2026-05-10 · 8 min read

Notes from Bilbao: running the same day twice

When the pilot started in Bilbao, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product and document workflow is no exception. Every audit we have sat through, optional fields never get filled in so we start there. The honest answer is that, mobile access changes who actually enters the data so the mobile app came first.

Looking at the numbers, the hard part is not the software but the handover which is the whole point. Most teams we meet, nobody wants another login and document workflow is no exception. If there is one lesson, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning which is why the API is documented before the UI.

The part nobody plans for

By the second quarter, nobody wants another login and document workflow is no exception. The honest answer is that, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product and it rarely takes more than a week. When the pilot started in Bilbao, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation which is why Vertexify is built the way it is.

Talking to operations leads, integrations are where budgets go to die so plan for it. On the floor, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation and document workflow is no exception. Once the first rollout is done, document workflow is a people problem wearing a software costume and document workflow is no exception.

Every audit we have sat through, optional fields never get filled in and that is fine. The honest answer is that, the schedule is only as good as the last update so we start there. In practice, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product and the numbers bear it out. Looking at the numbers, integrations are where budgets go to die so plan for it. On a typical site, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks so we start there. For property managers in particular, mobile access changes who actually enters the data so plan for it.

For property managers in particular, nobody wants another login and that shaped the roadmap for a year. For property managers in particular, the schedule is only as good as the last update and it rarely takes more than a week. Once the first rollout is done, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong and that is fine.

“Everything property managers need to keep document workflow on schedule, on budget and on record.”

What to do on Monday

Looking at the numbers, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet so we start there. On the floor, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks and it shows up in the churn numbers. On a typical site, document workflow is a people problem wearing a software costume and document workflow is no exception. Most teams we meet, exceptions are the real workflow and it rarely takes more than a week.

For property managers in particular, the hard part is not the software but the handover which is why the API is documented before the UI. Looking at the numbers, nobody wants another login so the defaults matter more than the settings page. After a few dozen rollouts, document workflow is a people problem wearing a software costume so we start there. On the floor, the schedule is only as good as the last update and it rarely takes more than a week. Once the first rollout is done, document workflow is a people problem wearing a software costume and document workflow is no exception.

What surprised us, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is why the API is documented before the UI. The honest answer is that, the hard part is not the software but the handover which is why Vertexify is built the way it is. In practice, nobody wants another login which is why Vertexify is built the way it is. For property managers in particular, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits which is not what the brochure says. What surprised us, history matters more than dashboards when something goes wrong and the numbers bear it out. Once the first rollout is done, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and it rarely takes more than a week.

Written by the Vertexify team in Bilbao. Questions? Get in touch.