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Published August 02nd, 2016 by

Using Construction Management Software for Residential Construction

Using Construction Management Software for Residential ConstructionThe construction management software is used to improve the productivity, competitiveness and efficiency of an architecture. It’s very helpful in building residential, commercial and industrial infrastructure. The residential construction starts from the acquisition of the land, the land development, acquiring a permit and the construction.

Home building can be complex since you need to build the foundation, framing and making the home ready for use. It requires capital for the materials and skilled subcontractors. Whether you want to build a single or a multi-family home, you can benefit by using the residential project management software. It helps improve the process of bidding, material allocation, team collaboration as well as manage the changes in the construction project to ensure maximum profitability.

The construction tasks that used to be only for the construction professionals can now be performed using the construction software.It provides a solution to project management and comprehensive accounting. It assists the construction managers to have an accurate analysis and reporting of the project. Among its key functions are equipment management, contract writing, inventory control and purchase orders.

The residential construction manager is not only responsible for building homes, but they need to market the services they offer, manage the schedules and negotiate with the subcontractors, inspectors and home buyers. The general contractors for residential construction build custom and high-end homes. They even develop an entire subdivision which is consists of hundreds of residential homes. Some contractors use computer-aided design (CAD) software to present their design to clients. It includes the interior and exterior design of the home, floor plans and landscaping.

Flexibility

It is essential for a building construction management software to support any digital platforms. A web based construction management software will make everything intact in one place, allowing the team members to access the project information 24/7. It doesn’t require a software installation, as long as you have an internet ready device you can access the construction details through the web. Also, it is cost-efficient since you don’t need to invest in a particular IT infrastructure, but instead you can take advantage of the cloud to save all the files. This also allows the individuals involved in the project access the project plan anytime and anywhere.

The robust search feature of the software allows you to easily locate the construction information that you need. It uses different file formats to quickly ensure quick delivery of the models, schedules and drawings.

The software can be configured based on the preference of the user which makes the team collaboration easier. You can personalize the view so that the whole team can easily understand the data. It includes the calendar and scheduling feature so you can track your job schedule and automatically get daily updates. This helps keep the construction activities in order and prevent events that may cause a delay in the project. If there are any schedule changes that need to be made, it can easily be done and it updates the calendar real-time.

Security

It is vital to keep all the construction data and resources secured at all times. All the information should be safe when you access, update or share the files. The residential construction management software records and saves all the construction details. It creates and monitors the RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) records, the completion certificates, commission reports and the contingency contracts.

It provides a secure collaborative structure while giving the administrator a complete control of the software. Setting a permission level of the software will allow or permit an individual to access or make changes to the files. The files are more organized because only the individuals who have a permission to make changes in the files can edit or update the documents. Those who have only the viewing capability will only be able to view the files. As part of the security measure of the software, it will require you to log in with a username and password for authorization. Reviews on construction management software from trusted websites can help you gather more information on the security feature each software can offer.

All the team members should be aware of the best security practices. Determine the security vulnerabilities of your software and invest on improving the security especially on the critical data.

Clever

The residential remodeling and bids are automatically entered into the system even if the process of sales is still ongoing. It is time efficient since you no longer need to decode the hand-written information. It reduces the time to figure out what was written on the notes since everything is already documented in the system. It is updated real time, which gives you an assurance that the files that you are viewing are all up-to-date.

The software helps speed up and reduce the error in bids, allowing you to submit more precise bids.  Accuracy in bids can maximize the chance of winning the bids. Winning more bids can help the business grow.  With the help of a construction management tool, you can easily determine the labor costs, equipment and materials needed to perform the necessary tasks. It also accurately computes the job cost which includes the skill of the worker, weather conditions and the schedule of the workers.

Since it removes the need to enter the data manually, you are guaranteed that the estimates are produced quicker and more accurate compared to the manual method. You can easily import and populate the estimates with its corresponding quantities and cost to be used in generating the Building Information Modeling (BIM).

The audit trails are automatically created to effectively and immediately handle any dispute in mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing trades. This helps avoid any delay in claims which can help generate more clients since they will feel that the company values them.

Some software even gives you the ability to customize the databases to help you easily manage the entire construction project, according to the standard of the construction industry.Older plan versions are saved so you can utilize it and compare to the newer version. It makes it easier to see which version or method produces more profit, which can then be applied to the next project.

Proven

Residential construction project management tools such as the Contractor Rush are designed by contractors who are already familiar with the residential construction method. Its models are based on successful residential remodeling which is proven to deliver great results. You can take advantage of the reviews of construction management tools to determine who designed the software and if it is a reputable software manufacturer.

The software is capable of providing a timely report in order for the management and the project team to keep informed of the project development. It can be used to assess the projects progress and challenges. According to Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, management reports in every operational area should be created quickly, easily and in real-time to meet the needs of the residential developers. The residential construction software available in the market today can filter the data based on what you need or your preference to have a more organized and real-time business report. You can take advantage of the generated report to gain insights on the business and increase the profit.

Other Features

The top construction management tools provide a solution for home improvement. Residential management tools include software for window installation, siding, roofing, garage door and gutter.

Mobile capability is available to most construction software in order for the construction professionals to easily and quickly access the construction record, manage documents and keep track of the construction development. It can also be used to help detect any defects in the construction management to ensure the safety and quality of the project. It can monitor the construction equipment and determine which equipment is fully functional and needs maintenance. If it needs maintenance, it will send an alert so you can replace with a functional equipment to ensure a constant activity in the construction site.

The integration of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) allows the construction company to input the contact details of the client to the system. It can be used to send reminders and provide more personalized communication to the clients. It makes use of the customer data from the sales process until the end of the warranty period. It lowers communication costs while increasing the customer satisfaction. It efficiently segments the customer data to deliver a more personalized customer interaction. The data can be used as your hint on what information you need to send the customer based on their preference. This feature is ideal especially if you want to maintain a long-term relationship with the customers.

Do you need a construction management software? For residential construction firms who are planning to switch to the construction technology, consider how to integrate the software with the existing applications of the company. Determine the compatibility of your hardware and make sure to have enough computer memory for desktop applications to ensure the reliability of the software. If you want to know more about the benefits of the construction management software, you can check the reviews on CrowdReviews.com.

Jeev Trika

Jeev is an executive leader with successful experience building research portals which recommend the best products and services in various highly competitive verticals.

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