6 Questions You Need to Ask If You’re Considering Construction Management Software

warren hill
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

If you ever happen to overhear contractors talking shop, you’re likely to hear buzzwords like information security, site productivity, lean construction, wearable technology, and generative design. But the main focus of their conversation will be how to digitize all of this information in order to solve problems and increase the bottom line.

Does any of this sound familiar?

  • You use outdated software that everyone on your team complains about. No one likes using it because it only halfway works and it’s crashed so many times you have to keep paperback ups of everything anyway.
  • You use a combination of email, spreadsheets, texts, clipboards, and charts to track work. You basically know how to put your hands on the information you need, but data is kept in so many different places and in so many different ways that almost no one but you can keep track.
  • You want to upgrade to a modern and easy to use system, but new technology can be such a pain to implement and get used to. You’re not sure that everyone on the team will be receptive to learning something new.

Software is what you need; a technology partner is how you get there. The tricky thing about technology is that it rolls forward at a pretty fast pace. You need a partner with the means, vision, and innovation to keep up with it all so that you can stay focused on your company.

FINDING A TECHNOLOGY PARTNER

Getting updated and high functioning software is great, and it’s the first step. But you need more than software. You need a partner committed to your success. You should consider them one of many indispensable resources you use to run your business.

There are six invaluable questions that you need to ask each potential partner that you meet with.

  1. Is your software easy to use? Does it have easily configured workflows, is it mobile, and is it integrated across project control processes?
  2. Does it support different types of projects? Software needs the flexibility to handle different processes like design/build and design/bid/build. What about if you handle both private clients and government projects? Can the software handle both?
  3. Can you adapt the software to my business model and workflow? Whatever software you buy should be able to fit the way that you work and not the other way around.
  4. Does it meet all security and compliance regulations? If it doesn’t, how will you ever get new projects?
  5. Does it have built-in security by default? You don’t want to make your team accountable for the security permissions on every single new project.
  6. What services, consulting, and training do you provide? The right partner for you is one that wants to see you succeed. The firm should, at a minimum ensure proper software set up, basic and continued training, and instant tech support if something goes wrong.

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