Endsight Blog

Strengthening Governance and Reducing Risk for a Construction Firm

Written by Jyan Omidian | December 19, 2025

Background

Trainor Builders is a respected construction firm known for high-quality work and disciplined financial management. Historically, the company took a conservative stance toward technology investments, often delaying or minimizing IT projects to control costs. This mindset, while understandable, contributed to several IT governance gaps that were difficult to fully see without a structured analysis.

A pivotal factor in addressing these gaps was the active engagement and persistence of Gerry Parrott, Trainor’s Point of Contact. Gerry worked closely with Endsight, dedicating meaningful time and energy to understanding the risks, validating the requirements, and helping drive internal alignment. His commitment played an essential role in achieving traction with the IT Standards initiative.


Through a security-first conversation and a collaborative evaluation of Trainor Builders’ environment, Endsight and Gerry jointly elevated the company’s IT maturity and demonstrated how engagement drives tangible organizational value.

 

Situation

Trainor Builders had a long-standing culture of being careful and thoughtful with spending. As a result, the organization tended to take a minimalistic approach to IT projects. Without a clear standard, decisions were often made reactively, and important areas—such as email security, workstation protections, backup strategy, and MFA—were unintentionally underserved.

Gerry routinely navigated this challenge in good faith. Despite operating in a cost-conscious environment, he continuously raised concerns, asked clarifying questions, and attempted to bridge the gap between operational priorities and IT needs. His willingness to surface risks helped move the organization toward better long-term decisions.


Client Situation

Trainor Builders had a long-standing culture of being careful and thoughtful with spending. As a result, the organization tended to take a minimalistic approach to IT projects. Without a clear standard, decisions were often made reactively, and important areas—such as email security, workstation protections, backup strategy, and MFA—were unintentionally underserved.

Gerry routinely navigated this challenge in good faith. Despite operating in a cost-conscious environment, he continuously raised concerns, asked clarifying questions, and attempted to bridge the gap between operational priorities and IT needs. His willingness to surface risks helped move the organization toward better long-term decisions.

 

The Engagement Approach

1. Starting with Security to Build Trust

Endsight began by focusing on Trainor’s security posture, an area Gerry had already expressed concern about. By aligning with his observations and validating his instincts, we created a shared foundation for deeper technical discussions. Gerry’s candor helped illuminate the areas that needed a closer look, and his input shaped how we prioritized the initial assessment.

2. Establishing a Clear IT Standard

Endsight created a comprehensive, practical IT Standards document tailored to Trainor Builders.
This document detailed requirements across Business Continuity, MFA, endpoint protection, workstation governance, and more.

Gerry was instrumental in this process. He provided context, historical knowledge, and operational insight—all of which ensured the standard accurately reflected the company’s workflows, constraints, and future needs.

3. Walking Through the Standards Together

The Standards review was intentionally collaborative and steady-paced. Gerry’s engagement created an environment where questions could be asked openly, and decisions could be made thoughtfully rather than reactively.

His participation also helped translate technical risk into business impact in a way that resonated with leadership. That clarity was key to gaining internal agreement on what needed to change.

4. Aligning Priorities Without Overselling

Throughout each discussion, Endsight focused on identifying risks—not pushing projects. Gerry played a critical complementary role by:

  • Advocating for responsible security practices
  • Highlighting operational implications if systems failed
  • Encouraging a shift from reactive fixes to intentional planning
  • Validating the importance of aligning IT with job-site realities

His leadership helped ensure that decisions were grounded in both practicality and risk awareness.



Outcomes & Measurable Value


1. Meaningful Increase in IT Maturity

Trainor Builders adopted a formal IT Standards framework for the first time. Gerry’s persistence powered this outcome, he championed the process even when competing priorities could have easily derailed progress.

2. Quarterly Strategic Check-ins

Through the joint work, the company committed to:

•    MFA across major systems
•    Safer backups and disaster recovery processes
•    Enhanced email protections
•    Hardened workstations and device policies
•    EPP/EDR deployment

Gerry ensured these conversations stayed on track, and he provided internal visibility that helped move several initiatives forward.

3. Governance as a Continuous Practice

With a shared standard, the leadership team can evaluate future technology decisions objectively.
Instead of debating whether something is “worth it,” the question is now:


“Does this align with the standard Gerry helped us build to protect the business?”


This change is transformational.

 

4. Strengthened Partnership

The collaboration between Gerry and Endsight evolved from transactional to strategic. His steady engagement, willingness to learn, and partnership-oriented mindset have made him an invaluable ally in improving Trainor Builders’ IT governance.

 

Conclusion

Trainor Builders’ journey underscores a recurring truth: cost-conscious organizations benefit most from clear standards, transparent risk discussions, and steady collaboration.


This case study also highlights the impact of a strong internal champion. Gerry Parrott’s consistency, openness, and dedication played a central role in making this engagement successful. His partnership ensured that important improvements didn’t stall and that Trainor Builders could make informed, forward-looking decisions.


The outcome is a more resilient environment, a clearer roadmap, and a stronger foundation for long-term security and operational continuity.