It used to be accepted that you had to have meetings to communicate with an entire project team, but there are several reasons why meetings aren’t always the best way to pass on information. Good communication helps to avoid costly and time-consuming misunderstandings but in the case of construction projects, efficient on-site supervision remains one of the biggest challenges for project or site managers. A construction software solution like PlanRadar can save you wasting time on unnecessary or unfocused meetings while still enabling you to provide all information needed for building work to progress.
Since lots of things can go wrong at any point and time is a scarce resource, construction managers need to maintain a high level of oversight and control of key decisions. Judgment clashes and delays in operations are not uncommon and are frustrating for all parties; the builder, the site manager and the owner. Estimating the status of a project without the help of software is difficult but the task is vital for decision-making. Based on our founders’ experience in construction and knowledge of problems faced by project managers, PlanRadar has developed a construction software that makes project management simpler. The software’s features and tools can support your business and make it easier to manage all contractors involved. Expert construction management requires the right choice of productivity-enhancing strategies and tools, so it’s vital to pick the construction software that’s right for your business needs.
No more ineffective meetings
Clear communication is the key to successful construction projects. With so much happening on-site, it’s tempting to keep meetings as short as possible, but minimising communication time comes with risks. A PlanRadar client told us about his experience of planning a high-end luxury resort before adopting PlanRadar: “When the interior design and lighting concept of several apartments changed, the electrician forgot to note these changes during one of the meetings. No one else was paying attention to this issue.” This error resulted in the demolition and rebuilding of some almost finished areas, leading to growing costs and accounting problems.
The client could have avoided the mistake described by using PlanRadar. The easy-to-use software keeps a record of all changes made to plans during pre-build and construction phases in its cloud-based system. All tasks assigned and completed on a project are safely stored and any updates are sent to contractors’ mobile devices via push notifications. With desktop and mobile versions available, you can even supervise projects remotely or while travelling between sites. Site managers can benefit from our project management software for construction and maintain communication between all parties involved in their projects. All of these features can help to avoid misunderstandings and reduce surprise extra costs. Meanwhile, the statistics function means that you can analyse your project’s needs, enabling you to reallocate resources as necessary.
There’s a large range of construction software out there ready to assist you with cost estimation, accounting and task scheduling. Consider testimonials from existing customers and take advantage of free trials to find software solutions that really add value.
What’s in it for construction companies?
Construction software makes task allocation visible to all. The parties involved don’t have to arrange meetings to discuss minor subjects, incurring further costs and taking up precious time. Instead, all plans, documents and instructions can be recorded and synchronized in the cloud in real-time and are available to all users immediately wherever they are. According to a survey of PlanRadar customers, every project participant saves around 60 minutes daily. The ability to easily document defects and directly communicate with the relevant team members makes it impossible to miss new changes or instructions. Constant dialogue via digital platforms also prevents conflict during projects. Conflicts might be caused by one of the parties feeling like they weren’t given all the information and blamed for errors as a result. Software can smooth the hierarchies between construction companies and subcontractors, making all processes transparent.
Construction software has been around for decades, and many companies still use outdated and inefficient products that predate smartphones as the result of past attempts to digitize their workflow. Meanwhile, PlanRadar was built with mobile devices in mind, making it suitable for today’s workforce which is used to having a touchscreen in their pockets. PlanRadar’s construction project management software improves results for developers and general contractors through real-time collaboration between different disciplines. Construction software also benefits subcontractors and specialist engineers onsite.
Construction software is for contractors too
Subcontractors’ tasks often seem to be endless, and it can be difficult for them to have a clear view of where the project is going. They need to be able to give accurate estimates for how long their tasks will take and the materials needed, and they need to stay on top of their contractual obligations so that they don’t make mistakes with accounting. A construction project management software which can seamlessly be implemented onsite is the best solution. That way, contractors have all of their upcoming and completed tasks available on their mobile device, helping them to keep on top of their work. This kind of software, especially when cloud-based, can act as a one-stop platform for your team with unlimited cloud storage for uploading all your project data. In the highly competitive construction sector, effective use of construction software can give you an edge, helping you to finish your projects on time and within budget.
Software for construction – Advantages of digitization
Construction projects use a wide range of communication channels: from email to text messages to phone calls. Coordination and communication are therefore no longer just questions of time and project management but pose a logistical challenge. Information coming in from so many different channels will inevitably get lost sometimes. These problems don’t just arise when a site manager is trying to communicate with contractors, but also when contractors need to communicate an updated status or unexpected issue to a manager. A single user interface for all project participants therefore not only saves time and annoyance by misunderstandings but also avoids time wasted on searching for relevant contacts and documents. It also establishes a transparent documentation process in which none of the project participants feels bypassed or misrepresented. By using the right features and tools via a construction management software solution, your business can solve the communication problems that hold it back.
We’ve all sat in meetings that didn’t feel like a good use of time – either they were far longer than necessary or they didn’t include enough time to go through the fine details. Meetings are a useful tool, but they have their limitations when it comes to circulating information, especially when there are lots of people present with different roles. With PlanRadar, this is no longer an issue. The amount of time given to each team member in a meeting no longer controls the detail of information communicated. Instead, users can update any relevant team members whenever there’s news, with full documentation that can include plan annotations, photographs and voice memos. All of the communication between team members is safely stored in the construction software for future reference. The best building software can fit exactly to your needs and contribute to a more efficient construction process.
PlanRadar – These tools are included
With PlanRadar, you have a tool which allows you to digitize all relevant planning documents and save them on a cloud-based system. You can upload 2D blueprints in PDF or JPEG formats and arrange them into layers, depending on your project’s complexity. Once plans are added to a project, all project participants have direct access via IOS, Android or Windows 10 devices and can make relevant changes on the way to the construction site, on a site tour or even from home. Any information necessary for other project participants can be included directly on the plans by adding tickets.
Users can add tickets to plans that are available to all and which can be augmented with photos, texts, voice messages before being assigned to specific people to act on. The statistics feature makes estimating the real scope of work to be done or in progress much easier. You can also use PlanRadar in offline mode so your team isn’t limited by not having a continuous Internet connection. Once the person adding data has a connection, all changes will be automatically updated in the cloud. The capacity to add documentation while onsite saves you having to upload and email information around when you get back to the office, saving time spent on administrative tasks. It means less work for everyone, from the general contractor to the craftsman. Besides, consistent documentation of all steps in the construction process is an important part of collecting evidence that minimises builders risk and reduces the danger of construction litigation.
Construction software aids conflict resolution
At its core, construction is an industry that relies on people, and people make mistakes. Construction personnel face pressure and stress, tight schedules and high expectations, which can lead to arguments. Disagreements between parties involved in a project lead to delays, additional costs and even more pressure. PlanRadar is a convenient tool that aids communication and allows site and project managers to observe all parts of the team objectively. No more miscommunication, no more unjustified accusations.
Test PlanRadar and discover how you can manage your projects while staying in touch with all the contractors linked to it. There are plenty of different construction management software solutions on the market. Find out how PlanRadar is different by using our trial version for 30 days free of charge!
