Are you researching Construction Project Management Software? You might feel a little overwhelmed by the volume of promotional material that you are finding? Maybe you are thinking, “I’ve got to have a system, so I can make the best choice. Where do I start?”
I’ve been in construction for over 20 years. When I look at all the web sites for different construction software, I ask myself, if I were new to this where would I begin? This is an intro to that process.
The problem:
There are hundreds of programs out there. Ask yourself these questions to help sort out what you need
1) Are you a General Contractor?
2) Are you a Subcontractor?
3) Do you need Quantity Take Off software?
4) Do you need Estimating software?
5) Do you need Bid Management capability?
6) Do you need Project Management?
7) Do you need Accounting?
8) Do you need Job Costing?
9) Do you need Document Control?
10) Do you want your data to be stored In-House or On-Line?
11) Is your company union or prevailing wage or is it open shop?
The solution:
You may be tempted to think that you want everything. However, it is important to examine what your company really needs to:
- Work more efficiently
- Increase profitability
- Increase the scope of work that you can manage
Look at the systems you have in place now? Do you need to scrap what you have or should you augment what you have?
Give some serious thought to the categories of the software that you need. It’s a matter of matching what you need with the software that will meet that need.
Sort what you need into categories on a spreadsheet and then sort the available software into categories. This will narrow down your choices.
Keep in mind, the more that a program offers, the more it costs. It is possible to spend too much money getting software that is too complex for your operation.
Software can be highly specialized and won’t be appropriate for your company. Other packages are very expensive and aren’t appropriate for the size of your company or for the complexity of the work that you do.
A concrete company will have different needs than a general contractor. An architect’s needs differ from an engineer’s.
A general contractor that subs out all his work will have different requirements than a general contractor that does a lot of work in-house.
A company that does prevailing wage work will differ from one that does residential or commercial work.
Quickly eliminate programs that are not for you and focus on the programs that will work for you.
Keep working your spreadsheet and before long, your construction project management software solution will come into focus.
At PlanSwift we have all the components you need to get the job done right, and fast. Learn how PlanSwift takeoff software can help your business.