Why Is It Necessary?
A construction project, if you think about it, is a well-coordinated dance. A finely choreographed team coming together to create something from nothing. When a project goes right, everyone is happy. The Owner feels they received value for their investment. The architect has watched their creative vision come to life. The engineers made sure everything worked as it was designed. The contractors took the concept from ideas on paper to living, breathing structures of magnificence. Oh, and the project manager has stayed engaged and on top of the entire process, making sure the project stays on schedule and budget.
It’s magic when it happens…
The goal of every single owner, architect, engineer, contractor, and project manager is to play their essential part to ensure a successful project outcome. Most projects involve a lot of people, a lot of moving parts, and a very real threat of problems arising. Without a defined process and approach that the right collaborative construction project management software can provide, a project can quickly come off the rails.
The reality is that when people are involved, issues are inevitable. Issues surrounding communication, documentation, understanding, and acknowledging what is being asked of each project stakeholder can significantly impact a project’s success. The orchestrated effort to get everyone on the same page, singing from the same hymnal, and minimizing the potential for issues to arise and errors to occur is avoidable.
That’s where construction project management software comes into play.
The correct construction project management software should contain four essential elements:
1. Every team member should have access to it
2. Should be easy to use and understand
3. Will make everyone more efficient at their job
4. Should not cost an arm and a leg
In today’s market, there are nearly 175 different types of construction project software on the market. 175! That’s crazy. Imagine if you were trying to buy a new truck and there were 175 different types of trucks to choose from. Bet you would feel overwhelmed. We sure would.
The reality behind what works for a team and what doesn’t comes down to a few simple things to evaluate as you look to engage construction project management software on your next project. Those things revolve around people, process, leadership, and accountability.
You need software that is simple enough for the entire construction team to use, or they will not use it. That means you have to select a product that doesn’t require a ton of time to learn and is intuitive enough to use. Any software that takes more than 30 minutes to learn is not an easy construction software for your team, so don’t even think about it.
The software that you choose should be scalable to adapt to any size construction project or team without further cost. Any software salesperson who starts a conversation with you by asking how much your firm does in construction volume is someone you should run from. Software shouldn’t be predicated on the number of users or how much money a vendor thinks they can extract from you simply because of your annual revenue.
Any software that you use should be geared towards standard construction processes that the entire team at every level will understand. RFIs, Submittals, Daily Construction Reports, Change Orders, and simple but powerful Project Budget Tracking are all essential elements that should be easily accessible in any construction project management software. Let’s face it, if you put the tool in front of your least technical user and they look at you with that blank stare of confusion, you’ve got the wrong project management software.
Finally, any software that you use for the construction team must have two essential elements as a byproduct of its use: leadership and accountability. I know what you are thinking, leadership, how does that play into my consideration of what construction software to choose? Ties into the accountability thing as well.
Good construction project management software gives every member of the team the critical information they need to do their job as efficiently as they can.
- What is expected of them is understood
- What is due or past due
- How to solve problems or ask for help
- Helping every stakeholder easily document, track, and historically retain key project data
Construction project management software makes it easy for a project stakeholder to act through action, communicate efficiently, and document their progress. That level of accountability and delivery is, if you think about it, leadership. Good teams become great when they leverage the tools that good construction software can provide.
Why is construction project management software necessary on a project? Because without it, you increase the odds that someone on your project will misunderstand, ignore, or fail to comply with something essential to ensuring your project comes off without a hitch.
The right project software not only keeps the team pointed in the right direction but also eliminates a number of areas where errors, issues, and miscommunications can and will occur. Simply put, the guidance a collaborative construction software solution can provide your team is not only helpful but invaluable.
Check out Success Stories of OI Users
ICYMI: Why Owners Need Their Own Construction Software – Part 4
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