This is a guest article by Costa Lamprou
Technology has truly revolutionized the way we do business. Regardless of the industry in question, technological advancements have made life easier for countless professionals.
When we think about the construction industry, the technological advancements that most would list would be modern machinery and newly developed construction and engineering techniques.
One rarely thinks of software solutions being applied to a construction project.
However, from design and planning, to execution - software solutions and tools have had a massive impact on construction. In particular, it's hard to overstate the importance of project management tools when it comes to getting things done on time and within budget. In fact, there is a wide range of project management software created just for the construction industry.
So, what’s so great about construction management software? Why is it becoming popular?
Let’s talk about the benefits of using construction project management software:
Error Free Budgeting
Budgeting tools are a standard feature in construction project management software. These budgeting tools are designed to automate budgeting tasks like cost estimation, time tracking, and invoicing.
While only the automation part is a superb advantage in itself, this automation also gives you an additional hidden benefit- the elimination of human error from the budgeting process.
Since the software’s algorithms are doing all the calculations, you can rest assured that your budgeting predictions and other financial interactions are always a 100% error free.
Centralized Document Control
Any construction project, big or small, involves the movement and sharing of a variety of documents. From legal contracts to building blueprints, you may be required to share documents with internal team members, outsourcing partners, other contractors, and of course, your clients.
With a document control feature, which is offered by most construction project management software, you can automate the process of sharing relevant documents with the right people. This doesn’t just make managing the documents much easier, faster, and error free. Such a tool will also ensure there is no sharing or creation of unnecessary worksheets and will ensure you have complete control over the knowledge and information pertaining to any project that you are managing.
Manage Multiple Construction Projects In One Place
Success with just one project under your belt is next to impossible. Sooner or later, every construction company has to juggle multiple projects at the same time.
Keeping the complexity and the long term nature of most construction projects, it is easy to imagine how managing multiple projects can quickly turn into an administrative nightmare, especially for independent contractors.
However, with a construction project management software, you can get a bird’s eye view of the progress of all the projects that you are managing at any time. Besides this, project management software also retains information of past projects. In fact, many software allow you to use your past projects as templates to manage newer projects.
Efficient Communication
Efficient communication is critical to the success of any project, regardless of the industry. In the case of a construction project, efficient and timely communication about the task schedule, pending tasks, and any updates related to the project is extremely important.
Delay or errors in such communications can cause delays in the overall delivery of the project. Over months, such miscommunication can result in a significant delay that may adversely influence your relationship with your clients.
With a construction project management software, you can automate much of the communications that are sent from your side. For instance, if you make a change in the task schedule, your project management software will automatically update every relevant person about the change through a pre-specified communication channel.
Conclusion
The secret to success with any construction project is efficient management and organization. Project management software is designed to make this part of your job easy.
Author Bio:
Costa Lamprou is the head of PPC at The Elearning Industry Network. With experience from everything ranging from product development and sales to training and PPC, Costa helps eLearning businesses reach their full lead gen potential. When he isn’t helping clients succeed, Costa likes to expand his marketing horizons with the help of eLearning courses.