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Published August 01st, 2016 by

5 Important Qualities of a Good Construction Management Tool

5 Important Qualities of a Good Construction Management ToolConstruction management tools come in many names. Sometimes they are called construction management software, capital project management software or project management information systems. But no matter how it is called, these tools help construction firm owners and operators make their construction jobs easier. It has helped construction managers handle big projects with ease.

A big construction project means that there is loads of information that has to be tracked and keep up to date with. Before the construction management software it was done with the use of spreadsheets and hand written documents and files. This system would be okay if there is no risk of disorganization and some important documents becoming lost. This is why this particular software has become very important to construction project managers. There are so many available software out in the market that it might be hard to find the most suitable one. Here are some important qualities that you should look for when considering a management tool.

Easy Task Management

You are getting the best construction management tools to make your life as a project manager easier. The first thing you should look for is if the task manager integrated into the software will mesh easily with your day to day work. There are many things to consider when getting a management tool and an easy task management set up is one of them. Here are some of the things you should see in the software to ascertain that it will be a good task manager:

  1. Getting a management software is supposed to save you time and that won’t happen if the software you choose is very complicated to learn. As much as possible choose a software that can be learned in no time. What might be simple for the software vendor might be difficult for you, so test it out first before buying to get a feel for how simple to use the task manager is.
  2. According to investopedia.com, scalability is the ability of a software to cope up when the workload is getting bigger. When your construction firm is getting bigger and bigger projects, that means more tasks have to managed. You need a software that can help you no matter how big the tasks are. If you get a software now that is only capable of small projects then you would have to get a new one when you get more projects. This will be an additional cost, so better get a construction project management software that can keep up with your workload as you get more projects.
  3. Your task manager will be in charge of prioritizing tasks that have to be done. So it is important that the software you will choose is able to organize tasks based on urgency and importance. It would be useless if it can’t do even this simple thing, because that would mean that you still need to manually arrange the tasks you have to do.

Improve Business Growth

Getting a new software should help you grow your business. A software might be a questionable tool in the construction business. But the best construction management software will help you do just that. How will your software help you with growing your business? Here are some ways:

  1. The construction course can be complicated and involve a lot of people. Having construction management tools will help handle the complicated parts of the construction process. It will also help deal with the multiple connections a construction manager has to do. The manager will have help with dealing with his employees and the companies he gets his materials from. This tool will ensure that no task will be left undone and overlooked. This will significantly increase the efficiency of the business and can help with growth even when business is slow.
  2. Decrease costs. The software is integrated with accounting tools, which is another software you need that you wouldn’t have to pay additional for. Also, the construction management tool will help you stay ahead of cost changes, giving you time to decide whether to change suppliers or not. The system will give you the real time workflow of the business ensuring that you are profiting from your jobs.
  3. Getting a management tool will help your business diversify. The software will be able to help you no matter what project you take on. It can work with residential, corporate, or industrial and commercial construction projects. Because the software can make operations efficient and streamline processes, you can take on more projects. Just make sure that the software you will get is also scalable, so it can handle the job no matter how big it is. If you want to know more about construction management software, read the reviews.

Secure Storage of Documents

When you use a construction project management software, you would have to upload sensitive files and documents. This is so everything is available in the cloud and you can access them anytime and anywhere. This is why, when choosing a software, one of the qualities you should look for is the software’s ability to keep your documents secured while they are in the system. Read the privacy policy thoroughly so you know how the software will handle security concerns of your documents. Here are some tips to ensure that your documents are secure:

  1. This is the most effective way to protect your documents from malicious people. Encryption is usually done by putting in a password to documents that you upload on the internet. Make sure that all the sensitive files you have to upload to your cloud are encrypted.
  2. Mobile security. Because the best construction management tools are cloud based, you can access it anytime and anywhere with the use of any device that can connect to the internet. That includes mobile phones and tablets. Be sure that even your mobile phones are secured when opening documents of sensitive nature. There can be malwares and viruses even for phones, so be sure to conduct a virus search for your phone every now and then.
  3. Regular security testing. Once your construction management is in place, you should conduct security testing regularly. This is to see that no breach has been done and everything is still secured.

Cost Control

Cost control is the practice of reducing business costs. This is done by studying the actual cost versus the budget expectations to know if the company is spending way more than they should. If it has been found out that much more money is being spent than there actually is, actions to curb the expenditure will be undertaken. A good construction management tool will help your business identify ways in which you can reduce business cost and help with cost control. The following are ways to help with cost control:

  1. Preliminary estimation. Before doing any of your plans, do a cost estimation. This is when preliminary plans are estimated. Construction managers are experts when it comes to estimating materials and resources needed to finish a project.
  2. Detailed estimates. After doing preliminary estimation, a more detailed one should be done. The construction manager, together with the company’s accountant will go over the initial estimates. This is to make a more detailed estimate of what will be used. This can help avoid discrepancies in the construction project along the way.
  3. Cost roadmap. This is done by the construction manager and the accountant to see how the cash flow during the project will be happening. The project is under control if the costs estimates and the roadmap match.

Efficient Delivery of Service

One important quality that should not be overlooked when choosing a construction management software is its efficiency and effectiveness in delivering service. An effective software is easy to understand and implement. This is so those who will use it will be able to learn it without problem. Being a construction manager will take years of formal education and years of experience to be an expert, but having the software will help even novice ones to make RFIs, business letters, submittals, transmittals and charge requests. With the use of the software, the construction manager and other key players in the construction project will be able to exchange information and documents through the software with ease.

Not every software will share the same features. And an important quality that you should seek is its ease of use. This will make it more efficient and effective. If you want to read honest opinions about softwares you are considering, search construction management tool reviews. This will give you an idea about how a particular software works based on the information provided by real users.

Having a construction management software helps construction managers tremendously. They get the specific help they need with the software. It handles tasks that no other software or application has the ability to do. And it can be accessed anywhere and anytime. For projects that are done in remote places, this is very helpful. Consider the qualities mentioned above before getting a construction software and be sure to read construction management tool reviews to help you make a decision.

Still looking for the best construction management software for your construction needs? Go on to CrowdReviews .com and check out some of the users’ opinions.

Keith Moore

Keith Moore has worked with several leading Android development agencies to build customized mobile apps enabling businesses to extend the use of their services to smart phones and mobile devices.

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