With the growing demands from clients for the execution of massive construction projects and complex structures, the use of building construction software systems and construction management systems is becoming inevitable.
As the number of construction project variables increases with the increase in complexity of the project, it becomes difficult to plan and manage them without any errors in scheduling and execution.
Building construction software systems are a set of unique tools necessary to the construction sector to create complex design and management techniques for the completion of a project within the given timeframe and budget. These software systems are changing the face of the construction industry and the way it works is by employing advanced and intelligent techniques embedded inside them to provide the right working environment for construction projects.
Construction software allows managers and employees to manage and design project processes digitally right from planning up to commissioning. It improves communication, helps in controlling costs, manages resources and documentation.
Why is Building Construction Software Important?
Construction software is important for a construction project as it improves the project process and helps in planning, monitoring, managing, coordinating and executing the project seamlessly without any setbacks. Construction software assists in estimating project budgets accurately and also prevents cost and time overruns.
Construction management software systems form an important part of using construction software because the management of construction projects has become a necessity rather than an option. Construction management is important because it allows the project to run smoothly as per the schedule and acts as a leader for the project which guides it towards effective completion. Construction management is important because it prevents delays in projects, saves time, reduces costs, manages project variables more efficiently, etc.
Top 8 Building Construction Software Benefits
Benefits of Construction management software are - Real-time and centralized communication, Better budget management, Resource and document management, Business expansion opportunities and many more.
Building Construction Software systems have numerous advantages along with the above mentioned benefits associated with construction projects. They can be explained under the following headings:
Benefit 01 - Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
Communication and collaboration are some of the most crucial aspects for any construction project to progress smoothly. One of the greatest benefits of using building construction software systems is that the internal communication and collaboration between distinct teams or individuals in a project is improved appreciably.
Teams can easily communicate and access information related to project progress and schedule, and that too in real-time with the help of team dashboards, progress calendar, task scheduler, etc provided by building construction management software systems. Important changes and work alerts can be easily communicated across the entire workforce using these systems.
Building construction software systems provide a centralized communication network which eliminates the need for phone tagging, emailing and organizing meetings for even small tasks. A centralized communication platform stores and organizes all project-related information and conversation in a sorted form in one place which makes it easy for the entire team to access data in seconds. This easy sharing aspect of centralized communication networks provided by building construction software systems improves monitoring tasks, collaborating efforts and importing information.
These software systems are usually cloud-based which eliminates the dependence on storage devices and enables teams to access project data remotely. Conclusively, building construction management software systems provide the necessary flexibility to construction projects which are dynamic in nature and also save time.
Benefit 02 - Better Cost Control and Budget Projection
The estimation of budget for any construction project and controlling the variable costs involved in it is a difficult task if done manually and is majorly responsible for the timely delivery of the project. Most of these construction projects are usually over budgeted due to numerous approximations in the cost of resources.
Building construction software systems are programmed to estimate project costs and entire budgets as close as possible to the target value as per the variable resources.
When the take-off costs of a construction project are predicted more accurately using these software systems, the subcontractors, laborers and everyone else involved in the project tends to work more efficiently since they have to work within a closely calculated budget. They do not tend to make costly mistakes knowing the limitations associated with the working budgets and follow cost control practices to avoid any cost increments.
These software systems are usually AI(Artificial Intelligence) powered which makes them capable of not only continuously auditing the money being spent during the execution of the project but also providing users with a better insight into spending patterns in real-time along with forecasting further costs.
These software systems can also take data from previous projects which are similar in nature and thus estimate the project budget more accurately. These couple of features enable project managers to keep the project budget within limits and determine the area which is regularly going over budget, and plan accordingly to keep the budget within limits in these areas.
Building construction software systems also help in performing the small as well as large accounting and invoicing tasks much more accurately. Contractors can easily plan in advance for project variables such as material requirement, equipment needed as per schedule, workforce requirement, and other resource variables. The excess usage of materials and the subsequent budget overruns are reduced using building construction software systems.
Generally, these software systems are either free of cost or less costly than the system-specific software and manual techniques.
Benefit 03 - Improved Project Planning and Management
Construction projects have had a notorious history of getting delayed most of the time. Rarely does a construction project not face any issues during its execution and get completed on time. Proper project planning and management are mainly behind this delayed completion trend related to construction projects. Manual methods and the use of spreadsheets have never been efficient methods to plan and manage construction projects.
Building construction management software systems makes the planning and management process effortless for designers or managers. These systems help project managers to either adopt or devise an efficient, effective and systematic project management plan. Think of it as an automated puzzle-solving system that brings out the best fit plan after numerous iterations according to the data fed into it.
The number of variables involved in construction projects is quite large which makes it difficult to plan each one of them in the correct order and allocate proper time and resources to them as per priority and requirement.
From skeletal frameworks of the structure to electrical wiring and finishing processes, it is quite complicated and laborious to plan them and manage them throughout the project life cycle. If not planned properly, things can go messy and time and cost overruns can be an imminent setback to the project execution.
All of the before-mentioned problems can be effortlessly solved using a building construction management software system.
These software systems provide features such as automated emailing and billing which enables project managers and organizers to schedule emails in advance and avoid unwanted setbacks to the project progress.
The cloud-based storage facility offered by these management software systems is capable of assisting managers with overseeing each and every project detail uploaded to date, all in one place. It becomes much easier for everybody working on the project to perform their task properly with the help of every necessary information available to them in real-time.
Benefit 04 - Resource Management
Consumption of resources during operations in a construction project has to be done as per the required usage and should not be overused which may increase the load on the particular resource or its shortage, or its overuse. The resources should be used judiciously to prevent cost overruns and excess waste generation.
Building construction management software systems can easily avoid cost overruns and bottlenecks throughout the project duration due to excessive use of resources.
If any project task can be accomplished with a set number of laborers and equipment in a given time, the unnecessary increase in any of the two resources will only increase the overall cost, since the time limit is already more. Several resources such as heavy equipment or mechanistic tools should not be overused than their prescribed usage instructions, because this can ultimately result in malfunctioning or failure of the equipment, subsequently increasing the overall cost in repairs.
In some cases, if the equipment is not in use, it can be given out on rent to increase profits by earning some extra income. This can be easily planned and managed using a building construction management software system as they are powered by an underlying AI framework.
It is important to track and keep a record of the quantity/number and frequency of usage for all types of resources being used in a construction project to know whether each resource variable is being consumed as per the designed schedule and if there is any room for optimization. The construction management software systems can keep track of resources in real-time and predict any extra requirements or alternatives to them.
These software systems can show the availability and shortage of resources such as forms, materials, laborers and more and the information can be used to either rent out equipment in the time their spare time or place advance orders for necessary resources. No matter where the equipment is, project managers can track them and their usage on these software systems and plan accordingly to maximize the profit that can be gained from them.
Benefit 05 - Document Management
All kinds of documents related to construction projects irrespective of their size can be easily made accessible to everybody on board a particular project or to specific individuals involved in the project via a building construction management software system. There is no need to carry hefty files and briefcases for these documents every time on site.
Important documents such as blueprints and project plans which are very important with respect to the project can be stored on these software systems for easy access.
A centralized document management system makes the decision-making process more efficient and streamlined as per the compliances and conditions mentioned in the documents. It can act as a base for entire documentation related to the construction project which is quite beneficial for the smooth project progress.
Employees can also easily refer to documents related to any change orders that had been issued during the project process.
These documents are centrally available on the cloud platform of these software systems can be accessed quickly and easily. Maintenance of these documents can help managers refer to safety reports, DPRs, licenses, attendance records and many such reports instantly. These documents can also be marked in a certain pattern as per departments or with code names relevant to tasks so that they can be found more easily on these platforms.
Benefit 06 - Convenience
A project manager has to usually manage all different aspects of a construction project all by himself which may become a tiresome and frustrating task to do it manually or using manual methods. Building construction software systems empower managers to perform their tasks with far better efficiency and accuracy, and in no time.
Even if any employee is not available at the desired location such as onsite, in the office or on field duty, the building construction software systems can keep them connected to the team, i.e., the virtual presence of all employees can be leveraged for the project progress and management.
With the onset of 5G technology and fiber-based internet services employees can quickly access information remotely from these software systems’ platforms anytime.
Nowadays, mobile versions of various building construction software are available, which enables workers to use the features and collaborate with teams even if they are not present on site. No gaps in communication provided by these systems ensure the smooth progress of operations without any longtime setbacks.
Benefit 07 - Business Expansion
Using building construction software systems in construction projects increases business expansion probability manifold. The appropriate software system with the required features is essential for any construction business which aims to expand and cover a majority market share.
The project manager does not need to waste his efforts or tire himself out in acquiring the necessary information required to run the project seamlessly and rapidly, allowing the business to take on more projects and expand.
Construction project management software systems assist in completing projects on time or sometimes much before time too. Subsequently, the return on investment(ROI) for the project increases and provides an opportunity for business expansion.
Keeping the cost under control, saving time, and automating processes using construction management software systems makes a construction business more efficient and proficient in erecting civil structures, thus increasing the room for expanding the business with the effective methodologies being used.
These software systems provide improved analytics related to the construction projects which help in assessing the construction sector more closely and vividly which again creates chances of expanding business.
Benefit 08 - Client Satisfaction
Using building construction software systems in executing construction projects saves time, money and presents a better result in the form of the final building structure. Subsequently, the clients are more than satisfied with the final product and the way in which they were involved throughout the project.
These software systems have provisions to keep the clients in the loop so that they can have a look at the project progress at any given time and offer suggestions if required.
Smart construction management systems allow the clients to access information related to resource consumption, project schedule, daily reports and important project updates so that they are aware of the latest ongoings.
Satisfied clients can be an absolutely free source of marketing which can prove to be crucial for the success of the business. Those happy clients can ensure good reviews about your business.
The Indian construction industry is growing rapidly but there is a need for a robust construction project management system to oversee and regulate the construction processes in a much more sorted and organized manner. Powerplay is India’s first construction project management application where you can keep track of all your construction sites’ ongoing and post updates related to them. Create all types of construction reports from inventory management to DPRs, in no time and to top it all, the in-app chat feature and update feed lets you in on recent developments in real-time.
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