The commercial construction sector has already surpassed the breaking point for technological adoption. Digitization is the best course of action when facing complicated difficulties like labor shortages, increasingly complex projects, and escalating expenses. You must know the options available and how to evaluate them before purchasing any all-in-one management platform. What do you need for your team versus what would be wonderful to have? Your ideal piece of software should have the following capabilities:
- To gain additional business
- For performing work and boosting productivity
- For managing your business and increasing profitability.
Let’s examine these qualities in greater detail.
CRM (customer relationship management)
Did the potential customer sign your proposal? How much new business did you close last month?
Using a commercial construction CRM, you can keep track of your projects and prospects in one place as they move through the sales process. You won’t have to attempt to put together handwritten notes, phone conversations, and emails. A digital sales dashboard linked to your estimating and job workflows can be used as a substitute.
Estimating
Businesses must continually submit bids for projects to secure new business. However, handwritten paper forms and Excel spreadsheets might take hours to complete to estimate and bid. Without technology, you might compromise data accuracy and build estimates more quickly, putting the margins of your project in danger. You can automate project estimate figures and produce expert bid proposals with the right software. Integrate it with resource planning workflows and accounting software after that. The outcome? You may create more compelling proposals and secure more employment in less time.
Scheduling
There are several factors concerning your employees to consider when scheduling, including their qualifications, location, and more. However, you do not have to manage this intricate process using whiteboards and spreadsheets. Instead, a digital, drag-and-drop interface will give you back control over scheduling. It simplifies the process of sending job information and assigning people. Additionally, it will avoid issues over worker compliance or double booking.
Field data gathering
A site manager typically returns to the office at the end of each day to deliver daily reports. The pace of business today requires you to know what is happening; therefore, that process would be too sluggish. Streamline everyday job forms and automate the data transmission to the office via automated field data collecting.
Financial planning and management
Contractors sometimes experience cash flow problems since all their assets are invested in materials and equipment, leaving them with no room to maneuver if clients fail to pay on time or if projects are more expensive than anticipated.
With construction software that integrates financial management and forecasting functions, you can analyze data from estimates and bids and get alarms for warning aspects (such as frequently underestimating time lost to weather delays). It can also automate cash flow and other data and push them out to organizational leaders to ensure everyone involved has the most recent information on the company’s financial situation.
Final thoughts
Consider what your business lacks, then choose commercial construction programs that fill those gaps.
