VALC Consultants was born from founder Valerie Crafton’s hands-on experience in the construction industry. Recognizing inefficiencies in large-scale projects and a culture of reactive problem-solving, Valerie saw a critical gap: businesses often adopted technologies that didn’t address their core issues. Instead of fitting solutions to problems, many organizations applied Band-Aids to deeper wounds. This realization inspired her to create a consultancy that focuses on root cause analysis, tailored solutions, and proactive approaches, enabling businesses to thrive in a fast-changing landscape.
Bridging Gaps with Hands-On Expertise
Valerie’s extensive background in construction, from the field to executive leadership, gives her a unique perspective. With experience on both the contractor and owner sides, including work with giants like Google, Microsoft, and Intel, she developed a comprehensive understanding of project dynamics. Her consultancy prioritizes “dirt-to-delivery” expertise, recruiting team members with similar practical experience to fast-track clients toward their goals.
Key Challenges in the Industry
One of the most persistent challenges Valerie identifies is the failure to address root causes of problems. Organizations often focus on surface-level issues—such as delayed schedules—without questioning the underlying reasons. For instance, poor risk management, misaligned cross-functional teams, or inadequate documentation of best practices frequently go unnoticed until it’s too late.
Valerie highlights the lack of a systematic approach to learning from past mistakes. Lessons learned often remain in forgotten project folders instead of informing future strategies. This reactive culture, combined with resistance to change, perpetuates inefficiencies and delays.
The “Handshake” Approach
A cornerstone of VALC Consultants’ methodology is what Valerie calls the “handshake approach.” This involves fostering connections across all levels—between teams, departments, and even technology systems. By aligning goals and processes, organizations can eliminate silos and ensure smoother workflows.
Importantly, this approach emphasizes a culture of trust and open communication. VALC encourages organizations to celebrate lessons learned and positive outcomes, fostering an environment where teams feel empowered to share insights without fear of backlash.
Addressing Symptoms of Deeper Problems
Companies typically turn to VALC Consultants when facing symptoms of deeper systemic issues, such as high staff turnover, missed schedules, or declining market share. By conducting forensic studies, Valerie’s team uncovers the root causes behind these challenges. They look at the entire ecosystem—upstream and downstream—to identify misalignments and inefficiencies.
One striking example involved a corporation that saved over $1.6 billion through improved risk management and data organization—a testament to the financial impact of addressing even small inefficiencies.
Preparing for AI in Construction
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, VALC helps clients navigate this new landscape. Rather than fearing AI as a job eliminator, Valerie views it as a tool to complement human labor, especially in an industry facing a skilled labor shortage.
Her firm ensures clients organize their data effectively before integrating AI. Properly structured data prevents the system from producing misleading insights, enabling smarter business decisions. With AI, businesses can improve project outcomes and achieve a competitive edge, provided they approach its adoption with care and foresight.
A Call for a Growth Mindset
Valerie emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset for organizations looking to innovate. While change is challenging, her experience shows that most teams are eager to improve once they’re brought into the conversation. By engaging teams in the discovery process, VALC secures buy-in and fosters excitement for transformation.
Looking Ahead
VALC Consultants is more than a consultancy—it’s a catalyst for lasting change in the construction industry. By addressing root causes, fostering collaboration, and preparing businesses for the future, Valerie Crafton and her team are building not just projects, but bridges to a more efficient, innovative industry.
Whether it’s uncovering hidden risks, aligning teams, or preparing for AI integration, VALC Consultants delivers actionable solutions that drive measurable results. As Valerie puts it, “At the end of the day, I no longer build projects. I build bridges between silos.” To hear her full journey on Women in Motion, click this link: https://businessradiox.com/podcast/women-in-motion/trust-and-technology/
For more information, visit https://valconsultants.com/
About Women’s Business Enterprise Council-West (WBEC-West)
WBEC-West is a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a coalition of corporations, WBEs, and regionally focused women’s business organizations. As an affiliate organization, WBEC-West implements the certification standards of WBENC throughout Arizona, Colorado, Southern California, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam. WBENC is the largest certifier of women’s business enterprises in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs. WBENC certification is nationally recognized and accepted by more than 10,000 major corporations. We also support corporations in their efforts to include WBENC Certified WBEs in their supply chain.
