Mistakes to Avoid When Adopting Construction Software
Construction is an industry that is constantly evolving as advancements in technology are made. Every year there seems to be some new tool or solution that is changing the industry, making jobs take half the time and saving managers half the headaches. Each year, construction software tools become more and more affordable for organizations who need them. With the ever-growing list of benefits that adopting construction solution can bring to your company, including improving communication across your team, collecting accurate data, streamlining complicated workflows, the list goes on, it is easy to see why construction companies are quickly adopting technology to run their businesses more efficiently.
That being said, moving an entire organization into the digital era can often be problematic. For a solution to handle all of the various moving parts of a construction business, there is usually enormous cost associated with it, and that is before you factor in the labor hours involved with training your employees and importing all of your existing data. When it is all said and done, will the construction solution your company spent so much time implementing actually benefit your team?
Choosing the Wrong Solution
When it comes to moving your construction company into the digital age with construction software, it is important to choose the solution that best fits your business. Some business owners will choose the solution that is least expensive or had the best reviews, however it is essential that you take a deeper look and make sure that what you are signing up for is what you actually need.
Contract vs Service
In today’s world there are few construction companies that handle strictly service type work or contract work, in most cases companies handle a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, most construction software companies do not tend to cater to both. Luckily, TRUE does, we recognize that there are many moving parts in a construction business and you have to be able to switch gears almost immediately. TRUE allows your business that freedom. TRUE is the first of its kind that handles subcontractors’ workflows for both the service side of their business and the contract side. When choosing a software solution to help better your business, it is vital that you go with a solution that will handle all of the aspects of your operation, not just one.
Using the Wrong Tools
For a business to truly adopt a construction solution, it is important to understand the different devices it can be used on. Many software solutions, like TRUE, can be accessed from either a smartphone, tablet, or a computer. I’ll briefly go over the benefits of each instrument, and when you should use them.
Laptops & Desktops
For those members of your team that handle large amounts of data, procurement, inventory, scheduling and report, we recommend going for a laptop or desktop computer. Not only will it make it easier to input data, but making changes later on will be easier to spot. Entering data into a laptop will allow you to automatically open the outputted Excel file that is generated when completing an eForm. If you need to work with any complex calculations, and have the convenience of being next to a computer, a big screen will help.
Tablets
Tablets are a great option for many tasks in the field or when you need to access important information. Technicians and project managers are able to create documentation, documents sites and much more because tablets offer a happy medium between the big screen of the laptop, and the portability of a mobile device. Tablets, however, are the most expensive out of the bunch. Chances are, your employees will not want to bring theirs from home, so you may have to provide a company one. If it is going to be outside, you also need to purchase insurance for it, which could run the bill up quite a lot. Regardless, this is the best option if you want something simple, larger and easy to use with more functionality than a smart phone.
Smart Phones
Sometimes computers and tablets are not the most feasible option. For many of our users, a majority of their work happens in the field and this is where mobile phones come in handy. Smartphones are an excellent option because most employees today probably own one. Since TRUE construction software works with both Android and Apple operating systems, all of your employees are covered. Phones also have longer battery lives then the other options, so for people that are going to be on the field all day, this might be the best way to go.
When choosing devices for your team, it is important to think about their workflows, travel and field activities. What is going to suit them best and keep them working not only productively but efficiently?
Adopting construction software is a serious strategic move for your organization and it is important to treat it as such. Not only will you be investing a large amount of money in your new solution but you will also be investing a tremendous amount of time and energy implementing your new tool. Don’t waste what precious time and money you have on a solution that you will want to move on from in a few months because it doesn’t operate correctly on the devices your team has or because it doesn’t properly handle the various aspects of your business. If you need a solution that will function on multiple devices, on different operating systems, and handle both your contract and service work, there really is only one option, TRUE. For more information about TRUE Contractor Software, check out our website on www.docuwrx.com/solutions.