Handling all the operational challenges that are a part of any construction project is a herculean task. With technological advancement, construction companies now have construction project management software at their disposal, which helps them organize, plan, estimate and execute the projects.
With this software, construction companies and contractors are better equipped to adhere to project timelines and stay within the allocated budget. Employees can be mapped to tasks, deadlines can be monitored and the expenses vis-à-vis estimates can be continuously tracked. With a project management software, the firm or contractor has oversight and proper documentation for all RFIs (request for information), change orders and purchases orders.
Key features of project management software for construction
When you decide to implement a software in your construction business, it is important that you select a good and reliable software. There are many trusted brands like Signax available in the market and most well-known programs offer at least the below mentioned features:
- Project scheduling: With the scheduling feature managers can assign resources, people and equipment to a project and associated tasks. This is especially helpful for companies that have multiple projects with back-to-back deadlines.
- Tracking projects: With the construction management software, businesses can keep a track of tasks and their progress throughout the project’s life cycle. Many software offer features to facilitate seamless communication like automatic notifications for assignment of tasks, update or completion of tasks. The software also sends out alerts if the project is near the allocated budget or deadline.
- Documentation management: All project related documents such as blueprints, photos and contracts are stored and archived in a central repository which is easily accessible. This helps the project team stay organized and makes it very easy for the team to collaborate. This feature also helps create a virtual paper trail which both the business and the client can refer to as and when it is needed.
- Finance management: With a project management software you can compare the project costs with the initial estimates. The software can also be used to create and send purchase orders. Many software available in the market can be integrated with the accounting software that you use, thus allowing you to manage all the payments and invoices from a single system.
Depending on the scope and size of the projects, you will have to decide which features are important for you.
Construction management software helps propel the business on a path of growth
Here are some reasons why a construction company should invest in a project management software:
- Easy access to information for all stakeholders: As all documents are stored at a central repository with easy access, vital paper trails don’t get lost. Log records show time stamp of document creation and each edit. At any point in time, all stakeholders of the project have access to check the project status.
- Project management becomes easier: The software enables having a systematic approach during the project. The software is easy to understand and enabled the project team to ensure that the project moves as per the plan.
- Control on documentation: All construction companies handle a huge volume of paperwork and each document is important and must be stored in a secure manner. The days of physical documents and paperwork are long gone and businesses that want to have a competitive advantage are moving to technology enabled solutions for documentation.
- Integrated view for risk assessment: When project details are scattered, it is difficult to identify and mitigate risk. With the help of construction management software, the project manager can get an integrated view of the project and thus identify risks and take necessary steps to mitigate those.
- Efficient service delivery: With a good construction management software at your disposal you can complete the project as per the timelines and within the estimated budget. With each task simplified and standardized, each stakeholder follows the same map to reach the project objective.
While the above are some of the key benefits of implementing a construction management software, the software helps you streamline the business and thus helps increase overall effectiveness. When your business meets the project budget and deadline, the customer experience is positive and that helps build a stronger brand of the company.
