• Reimagined Clients Section: A single view of each client with their full service, work, and financial history.

As these roll out, we'll share updates on how they apply to our day-to-day workflows.

Safety First

by Tim Lampman

We're just 4 days away from reaching our 30 Days Safe milestone!

If we stay safe through Tuesday, we'll hit our goal, and that means it's time for another Safety Pays raffle. We'll announce the raffle date to give away 20 net checks for $100 each.

Every safe choice matters. Keep looking out for one another, wear your PPE, and don't let your guard down. We're almost there!

Stay safe, finish strong, and let's hit 30 days together!

Updated Mileage Reimbursement Form

by Candy Allen

We have a new mileage reimbursement rate! It is now 76 cents per mile. Please make sure you’re using the updated form going forward.

Every office should have copies available, but you can also find the form on our internal website under the ProTec Forms tab if you ever need to access it or print more.

Password: protec

Ask Questions Before You Pay

by Karen Molster

I had something happen at the dentist recently that I thought was worth sharing because it could save someone else a lot of money.

After being told I needed a new crown, the office gave me an estimate for about $1,200. Before agreeing to it, I decided to call my dental insurance broker just to make sure I understood what my actual cost would be. I'm glad I did.

The insurance representative explained that my deductible was only $350, but the dental office had recommended a premium crown material that wasn't fully covered by my plan. They also told me there was another crown option that was covered, which would have saved me hundreds of dollars.

If I hadn't made that phone call, I probably would have paid the full amount without ever knowing there was a less expensive option.

It was a good reminder that it's always worth asking a few questions before approving major dental work. Check with your insurance company to see what's covered, ask if there are alternative treatment options, and make sure you understand what your out-of-pocket cost will actually be.

A five-minute phone call can save you a lot of money, and it never hurts to be an informed consumer. If you have questions about your dental benefits or would like to get in touch with our dental broker, please reach out to Human Resources at HR@protec.com. They're happy to point you in the right direction.

Dave's Success Tips

by Dave Rauch

Tip #97: Anxiety is usually caused by lack of control, organization, preparation and action.

Congratulations Reynaldo!

by Mark Adams

Big congratulations to Reynaldo Cristobal (Dept.760) on his promotion to Lead Account Manager!

Rey has been part of our Las Vegas team for quite a while, and over the last several months he's really stepped up. He's taken on more responsibility, continued to grow, and proven he's ready to lead. Vegas is our farthest office, so it's especially important that we have someone there we can count on. I know Rey is the right person for the job, and I'm excited to see where he'll take the team.

Congratulations, Rey. Thanks for all of your hard work and for everything you do for ProTec. This promotion is well deserved.