Deadlines, budgets, and vendor chaos? Kenzie Vath lives it every week and still finds ways to lead smarter. Here’s how she gets it done.
It's Wednesday afternoon. You're staring at three screens—one showing your budget spreadsheet, another with 27 unread Slack messages, and the third with an urgent email about a vendor issue. Somewhere in your digital universe are eleven active projects spanning from small $100,000 renovations to a $195 million ground-up build in downtown Phoenix. Sound familiar?
For Kenzie Vath, VP of Innovation at Pacific Hospitality Group, this scenario plays out daily. Leading development initiatives across multiple properties, she's constantly navigating the complex technology landscape that most modern project management teams face.
"I have to oversee all the development, everything from ground-up builds to renovations and remodels," Vath explains. "I manage engineering, spa, sustainability, and development. But we project manage everything in-house, which creates its own challenges."
Like many companies, Pacific Hospitality Group has accumulated a collection of platforms that don't always play nicely together. "We're a Microsoft company, we use Teams," Vath notes. "We've incorporated Smartsheets as our primary project management tool, while our marketing team uses Monday. These tools are like super expensive investments. If you're not really in them and using them, they're not valuable."
This tool sprawl isn't just expensive – it's confusing. When information lives in multiple places, project managers spend precious time jumping between platforms rather than moving work forward.
"I'd say consolidation is my biggest challenge," Vath shares. "I get frustrated that there isn't one tool to do it all. It's frustrating when you have other functions using different platforms because each has this one extra capability."
Quick Win: Conduct a tool audit identifying overlap between your platforms. Document which features your team actually uses in each tool vs. paying for "just in case" functionality.
One of Vath's most interesting insights is that fundamentally, project management processes should remain consistent regardless of project size.
"People think a $190 million project needs all these additional sheets and functions," she observes. "But the process is still the same. You might have a longer list because we're doing ground-up versus a smaller scope, but the process should be plug-and-play."
This standardization becomes crucial when onboarding new team members or scaling operations. "If I hired a new project manager tomorrow, this is the system, this is the process, this is how we do things – for every project. That's where we have a gap right now: a standard process that works for any project."
Quick Win: Create a project initiation template that works across all your projects regardless of size. Include standard sections for timeline, stakeholders, budget, and communication protocols.
When evaluating new technologies, Vath emphasizes the importance of a clear value proposition. "I think metrics are key for owners because that's how their business mindset works," she explains. Her evaluation criteria is straightforward: either the tool replaces an existing platform (cutting costs) or it measurably improves efficiency.
"If I can replace a tool, that's easy value," she points out. "But another metric could be: if I could reduce the amount of time my PMs are spending on low-level tasks by 50%, that would be valuable too."
According to Vath, no single system does everything her team needs, which creates communication challenges. Property managers often miss critical updates despite regular communication efforts, leading to confusion about things as simple as scheduled site visits.
For organizations locked into multiple systems, integration may be more practical than wholesale replacement. The goal isn't necessarily having fewer tools, but ensuring they work together harmoniously.
Quick Win: Before purchasing new software, document exactly which pain points it solves and how you'll measure success – whether through cost savings, time efficiency, or improved outcomes.
Communication breakdowns happen even with the best tools in place. Vath shares a common frustration: "My PMs always say that property operations leads claim 'we weren't communicated with enough.' But we could send them an email every day and they miss that one email, and suddenly it's 'Oh my gosh, we didn't know you had a contractor on site!'"
This highlights the need for transparent, accessible information systems that don't rely on people catching every message in their overflowing inboxes.
"Having that one-stop shop where if you want a status update, you come here and can see everything you need, everything that's followed up, everything that's completed, and everything coming – that transparency is crucial," Vath emphasizes.
Quick Win: Create a communication charter that clarifies where different types of project information should be documented and how urgent matters will be flagged across all platforms.
With Pacific Hospitality Group aiming to double its assets, scalability isn't just nice-to-have—it's essential. "I'm bringing on more projects, but I can't just keep hiring people to do it," Vath explains. "We're incorporating AI and focusing on accountability as huge initiatives."
The future of project management isn't about finding one perfect tool, but creating ecosystems that can adapt as teams and projects grow.
"We love dashboard views in Smartsheets because I want to know where we are at a glance. Are we tracking? Are we in progress?" Vath says. "I don't need to know the micro-details, but they need to exist so I can dive in when necessary."
Quick Win: Build scalability into your processes by creating templates and dashboards that work for both current projects and anticipated future growth.
The path toward more cohesive project management doesn't mean scrapping everything and starting over. Instead, it's about creating intentional connections between your existing tools while standardizing how your team uses them.
"If there's efficiency and a new way of doing things that can make us better and expand, I'm interested," Vath concludes. "That's where our industry is heading—how do we utilize AI and technology for efficiency? That's worth everything because it pays for itself."
By focusing on standardization, integration, and purposeful adoption, you can transform your multi-platform chaos into a streamlined ecosystem that enhances productivity rather than hindering it. Those three screens might still demand your attention, but at least you'll know exactly where each project stands and what truly needs your focus right now.
