The right tool for the right job is vital in any building project. This applies as much to software as it does to physical tools like screwdrivers, but what are the benefits of construction management software for small building firms?
In this article
The construction industry has had a busy couple of years. Despite an initial stop to work during the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 saw a 36% increase in spending on home renovations. Larger projects continued as well, partly driven by an overall increase in infrastructure spending.
All this work is good news for builders and subcontractors, but managing jobs during such a busy period is a challenge. Unlike some other industries, work on building projects has to follow a strict order. If phases can’t be completed because of staffing or supply issues, work grinds to a halt, costing everyone time and money. Even the best-planned projects can encounter issues, so when deadlines start to slip, managers have to rearrange timelines, factoring in the availability of all the different tradespeople who are working on the project.
Choosing the right tool for the right job is important. Just as you wouldn’t use a screwdriver to chisel out a mortice for a door lock, you really shouldn’t be planning projects on scraps of paper kept on the dashboard of your van. Any builder that’s looking to coordinate their business processes and improve communication across a project might want to consider construction project management software.
In this article, we explore the features of these tools, how they work, and how the software can help small builders plan their work.
What are the main uses of construction management software?
1. Bid management
Construction project management software simplifies how building firms manage all the bids relating to their project. These include quotes from suppliers or sub-contractors, for example. Managers have all the bidding details relating to a job in one place and can compare them to find the best offer.
2. Document management
Keeping track of paper on a chaotic and messy building site can be challenging, especially for small building firms where a manager might also be working on-site. Software helps by providing a central repository for plans, quotes, receipts, invoices, and other vital documentation in electronic form. You can also create certain types of documents using the software and allow stakeholders to search for and access the information they need without having to ring or email anyone.
3. Project management
Builders can track and manage all the moving parts of a job thanks to features such as step-by-step workflows for each project, job costing, and progress tracking. This enables them to see exactly how projects are moving down to the specific sub-task.
4. Contract management
Very few builders go into the trade because they like dealing with paperwork, but digital contract management can take away many of the headaches. Not only does it allow you to store and access all contracts in one place, it also lets you track how work is progressing against various milestones stipulated in your contracts — whether with clients or your various suppliers and sub-contractors.
5. Timesheet management
If you have employees running around between jobs, it can be hard to know where they have spent their time and, consequently, how much is being spent on each job. Construction management tools include timesheet functionality so employees can log their hours against specific jobs, making it easier to keep tabs on project budgets.
What are the benefits of software for construction management?
As its name suggests, construction project management software helps with project management. A critical aspect of this for building projects is work allocation across the many workstreams and highly specialised trades that are typical in the industry. Site managers can assign tasks with a couple of clicks, and workers can see at a glance what their jobs are for that day.
But the software isn’t just useful for project managers — or even managers at all. Digital construction tools help with visibility and transparency, which is important for all stakeholders in a building project.
Clients can see how work is progressing, which is especially valuable if they can’t be physically present on site. Employees and sub-contractors can check on the status of various workstreams to see where they will be needed next and whether the project is ready for them to work on. This real-time visibility of a project’s lifecycle means managers and staff can act fast to reduce project delays when inevitable issues occur.
The future of construction software
Many construction software packages on the market today are cloud-based. This means builders typically pay a monthly or annual fee for the software rather than paying up-front and installing it on their own computer or a server. It also means that the software provider takes care of hosting, security, and updates, and users can access the tools via their web browser, or sometimes a mobile app if they’re on site.
Some of today’s software includes advanced data analytics and even artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Larger firms, with many complex projects all happening at the same time, benefit especially from these, because it allows them to uncover insights without manually sifting through huge volumes of data. They might discover hidden inefficiencies in their business, find new ways of delivering a project, or allocate jobs more efficiently among employees.
In summary
Construction management software offers features that make it easier for construction managers and owners of small building firms to plan and deliver their projects. This is all the more true at busy times, or when labour and materials are in high demand. Well-managed projects are less likely to see delays due to a lack of resources, so building firms can deliver projects more quickly or run more projects simultaneously.
