Spreadsheets and messaging apps are the most popular digital tools at construction sites – but that doesn’t make them the best.
Excellent construction management tools boost collaboration and communication on-site, improving productivity, quality and safety. It can be hard to find the right software for your needs with so many options available. Ease this by comparing the six types of tools below. 👇
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#1 Project Management Software for Construction
The best construction project management software eliminates guesswork and helps you manage and track your projects quickly and visually.
Key features of a good construction project management tool
- Managing contracts and agreements
- Supervising the procurement activities
- Document and design management
- Schedule planning and tracking
A project management tool is great when you need to:
✅ Get a general overview of all your projects in one place.
✅ Understand the progress of the schedule and budget.
✅ Check that all the management tasks are taken care of and that, for example, design, procurement, and resource management activities align with execution.
Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Manage the entire production process with just one tool. Combining things like scheduling, cost control, task lists, and communication into a project management tool will most likely lead to problems.
❌ Execute bottom-up management. Most project management tools are built for the people at the office, not to support the everyday work on-site.
#2 Construction Scheduling Software
Schedules should be at the core of site management as they tell you what happens, where, and when. With this information, everything else, like progress tracking, reporting, site management, condition management, and logistics, is ten times easier. So, if you are still building rough schedules on a spreadsheet, switch to software.
Key features of a good schedule management tool
- Opportunity to plan multiple schedules with Gantt charts or calendar views.
- Printing the schedule. Or in best-case-scenario, sharing it in real-time.
- Templates for quick schedule creation.
Schedule management tool is great when you need to:
✅ Quickly plan a schedule for your project.
✅ Manage a simple project where the schedule doesn’t have hundreds of tasks.
✅ Share the master schedule with all stakeholders.
Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Create a detailed schedule for a complex project.
❌ Keep everyone informed about changes.
❌ Share task lists with the crew.
#3 Jobsite Management Software
Construction project tracking software helps ensure your project is completed on schedule, keeps everyone on task and helps you swiftly address any roadblocks that come up.
Key features of a good Jobsite Management Software
- Tracking construction process via readiness levels.
- Roadblock tracking.
Jobsite management software is great when you need to:
✅ Share up-to-date task lists with the crews.
✅ Report roadblocks and discuss them.
✅ Track progress and quality at the site and create punch/snag lists.
Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Share the real tasks being done. Task lists often don’t match the schedule. To make them work together, you need to link your task lists to the main schedule. Jobsite management tools usually can’t do this.
❌ Connect the punch list with progress tracking. Again, the challenge arises from not being able to combine the data. Knowing what to do next is not tricky.
❌ Handle all activities. Separate realities of job site management solutions and project management software lead to more frustration.
#4 Reality Capture Solutions
Reality capture solutions in construction refer to technologies and methods used to digitally document and model the physical environment of a construction site using data captured from the field. These solutions typically involve 3D laser scanning (LiDAR), photogrammetry, drone aerial surveys, and 360-degree photography.
Key features of a good Reality Capture Software
- Combine the project progress easily using video/image/laser scanning tech.
- Collect as-built information about the product.
- Timeline comparison – what happened on a certain day?
Reality capture solution is great when you need to:
✅ Document what has been the situation at the site on a specific day
✅ Produce a digital twin of the building.
Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Manage the actual activities at the site. Sending someone to check the site and compare results with Building Information Modeling (BIM) takes time.
(Usually, BIM is not even done on a proper level of detail that matches the exact components that must be built. Yes, you can see if you are missing a wall or windows. But then again, I’d rather worry about having all the parts of the water pipes in place so as not to get any leakages.)
#5 ERP for construction industry
Construction ERP software helps organize project details and automate tasks. This software creates cost and schedule reports using project information.
Key features of a good construction ERP
- Insights into project costs
- Overview of resources
- Supply chain operations
Construction ERP software is great when you need to:
✅ Standardise your production activities across the whole portfolio.
✅ Manage your supply chain activities.
✅ Manage overall resources for your organization.
Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Define actual schedules for projects.
❌ Use data from the site. Training everyone on-site to use complex software like this is challenging.
❌ Ensure exact, punctual deliveries to the sites.
#6 Combine these key features with Production Management Software
Wouldn’t it be nice if all these key features were available in one solution? Switching to production management from regular project management will make your construction business thrive.
Key features of a good Production Management Tool
- All the activities, from design to procurement and construction, are scheduled according to the building specifications, considering the contracts.
- Different schedule views ensure you can create separate views for the developer, main contractor, subcontractor site management, crews, and other stakeholders.
- Data is fully connected to other business management systems, such as accounting, and to third-party systems, like warehouse management systems, that your suppliers use to schedule their deliveries.
Production Management tool is great when you need to:
✅ Continuously improve your production lead times, quality and budget performance and ensure high-standard delivery.
✅ Take advantage of popular planning methods like Gantt charts, Takt, and Line of Balance.
✅ Connect your production management data to other systems, such as accounting and logistics.
Sitedrive is the only tool available that can do it all.
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Unfortunately, it is not usually best when you need to:
❌ Organize your documents and design files. A production management system focuses on what actually happens. If you need a good folder system for all your files, consider using something like Trimble Connect, Autodesk Cloud, or M-files. Just make sure all files are linked to the production management system.
❌ Build a control room for company-level business operations. If that’s what you need, look for Business Intelligence Solutions.
❌ Track down all your contacts, clients, and projects. This is much easier to do in a CRM system. CRM tells you to whom you agreed to deliver what and when, but the production management system will make it possible to deliver what was promised.
How do you choose the right digital tool set for your worksite?
Here are a few things you should consider when looking for the right digital construction tools for managing the site:
- Various point solutions solve one or two problems at a time, but there are always dozens of ongoing issues on-site. Jumping from app to app might work in personal life, but in business, things need to be connected.
- Start with site management tools. Headquarters need data from worksites to make decisions. That data won’t exist if the job site doesn’t have the tools to gather it. First, choose tools for bottom-up management and then figure out how to make that data visible to everyone else.
- Make sure you can connect your tools and data. Your schedules are crucial for managing tasks. Merging all important data is necessary when using different software for various workflows.
- Don’t overwhelm your crew. Give your team apps they actually use. They should be able to update everything on a mobile app without feeling overwhelmed.
- Select collaboration tools that allow everyone to see and edit important information.
Here’s a quick recap of what you need for construction management – everything on purple is essential:
➡️ Read how the right digital toolset can help you increase your construction company’s investor appeal
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