Welcome to Menlo Academy

Where we empower you with top-notch construction programming skills, simplify your work life, and give you greater control over your projects.

Our aim is to help you safeguard your projects by guiding you on how to use one of the best project management tools in the market – Microsoft Project.

The Need for Training and Support in Project Management Software

Many Project and Site Managers have never received any formal training in programming and scheduling, because quite frankly, there is none-available. Consequently, they don’t know how to use it to maximum advantage. So, no matter how good the information and tools at hand, a massive opportunity is lost simply through a lack of knowledge.

It’s a bit like using a chainsaw without starting the engine!
It’s not the team’s fault. There just isn’t the time or opportunity to learn.

Your team need help and support so that they can fully utilise the power of the software. They need an easy way of tracking the mountain of contract paperwork that comes with every job. They need support on how to protect the company’s position, when it comes to variations and extension claims.

Menlo Academy was born because we wanted to help and protect our clients. We could see that many of the disputes they find themselves in, could be avoided quite easily with a little directed help and support.

Who are we and how did we get here?

Menlo Academy is dedicated to sharing how to maximise efficiency and minimise risk through your project’s programme with Microsoft Project. We want to share our expertise to prevent problem programmes from causing catastrophic consequences so that you and your team can gain control of your projects and track any changes, delays and variations to generate proof that win Extension Claims.

Our parent company, Menlo Associates, is a New Zealand based construction programming consultancy, with a focus on contractor-centric, highly-detailed construction programmes that enable efficient project management and risk mitigation.

Our Team

Our Directors, Steve Edge and Tania Cottew have between them over 70 years of Construction experience, spanning a wide range of large and small commercial and residential projects, including healthcare, aged care, geothermal, civils, engineering, subdivisions, asbestos, leaky buildings, greenfield, brownfield. new builds, alterations and reparations.

Our approach to construction programming is practical, based on our experience in running projects and dealing with the challenges your team faces every day.

We pride ourselves on being straightforward and transparent. We tell it like it is, not what we think it might be, theoretically. Our in-depth industry knowledge has been honed over decades of problem solving and critical decision making in an industry fraught with risk, disputes, and litigation.

How can your team write a suitable programme without the skills to back it up?

It’s not as simple as watching a few videos on YouTube. At both Menlo Associates and Menlo Academy, we advocate strongly for the use of Microsoft Project to programme, monitor and manage your construction projects.

We’ll be the first to admit that construction programming is not always easy. It can be challenging, it demands time and practice, and ideally the right mentoring and support to make the benefits obvious.

How can Menlo Academy help?

Construction is a highly specialised industry, and Menlo Academy is the only source of construction specific training that specialises in Microsoft Project and tackles unique delay issues and contractual reporting requirements that your team faces everyday.

If you’d like to get in touch with our consultants who can programme for you, head on over to Menlo Associates for more details.