Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber) is an app-based global company known for its pioneering network of transportation services. Uber provides services to more than 91 million customers through brands including Uber for rides on-demand, Jump Bikes and Scooters (JUMP), Uber Freight, and Uber Eats.
Watchdog was engaged for real estate project management services for all of Uber’s business initiatives. Uber planned to enter markets fast and felt the Watchdog team matched their energetic and ambitious culture. It was important for the team to remain flexible to Uber’s evolving needs while still providing valuable structure.
Uber brought Watchdog on board in the early stages of vehicle ride sharing’s rapid growth. The team provided project and program management oversight of the construction build-out of approximately 90 projects in three years, including 60 partner support centers throughout the country. There were additional custom build-outs for multi-phased projects ranging from a 300-square-foot marketing hub to a 150,000-square-foot office space to support IT, marketing, and sales departments.
The Watchdog project lead was able to run all the projects, which streamlined communications, eliminated a learning curve at each new project start, and ensured consistent results. The team established design and signage partnerships on a national level. Watchdog worked with a local construction manager for each facility to develop preliminary conceptual budgets and timelines to provide a baseline schedule for the project.
In addition, the Watchdog team managed the construction of more than 20 JUMP warehouse facilities across the country in 12-months. This business line supported the expanding market for “last mile” transportation solutions. For example, a rider is likely to rent a JUMP bike or scooter to cover the short distance from public transit or a parking area to their final destination.
Watchdog worked closely with the Uber team to establish standardized guidelines. These had to be scalable based on the number of bikes the warehouse held. The multi-purpose warehouses are used for receiving, assembling, charging, and maintaining the equipment. For each chosen location, the Watchdog project managers analyzed site surveys to confirm the site met JUMP’s needs as well as the established guidelines.
While the leases were being negotiated, the team performed a preliminary analysis of the existing warehouse spaces compared to the mechanical, electrical, and structural requirements. Watchdog worked with local authorities, electrical service providers, and contractors to expand the electrical capacity within each building.
Watchdog also researched local code compliance and communicated city or region-specific requirements to the designers. This oversight ensured the speed to market goal was met. With a turnaround of as little as 24-days from the lease execution date to delivery for occupancy, Watchdog exceeded Uber’s expectations.
