Construction Project Management Software

What is construction project management software?

Construction project management software (aka construction management software) helps UK property builders, contractors, and subcontractors manage construction workflows. Construction management software essentially functions as project management solutions with additional features such as document management, budget and bid management, accounting, workflow automation, and resource management. 

These solutions help UK construction site builders, engineers, and architects communicate job progress, monitor costs and expenses, schedule resources, and track project deadlines. Construction project management software is also known as contractor software.

What are the advantages of construction project management software?

The advantages of construction project management software include:

• Real-time visibility of project life cycle: Construction management software creates a single window of visibility for all stakeholders, from field workers up to CEOs. Compared to manual methods, these systems make it easier to track project expenditure, address critical issues when they occur, and mitigate work delays due to unforeseen errors.
• Improved work allocation: Using construction management software, managers can assign projects and tasks to workers with a few clicks. This lets everyone know their daily tasks in advance and eliminates the possibility of confusion. Managers are also notified when a plan goes wrong or a task is not completed by the set deadline.

What are some typical features of construction project management software?

The main features of construction project management software include:

• Bid management: Invite and accept bids from subcontractors and third-party stakeholders, analyse and compare bids to select the -best option, send RFIs, and manage a centralised repository of all bidding details.
• Document management: Create, track, store, and manage all project and workforce-related documents so that all stakeholders can easily search documentation as needed.
• Project management: Create a step-by-step workflow for each project. Budget tracking/job costing: Allocate and record costs involved in completing each project, task, and sub-task, and compare them to budget estimates.
• Contract management: Maintain a centralised repository of all contracts and agreements between your company and your clients, vendors, suppliers, and third-party stakeholders. Also helps track contract-related milestones.
• Timesheet management: Track employees' actual working hours.

What are important factors to consider when purchasing construction project management software?

Construction management software is key for efficient and cost-effective project execution, facilitating overall construction firm management and simultaneous execution of multiple projects without workflow overlaps or unnecessary delays. That said, it's important to choose the right software for your business’s unique needs, and there are a few things you should consider when building your construction management software shortlist.

• Total cost of ownership: The cost of construction management software depends on multiple factors. While some traditional vendors still offer on-premise deployment for a fixed one-time fee, most vendors now offer cloud-based solutions in a variety of pricing models. Few cloud-based construction management tools offer robust feature sets for unlimited users, instead of charging a fixed periodic fee for every project managed. Others charge based on user numbers but allow unlimited projects. UK businesses should determine which pricing model meets their needs based on total user numbers and project frequency/cost.
• Training and support provided with the solution: Since construction management software is used by everyone within a construction firm, from top management down to field supervisors, every employee must learn how to use the system. Before making a purchase, evaluate the training modules offered by various vendors and ask about their support offerings and terms.

What are the trends in construction project management software?

Current trends in construction project management software are:

• AI-based software is augmenting construction management tools: Modern construction management software is loaded with advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities. Construction firms are relying heavily on these systems, which not only collects data from multiple sources in real-time but also provides valuable business insights. Built-in machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities help top-level managers understand issues in their process, look for better approaches, and improve tasks such as manpower logs, project billing, and job estimation.
• Wearables gadgets are the next big thing in construction management: Construction firms are rapidly adopting the use of smart wearables in their day-to-day operations. These wearables (e.g. smart glasses, jackets, and sensors attached to worker suits) help users collect data on worker productivity, efficiency, and safety. This data is shared with construction management software in real-time to analyse working conditions and measure staff performance against various standards, which helps minimise downtime, check equipment availability, avoid risky workflows, ensure worker safety, and more.