Construction document management is an approach businesses adopt to regulate the flow of documents relating to construction projects. With this, construction companies can ensure timely access and availability of relevant documents to its stakeholders. Given the large scale of projects, specific requirements by regulatory authorities and the need to have structure to manage these large-scale projects, the document management process plays a very critical role in ensuring projects are completed on-time.
There are several types of construction documents and here are a few examples.
Construction document management is a complex area where the number documents and the number of people involved are both high. In this scenario, there are a plethora of challenges, some of which include:
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving document management in construction. Here are a few steps that can put any business in a good place to start.
There are several larger objectives for setting up standards for construction document management. To begin, it is the foundation for eliminating chaos from the project. In addition, it is a sure shot way to drive alignment amongst all stakeholders. It also helps forge healthy and a good working relationship with vendors, contractors and subcontractors. Apart from that, streamlined document management can be a life-saver during audits and compliance checks. In total, it greatly helps the business achieve on-time completion of projects.
To ensure projects are executed on time and every stakeholder understands their role, context and the stage of the project they are in, documentation plays a critical part. It also is essential to set the right expectations between parties and when there is conflict, it becomes the only tool that can help the parties find fast resolution.
A lack of a structured approach to construction management can lead to several situations that businesses will not like to find themselves in. Firstly, there is room for a lot of chaos and people not being on the same page. Secondly, there is no way to ensure everyone understands the goals, milestones, processes and dependencies clearly leading to a lack of organization of activities. Thirdly, there is a high chance for non-compliance which will impact the organization financially and also in the brand optics. Lastly, it is a sure shot way to outrun costs and ensure delays.
Ideally, the beginning of any project starts with documents. Irrespective of the scope, budget and complexity, it is a good practice to consider document management as a hygiene factor. This establishes the need for taking it seriously amongst all stakeholders.However, due to whatever circumstance, this has not been streamlined, businesses can prioritize this midway but a significant amount of time, resources, support from all stakeholders would be required. Yet, this is completely worthwhile and a fruitful exercise that can save the project from delays and non-compliance. This approach would also need users at all levels to be trained on some practices, processes and in some cases even tools for construction document management that the business decides to utilize.
Organizations should embark on this journey early enough. Even if the scope of operations is small, there are tools that can scale up or scale down according to the needs of the business. There are lifetime-free tools that are available too if businesses are at a stage where they won’t need a commercial solution. However, to have a system and tools made specifically for the construction industry are needed.
Construction document management software has several benefits to offer businesses some of which include:
Having a system to effectively manage documents sets basic protocols and keeps the team organized. It gives every stakeholder the clarity they need and paves the way for effective communication. It also helps in avoiding conflict amongst different stakeholders. It enables them to comprehend information correctly and commit to the right set of tasks and timelines. It also paves the way for improved relationships with vendors. Overall, it makes the organization a lot more transparent, collaborative and effective.
Yes. Modern day construction document management tools are built with secure features, encryptions and access levels. With role-based access, the right amount of access can be given across all types of users from C-suite to field staff to external and third-party users such as contractors and cub-contractors. These tools also are built with the mobile users in mind which makes it seamless for field usage.
With the right tools and technology in place, it is not expensive to manage construction documents. However, failure to do so can turn even more expensive in terms of project outrunning costs, penalties by regulatory bodies for non-compliance and more.
Firstly, using the right tool to manage documents provides a sense of relief to all stakeholders. This sets them on a journey from chaos to control. Apart from that, it also enables them to avoid conflict arising due to poor communication and incorrect understanding of priorities and tasks.
To choose the right tool for document management, it is important to set clear goals as to what to expect from the exercise. After that to get stakeholder buy-in is the next key step. This can be followed by a research of the different tools available for construction document management and a trial. To choose the one that best fits the needs of the organization, it should be easy to set up, onboard users and the ease of training and adoption.
Some of the key things to consider while choosing a construction document management software are:
There is no standard answer to this. It depends on the size of the organization and current practices in document management. However, construction document management tools can help accelerate this thereby enabling them to reap its benefits sooner than later.
There are expensive offerings available in the market. Yet, it is not necessary or there is no way to guarantee they are better. There are tools that start at $0 and some are lifetime-free with some caps in terms of usage. There are a plethora of offerings with affordable pricing that justify its value. Here is a curated list of top document management software for construction companies.
Kyro and FieldWire offer $0 plans. Raken has a limited period free trial.
On-time completion is a key benefit which can be quantified as a percentage. It is also possible to calculate costs saved due to timely completion. There are other metrics such as ‘call resolution times’, ‘productivity impact’, ‘percentage utilization of field resource bandwidth’ which can be good indicators of the value a construction document management software can bestow.
Evaluate KYRO's document management software by making use of the free plan. It is free forever with full access to the platform, for up to 5 users. Sign up for free and start using.
