A Locate Coordinator's Journey

Enter Rosanna Sabourin, a Locates Coordinator for Laurent Leblanc LTD located in Ontario, Canada. Rosanna has provided us insightful feedback on how we can improve EasyLocates and has been a loyal customer for years.

She has been in the construction industry and with Laurent Leblanc for the past 6 years. Rosanna has a varied and interesting career background. She had the foresight to educate herself around technology early. This has paid off in numerous roles throughout her career.

In this interview we’ll learn more about her career journey, motherhood, how she got into the construction industry, her role as a Locate Manager and how EasyLocates has helped her be more efficient.

Q: Can you share more about your bio? i.e. your career and education history and how you got started in the industry?

A: I grew up two and a half hours northwest of Toronto, Ontario in a small town on Lake Huron – Sauble Beach. My father owned a drywall business and there were always jobs for everyone to help out with. I dropped out of high school in 11th grade, preferring to work. I had my son at 18 years old and took a college diploma course and got my Health Care Aide degree at 19.

I worked in a nursing home for a few years. I got married when I was 20 yrs old and had my daughter at 21 yrs old. At this time I stayed home with my children until they started school.

Following that, I became a restaurant manager while at the same time, taking some computer courses through the local college. Following that I transitioned my career to working for a call center doing online troubleshooting.

When I turned 30, I knew it was time for a fresh start. I was divorced with two children. We packed up and moved to Ottawa. Eventually, I was able to get a job at the Ottawa Heart Institute where I worked for 10 years as an Administrator for six cardiologists who ran an outpatient clinic. Due to restructuring, my position was eliminated.

At another crossroads, I interviewed with Laurent Leblanc LTD on a whim and was offered a position managing locates for them. I had no clue what a locate even was! But they took a chance on me and taught me the industry.

Q: Can you describe your role and what a typical day looks like for you?

A: As a Locates Coordinator my day can start as early as 5:30 am. I handle emergencies and priorities as well as the regular work requests. I handle calls from the foremen and locators in the field and address issues/requests as they arise. I also project manage future work.

Q: What are some of the key responsibilities you have in your role?

A: It is my responsibility to make sure that we have all the locates and clearances required for each and every job so the crew is ready to go and have what they need to dig safely.

Q: How do you coordinate and communicate with the on-site teams and contractors?

A: Because I now work 8 hours from the office from home – all my communication with the office, foremen, and Locators is via email and telephone.

Q: What software or tools do you use to manage projects and track progress?

A: My primary tools and software are EasyLocates, Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Adobe.

Q: Can you share a challenging situation you've faced in your role and how you resolved it?

A: When I first started doing locates everything was on paper. Imagine piles of paper and keeping it organized. We kept getting busier and the piles kept getting bigger.

I received an email one day to take a look at the EasyLocates program and was offered a free trial to see if it would be a good fit for what I was doing. Oh my word! This was the best email I could have received. No more piles of paper, everything I need to see in one click. It gave me peace of mind that I was not missing something.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working in the office of a construction company?

A: The company itself! We are a family, we work and support each other and are there to help each other.

Q: How do you stay updated with industry trends and regulations?

A: I attend various online seminars via Ontario1Call and read various articles regarding locates and regulations.

Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in construction office management?

Be ready to learn! Be ready to adapt and work as a team. It is a great industry to work in if you are ready to learn and adapt to ever changing regulations and requirements.

Q: How do you see the future of construction office management evolving, especially with the advancement of technology?

A: With the advancement of technology it will only help keep all the requirements needed for a job streamlined and far easier to access.

Q: How has EasyLocates helped you or your office?

A: For me EasyLocates has streamlined everything for me. No more piles of paper everywhere, that I had to dig through when someone needed something. It has also given me the ability to work 8 hrs away from the office so that I can be closer to care for my mom.

Q: What’s your favorite feature of EasyLocates?

A: The fact that I can track a job from start to finish and see exactly what the timeframe is going to be at the outset of the project is super helpful. It also enables me to give the office and foremen more accurate timelines.

They have fast and efficient support and are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the industry, I’m grateful for it!

About EasyLocates

EasyLocates automates your 811 tickets and responses to save you time, money and prevent disaster at your sites. They have processed over 300,000 locates to date. EasyLocates offers a free trial, no strings attached. Try it today!