Construction document management software can save you hours while also reducing the likelihood of costly mistakes. While construction projects often require hundreds of plans, reports, and other documents, document management software helps you to create order and makes it easier for your team to find the information they need. Using cloud-based document management software for construction means that you can share plans or documents in real-time with an unlimited number of people – including subcontractors. You can also easily replace older versions of documents with up-to-date ones and automatically distribute them to the relevant people. That means that people will no longer be working from outdated plans, and reduces the risk of them making mistakes.

The best construction document management software is one that you don’t even notice you’re using. The system should be so simple, that uploading a new plan version or document becomes second nature. It shouldn’t take you hours to make sure everything is up to date. In terms of specific features to look out for, your needs will vary depending on whether you’re an architect, an engineer or a developer. It will also depend on the size of your business and the scale of the projects you take on. When choosing the best document management software for your construction business, you first need to understand where you need support. Next, thoroughly research the software available on the market, using a list of essential features to create a shortlist. Test different options in action by using free trials, attend product demos and request prices from a range of document management software providers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – what file types work with this system? Are there document size limits? How do the permissions settings work? Can you view and work with construction plans? How much support is offered by the provider? After assessing the features, asking all your questions and evaluating the costs, you’ll have found the best document management software for your business.

From lost documents, to the wrong plan versions, or a paper file that has been shredded by mistake, there are lots of ways that badly organised document management can cause problems for contractors. Document control software ensures that all your paperwork is stored digitally and safely, and that you can access any historical documents just by searching in one place.

Read more about how document control software can help contractors in our blog.

Overreliance on paper is a big problem for construction firms. Paper is easy to lose, and if you have to transfer information from written notes into a digital format, then it’s easy to make mistakes when copying data over. Paper documents are also difficult to share. With construction document management software, you can put documents in the hands of everyone who needs them, all at the same time. As a result, you don’t need to print multiple copies of plans, manuals or safety information – it can all be accessed from an app, wherever you are.

By using PlanRadar, you can also eliminate paper forms and reports. You can replicate the formats you need within the software and allow users to create tickets and complete checklists in the platform. In addition to reducing paper, this also saves hours on reporting and administration, as you don’t have to enter the same data multiple times.

When you are choosing a document management platform for your construction business, ensure that the provider offers mobile apps as well as desktop versions of their product. That way, your team members should be able to access documents and plans from a mobile or tablet. PlanRadar offers apps for iOS, Android and Windows devices, and is also compatible with older operating systems. We also offer an offline mode, so that users can access any documents and plans that they have downloaded, even when they don’t have an internet connection.

Yes. Smaller organisations need to be more careful with costs when it comes to choosing software solutions. That’s why the best option for them is to choose a platform that can support multiple functions at the same time. For example, PlanRadar can be used to manage plans and construction documents, to assign tasks, oversee performance and create snagging lists, for central communication and creating audit trails, to oversee health and safety and to generate all kinds of reports. As subcontractors can be added free of charge, you can even manage large teams without massive additional costs. Small construction businesses can benefit in multiple ways for a single price, rather than paying for several different pieces of software that each solve a single problem.

Yes. To make document sharing and plan management even easier, PlanRadar integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. We also offer an open API and Webhooks, so if there’s a specific integration that you’re looking for, we can help you make it work. Read more about our integrations.

Yes! PlanRadar has 11 offices across Europe with local teams to ensure an excellent customer experience. We also work with verified Sales Partners in dozens of countries around the world, making sure that our customers are almost always able to speak to experts in their own language. You can get in touch with one of our international teams for a personal consultation.