Why is the AEC Industry Adopting Construction Management Software?
The growing list of architectural, engineering, and construction firms investing in construction management software shows no signs of slowing down.
A study by Allied Market Research predicts the Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) software market will continue to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7% until at least 2028.
In an industry slow to change and even slower to adopt technology, there has to be a compelling reason for such earnest adoption, and there is. There are many, in fact.
Here’s what we cover:
What does Construction Management Software do?
Software, when used wisely, has the power to connect people and move them forward.
Developers, architecture and engineering firms, general contractors, and subcontractors all use software to one extent or another for this very purpose.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software allow architecture and engineering firms to collaborate, which creates better, more accurate designs faster and more efficiently.
General contractors and subcontractors use software to carry those digital designs to the next step in the construction process: project estimating, scheduling, resource management, project monitoring, and reporting.
And without the close eye of the people watching the project finances, construction businesses cannot flourish. That’s why the entire AEC industry uses ERP and accounting software to manage financial resources and track expenditures against project budgets.
What are the benefits of construction management software?
The real magic of construction management software is in the way it connects every project stakeholder within a central, easy-to-access platform.
Cloud-based software enables project owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, and their subcontractors to easily collaborate from anywhere, in the office or at the job site.
Integrating these once-segmented operations into a cohesive team means these hard-working people have the tools and resources at their fingertips to build great things and create real progress.
Consistent estimating and accurate job costing:
Translating digital documents into spreadsheets for manual estimating can be slow and inefficient.
Project estimation software simplifies this process, making life easier for your estimating team. The software integrates with project procurement, workforce performance, and asset tracking features, so your estimators always have accurate, real-time data to improve the odds of landing their next opportunity.
And when your estimating team wins that next project, the estimating software integration means your project management team will have a fully prepared, accurate schedule of values readily available for faster handoff and project initiation.
Project documentation and scheduling:
Manually collecting project submittals and creating a master schedule can be a nightmare.
Software built for construction streamlines this process by eliminating the search for documents and the initial back-and-forth of scheduling.
Subcontractors and specialty contractors collaborate with the construction project manager within a secure cloud-based environment. Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) serve as the foundation, and intuitive data analytics give project managers everything they need to create a master schedule that makes sense.
Predictive analytics keep the project moving by updating scheduling and resource requirements as work is completed and logged through daily work reports.
Accurate and efficient communication:
Miscommunication leads to confusion, errors, accidents, and costly delays. In addition, emails, phone calls, and text messages don’t include everyone and are hard to track and organize.
Cloud-based software keeps all project-related information centralized for clarity and easy access. RFIs, change orders, and punch lists flow from the office to the job site in real time for faster decision-making.
That means every project stakeholder has the necessary information, eliminating confusion and errors and minimizing delays.
Organized workflow and process management:
In the construction industry, inefficiencies cause accidents, delays, and material waste, which are responsible for untold financial loss.
Construction project management software provides templates for the most common work assignments so teams can focus on the task—no need for questions, confusion, conflicts, or delay.
And data-driven automation within the system ensures that as work is completed, work teams progress to their following assignments in a logical, pre-determined order, avoiding conflicts. Hence, the job site stays safe, organized, and productive.
Equipment, material, and human resource management:
Producing high-quality work requires great people that have the tools, equipment, and materials they need when they need them.
Cloud-based project management software empowers resource managers, superintendents, and supervisors to assess talent, equipment, and material requirements across the firm’s entire project portfolio in real time with no wasted effort. That and take action.
That means field crews receive the necessary resources, detailed work assignments, documents, photos, and visual cues that keep them safe, productive, and on task.
Detailed project tracking and reporting:
Another highlight of construction management software is its reporting feature’s level of detail and accuracy.
The software automation generates daily, or weekly progress reports, including the remaining resources in the field so that that management can stay ahead of work requirements. And context-specific reporting provides ample time for decision-makers to take prompt corrective actions to prevent schedule disruptions or budget strain.
Why adopt construction project management software?
Why should you care about collaboration, accuracy, efficiency, and digital information management?
How about a 6x return on investment in labor productivity and a 7x return on time and materials expense?
Construction project management software can deliver those results and more, but you have to find where it fits.
Construction management software that works for you
The only way to take advantage of construction management software’s efficiencies is to explore your options and see what fits.
Get an individually tailored demonstration of how construction management software can streamline your most complex processes and fill the gaps in your workflow for faster project deployment, greater employee safety, higher productivity, and bottom-line boosting efficiency.
