For years, project management tools like MS Project have been the go-to solution for scheduling and managing construction projects.
But keeping projects on track – let alone optimizing them – with traditional project management tools is an uphill battle.
Here are seven reasons why. 👇
Most planners and site managers agree that MS Project is a useful tool. But they’ll also tell you that modern, detailed scheduling and good site management require additional tools on top of it.
Their biggest frustration? These tools don’t talk to each other. Building integrations between them is costly and often impossible. So they end up with disconnected schedules and workflows that slow everything down.
Most project management tools aren’t location-based, meaning that planned work isn’t linked to actual on-site locations.
At first glance, plans built in MS Project look flawless. But when you import them to a location-based perspective, you suddenly see the reality: empty rooms, work overlaps, and wasted time.
In comparison, location-based scheduling showcases these gaps in a visual way and showcases clearly how to fix them: with a few adjustments here and there, weeks and months disappear from your initial project schedule.
Check out an example below
➡️ Construction companies that have embraced modern construction tools and industrialized construction have already reduced their construction times by 30-50%. Read how general contractor COfLOW achieved these results
Tools like MS Project are packed with endless rows of information. Managers who analyse it spot delays and risks, but struggle to convey the urgency to the crew members.
By the time site teams realise a delay is serious, it’s already too late: A task that was originally only a few days delayed, can now risk the entire project.
But when schedules are presented in a visual, location-based format, things click. In one glance, teams can:
This means less stress, more clarity, and better decision-making – long before problems turn into fires.
Construction isn’t static and conditions change daily. Materials get delayed, unexpected obstacles appear, and teams need to adjust on the fly. Even the best schedule needs to be updated on-site.
Traditional project management tools don’t support real-time updates or multi-user collaboration. As a result, site managers and crews work with outdated schedules, leading to miscommunication, rework, and costly delays.
Once construction begins, the team will face different kinds of problems that need to be solved. These issues are discussed in meetings, and solutions are agreed upon.
With tools like MS Project, making changes is a time-consuming process:
A week is a long time in a construction site.
With a modern production management tool, schedule changes can be done in real-time, already during the discussion. The meeting ends with an actionable plan everyone can agree to, not just a to-do list.
Even for experienced planners, building a schedule with MS Project takes days.
By contrast, with Sitedrive, you can create the same schedule, on a more detailed level, in just 45 minutes – saving time before construction even starts.
Construction happens on-site, not in an office. Tools like MS Project lack the mobile-friendly, field-ready features that modern construction teams need.
Site managers and crews need mobile tools to:
Do you recognise any of these seven challenges? We’ve got the solution for you ⬇️
“The feedback from sites has been tremendous!”
General contractors globally are moving beyond outdated tools and embracing site-first solutions that provide flexibility, collaboration, and real-world adaptability.
Ready to see how production management software Sitedrive could improve the way you build?