The Perfect Software Game Plan

When owners lead the charge for more effective solutions, companies benefit.

Running a construction company is similar to coaching a sports team. Like any team faced with a losing season, a construction business has to adjust its game plan to remain competitive in today’s tough market. With experts still predicting a hard road ahead, owners must continue to seek new ways to adapt their strategies.

Many construction businesses use technology solutions to help streamline operations during poor market conditions. System users typically drive the initial need for software, and managers eventually convince owners to approve the purchase. However, companies must implement a top-down approach concerning technology, where the owner—as the team captain—spearheads change for his or her business team.   

In today’s automated world, countless software solutions exist that can streamline processes, enhance communications among team members, eliminate redundancies and resolve costly errors or mistakes. Identifying areas that need improvement allows owners to determine the right solution for their operational inefficiencies. 

Every contractor needs help to compete more successfully. When selecting new software solutions, factors like customer support, flexibility, ease of use and functionality play an important role in the decision-making process. However, to maximize a technology investment, finding the right software and implementing it requires owners to consider much more than these factors alone. 

In business, training is critical for the successful implementation of new technology or software. Misinformation can dramatically affect a company’s projects and profitability when, for example, an estimator doesn’t know how to properly perform a digital takeoff or a project manager incorrectly reads a report. 

Ensuring all the necessary players have the proper training before they use a new software solution will enable them to become productive much more quickly. But it doesn’t stop there. Due to constant changes in technology and new additions to a company’s workforce, proper user training is an ongoing necessity for a software investment. Luckily, most software providers offer multiple forms of training, from one-on-one and classroom setting sessions to webinars and training videos.

Companies should continue to fund training initiatives, even with a tight budget. Dedicating time and resources to continued learning is a smart way to leverage both a software investment and a workforce. If business happens to be slow, then employees will have more time available to concentrate on learning new and better methods. The payback is twofold, because spending that time on training will provide the team with more ways to efficiently work during the next boom.  

The owner should also go through training to better understand the software’s capabilities. This education will allow owners to set benchmarks for business goals and establish realistic expectations for employees.

Keeping Systems Healthy and Fit
With a keen eye on expenses, owners often look at software maintenance and upgrades as an area they can cut when times are tough. If contractors do not conduct software maintenance and upgrades on a timely basis, then their companies could face significant challenges. 

Staying current on the latest updates can benefit a contractor financially. Updates “debug” the system, improve the solution’s performance and reduce the chance for a major IT interruption. Software providers also release updates to adapt to market trends. Construction companies need to keep their systems fit and healthy year-round, operating in optimal fashion.
   
Covering All the Bases
An organization rarely uses every feature in a software program. Software solutions are designed with multiple types of users in mind, even if they are specific to estimating or financial management. Whether or not a feature is relevant to a particular business, a comprehensive solution often means that users are only seeking value from a fraction of what the software solution offers. 

With an understanding of all areas of the company, a construction business owner can see where a certain function can benefit another individual or department within an organization. For example, the owner might see how the ability to track change orders in a project management solution can benefit both the project manager and the finance department—enabling the team to work more cohesively.

All-in-one Basket
Construction companies are known for working in silos, where each department (estimating, project management, finance, purchasing, etc.) has its own software package and/or other systems and processes. A contractor maintaining multiple software systems requires more training and more maintenance to keep each person informed of each product’s functionality. Excessive training means extra costs, redundancy and a lack of improved processes. Meanwhile, complete construction management software solutions allow contractors to have one solution that fits everyone in the business and accommodates the entire project lifecycle from the initial bid to the final cash payment. A complete solution brings the team together and provides the owner with the visibility across the organization that enables him or her to make intelligent decisions.

Teaming Up
Selecting a software solution based on the product alone is not always the wisest decision, since the software provider is also an important part of the decision. With a good technology provider, a construction company will have a variety of training options, good technical support, regular maintenance and upgrades and a partner who can advise them. The provider is exactly the resource business owners will need as they step up to the mound and take charge of their company’s software strategy.