The construction industry is not essentially popular for being an early adopter of technology. It is usually a reactive process or a result of market forces dictating the rate at which technology is adopted. There could be several reasons for this, the top of them being the different types of users that need to be onboarded and their comfort with technology. Another reason could be a lack of awareness of what could be the best fit for the company and a possible wrong selection of tech and tools. This can leave them with a bitter experience and at times even lead them to believe that they may be better off without it and stick to conventional methods of running operations.
For instance, contractor software is something that not just impacts the organization internally but it also has an effect on third-party vendor relationships that are critical and can severely impact day to day operations. However, the capabilities of a general contractor software are too good to let go, some of which include:
A great amount of clarity for all stakeholders regarding the flow of tasks, owners and operations is what a contractor software brings in. This is essential to get everyone on the same page and avoid confusion which can balloon into expenses in construction projects.
A comprehensive view of everything in the field that ensures operational continuity, safety and compliance is another major benefit of using contractor software. This is needed to ensure there are no blockers to the smooth flow of field operations that is key to timely completion of projects.
Documentation is a particularly problematic area where general contractor software can greatly add value by centralizing them. This can save a lot of time and bandwidth that is otherwise spent in back and forth communication.
When any stakeholder needs instant answers, the typical process is a long chain of email or phone communication. There is no guarantee that the answers are correct and accurate. An AI assistant that is now a key part of new-age contractor software is instrumental in solving this challenge. It gives the right answers instantly that helps address any discrepancies, inaccuracies and enables timely intervention to proactively address issues.
While there are plethora of benefits that a construction business has seen evident, there needs to be a careful approach to selecting the right tool. The risks of a wrong selection could not just nullify the benefits but also create a sentiment against adopting new technologies which are key to achieving a competitive edge.
To avoid the missteps in adoption of technology that is critical to your operations, it is important to be aware of them. Here is a set of 7 things that construction businesses need to avoid while choosing contractor software:
Oftentimes, especially when a company is making the switch to a software for the first time, a lack of general awareness and inexperience could lead one to believe that if it has to be advanced, it has to be slightly complex. Simple isn’t futile. In construction, where the majority of users are blue collar workers, simple is effective. Complex systems are often poorly designed and hard to navigate. Instead of being an enabler, the tool becomes a deterrent. No company should ever believe that a software that seems complex would be effective and it is more often than not, counter productive.
Technology isn’t an expense. It is an investment. While choosing contractor software, it is essential to remain cognizant of this. The price that a company has to pay for choosing a tool that is a bad fit, is very high due to the associated damages. In the construction business, time is money. The time that is lost in implementing the tool, training the staff and the field force to adapt to the tool and then go over the same process again to replace the tool is lost money. In addition, it also sets a mental barrier about the whole experience that can even led to a significant part of the user pool believing that technology could be more of a hurdle than a catalyst for their day-to-day operations. This compromise should not be made on grounds of pricing.
While selecting something as powerful as contractor software that can impact daily operations, it is mandatory to assess existing systems to ensure compatibility of the new system without affecting the efficacy of what is in place. In a company, there could be several systems such as the HRMS, ERP, CRM and several more.
A lot of transactional data gets into the picture when contractor software is involved. This needs to reflect in other systems in real-time. This can be possible only when the software has in-built integration capabilities. This is essential to ensure seamless exchange of data and information across systems. Failing at this would mean that there is no guarantee for data to be correct in systems which can lead to ambiguity, incorrect execution of processes resulting in chaos and rework.
Considering that one of the primary goals of using contractor software is to ensure error-free operations, integrations are a key component of enabling that, failing which leads to a reduction in data integrity and is a setback to hassle-free operations.
A contractor software needs to accomplish a plethora of things that include visibility, documentation, workflows and more. Further, to stay proactively future-ready, it needs to have AI capabilities in addition to the aforementioned. Any lack of feature availability would be a setback to the business as it could hamper or affect operations.
As far as the capability set is concerned, the broader the better while not compromising on the depth of the feature. This helps in making a difference in several areas of the project and this has a ripple effect in ensuring seamless flow of activities and tasks between companies and contractors.
It fosters efficiency, transparency and timely completion of projects thereby enabling cost-effective execution of construction projects of any complexity or scale. This goes a long way in ensuring brand reputation.
Contractor software needs extensive onboarding and training to ensure all contractors are comfortable using it. With that said, in large setups, there could be multiple parallel projects involving a large base of users. As the company grows this pool of users would increase proportionately.
While choosing contractor software, it is imperative for businesses to take cognizance of this and make their selection based on how they foresee growth. Choosing something that cannot scale is a recipe for disaster. Scalability is key to ensuring concurrent users can be supported at the same time and in the future.The Path to Paperless Ops & Better Sustainability: Construction Document Management Software. As the user base grows, there is no need to go over the process of selecting another tool.
In a competitive industry especially where the online and the offline worlds intersect, there needs to be no room for any error in security. In addition, users should be able to login with a unique username and password. It is also advised to ensure 2 factor authentication is set up and enabled.
In this context, the pitfall to be aware is to not underestimate the need for security. Ensuring the right kind of encryption levels are in place is not just important for operational continuity but also at the time of audits. Given today’s day and age and the changing nature of cyber attacks, social engineering attacks and several more, it is a non-negotiable to ensure there are no security lapses.
It is known that the nature of some projects can be complex. However, to navigate the challenges with ease, error-free implementation is paramount. There are several assisted and self-service platforms that can be quick to get onboarded on.
Irrespective of the nature, scale and the need for implementation exists strongly to ensure specific requirements are met. In addition, the tool must have good, effective and available technical support from the vendor. This goes a long way in preserving brand loyalty. Enabling multi-channel support such as email, phone, messaging and chat can clearly give a competitive edge.
While the use of contractor software is a great positive step for a business, it is also important to ensure that the common mistakes and pitfalls are avoided. The need for this cannot be more overstated. This will ensure that an effective choice is made thereby paving the way for growth with better efficiencies and seamless management of carriers. Here is a set of 10 contractor software for you to choose from.
