Beginner’s Guide to Project Management Software for Construction
WASHINGTON – (RealEstateRama) — The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management as the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality, and participating objectives. This definition can be applied construction project management as well, as the construction project manager uses the same concepts, applying it in the construction set.
While working on any project, construction included, there are four main elements that must work together flawlessly: Scope, Resources, Time and Money.
Since having all these four elements to work together seamlessly is not an easy task, automating it using a construction project management software is something that more and more companies are adapting. A construction project management software is a platform that’s used to automate tasks of project planning, project scheduling, allocation of resources, change management and communication between team members while taking into the equation the overall resources, components and shareholders.
Benefits of Using A Construction Project Management Software
If your construction company is not yet using a construction project management software then you might be wasting valuable time on tasks that can be automated by a project management software while your team focuses on core operation to complete the project. Here are some reasons why project management software is useful for your construction company.
Seamless Team Collaboration and Communication
The right project management software for your company will make sure that everyone who is involved in the project has a platform where they can communicate with each other wherever and whatever they are at a given time. The software also provides a place where the team members can share documents and track changes to the projects in real times, giving greater accountability to the people involved in the project.
Greater Productivity Between Team Members
Low productivity equates to money loss, but with the right construction project management software can lead to a greater level of accountability among team members. Say goodbye to people complaining that they haven’t been able to receive the assignment, or was not aware of constantly changing deadlines, or were not kept in the loop regarding certain things.
Easier Monitoring Real-Time Decision Making
To make sure that any project is a success, monitoring the progress of the work is essential, and the right platform can give you the right information and provide real-time insights to any problems that can delay the completion of any project. With real-time access to reports anytime, anywhere, project managers can pull up any kind of reports and be able to make better decisions anytime, anywhere.
Construction Management Software: Things To Consider
If you are thinking of migrating your entire company to a new platform because you want to reap the benefits of a construction project management software for you and your team, there are a few things that you want to think about.
Generally, the whole process of researching, choosing, price negotiations and finally implementing a new construction software generally takes about a year for commercial builders, less for small businesses. So with this said, make sure that you budget the time and cost for switching to new software.
Another important thing that you want to consider is the change that this will bring into your organization. Installing a project management software into your company will change the dynamics of how the team works in their everyday routine as well as affect the overall operations of the company. Change is good, but it can’t be denied that there will be some people within your organization who are xenophobic to change and find it difficult to adapt. So you want to factor in these things when you start your planning for software migration.
Migration to a new software can be chaotic and disruptive if not done properly, so it might be a good idea to follow a few steps to make the transition smoother.
Steps to Choosing The Right Construction Software
Set Your Goals.
Before you do anything, sit down and make a list of the current problems that you are experiencing and identify which ones need the most attention. While doing so, have a think about your company’s goals and where you want to be a few years from now and rank these from most to least important.
Doing so will help you determine the best project management software for your company.
Do your Research, Gather Information and Assess Features
Websites such as Capterra and FinanceOnline can give you information on the different kinds of software that is out there in the market, as well as give you an overview of what this software can do. Talking to experts in the field will also help you narrow down your scope of choices.
Narrow Down Your Selection Criteria and Request for a Product Demo
Once you’ve narrowed down a few of the software that you want to use, it’s time to see if it really does what it says it’s going to do, and requesting for a demo is one way of making sure that it’s the right one that your company needs.
Choose and Implement
Once you’ve chosen what you think would be the best software for your company, get ready to get it implemented in your company. This process can take a few days to a few weeks depending on the amount of work that needs to be done to be able to roll out this new software.
Using a construction management project software can bring a lot of benefits to your company, but remember that not all software is built the same, so we hope that this article has helped you start in deciding which platform is best for your construction project management needs.
Are you thinking of migrating to a new construction project management software, or is your company using one now? Tell us your experience in the comments below!
