6 Ways to Reduce Construction Inefficiencies with Project Management Software

Construction inefficiencies occur because of  delays and budget overruns. According to a research report by McKinsey & Company, construction efficiency rates hover consistently as low as 30%. The colossal amount of time, money, and labor wasted puts a huge negative impact on the industry as a whole. The construction industry is notoriously poor at completing projects on time and within budget, but a new solution to these problems has been sweeping the industry: project management software.

Project management software can help keep projects organized and streamline the construction process, helping eliminate inefficiencies. This allows workers to focus on the actual building, as the project management software handles many tedious, time-consuming tasks such as invoicing, document management, incident reports, timesheets, and much more. But how does software eliminate construction inefficiencies? Keep reading to find out.

Here’s how to reduce construction inefficiencies with project management software:

1) Improve the Planning Process

The planning stage of a construction project is often overlooked, but it is actually one of the most important determinants of a successful construction project. If a project is carefully and accurately planned, it can help project managers avoid delays and unforeseen extra costs during the course of the project. By using construction software in the planning process, you can access all the necessary information all in one place and ensure everyone in the project is kept up to date with any changes made to the scope of the project.

2) Use Building Information Modeling (BIM)

BIM is a rising trend in the construction industry due to its ability to create digital representations of buildings before any actual physical work has begun. This software helps general contractors and subcontractors visualize a building and detailed specific areas before any capital is spent to physically build it, so they can calculate the most efficient set up of various segments of the building.

3) Improve Internal Communication

In order to maintain operational efficiency, it is important to maintain effective communication between all workers on the construction site. Consistent communication can help clarify the role each worker plays and minimize the chance of delay or rework. By using project management software, a project manager can communicate important information with workers including optimal start times, the flow of tasks, or any changes to the scope of the project instantly across the entire job site.

4) Record Productivity and Time Tracking

Using project management software can help the project manager break down the overall construction project into more manageable parts to identify areas of improvement and monitor worker productivity. With this information, the project manager can more easily make changes to the project plan, improving productivity and project efficiency. Additionally, time tracking allows the project manager to see a breakdown of how each worker is managing their time, giving them insight on how to boost overall productivity.

5) Adopt On-Site Mobile Technology

Using mobile technology on-site has been a rising trend in the industry in recent years. Mobile technology allows workers and project managers to seamlessly communicate and share real-time updates on the status of the project. It also helps minimize the need for time-consuming face-to-face contact, giving workers more time to spend completing their assignments and leading to an overall improvement in construction efficiency.

6) Gain Insightful Data Management Tools

Data is the backbone of the digital age. With the vast amounts of data being collected every day, having useful data management tools is essential to high construction project efficiency. It’s estimated that the construction industry discards nearly 95% of all data collected, meaning there is a huge waste of data that could be useful for gaining insight into the efficiency of a project. Using project management software with a central database for collecting field data on the construction site can help project managers gain a 360-degree view of what is happening at each stage in the project lifecycle and can minimize the chance of costly mistakes or delays.

Conclusion

Using project management software provides several useful functions to help boost construction efficiencies. With the recent increase in cloud-based and mobile technology solutions, project managers can access a fully integrated system across all platforms for end-to-end project management. These software systems also help eliminate time-consuming duties such as paperwork, time sheets, billing, bid management, and many other tasks. By allowing trade contractors to auto-complete tedious tasks, project management software helps the project manager improve productivity on the job site.

How eSUB Can Help

eSUB is a cloud-based project management platform built especially for subcontractors. eSUB organizes all of your project information in one place, allows for smooth collaboration, and streamlines communication through its intuitive interface. It also works on your mobile, so you can track projects on the go—no matter where or when—and stay up-to-date.