Contractors are missing out when it comes to using construction-management software as a building block for growth and higher revenues. Here’s how integrating a CM platform into your workflow can help improve operations, cut costs and put you ahead of the competition:
1. Build your team: Project-management software is where your corporate culture takes root. Creating a level of transparency and a tool for collaboration between the home-office team and the field-office team will set you on the path to better integration and team cohesion.
2. Standardize your operations: While each project manager has a unique style, process-based CM software creates a standard for your entire team. Unless you’re a large corporate entity, your CM platform can act as your SOP without having to rely on lengthy procedural manuals.
3. Technology is empowering: For far too long, it has been accepted as conventional wisdom that construction workers don’t like tech and prefer to avoid computers and work with their hands. That is a silly excuse to prevent change. Contractors actually welcome technology. Certainly, working an articulating telescopic boom takes more skill and control than logging in a daily report.
4. Own your own technology: Don’t give up all your control by settling for general-contractor software. The best GCs are those that have the best subcontractors. You want sophisticated and forward-thinking subs who will drive your project to success. And, as subs, you need to own your own technology.
5. Data ownership is the future: Having your data solely stored on someone else’s project-management software is a huge risk in litigation. If you don’t believe me, ask your lawyer. When you use someone else’s platform, they own the data, and that is one step away from owning your business!
