Managing a subcontracting business requires a massive mental load, alongside the physical one. Being just one part of a construction process, alongside other trades, means that something going wrong with another trade can upend your work plan. Rescheduling staff and equipment over and again is time-consuming and costs the business money – not just for the time it takes to do it, but all the other things you could have been doing instead, such as quoting more work.
Your choice of management system can be a game changer, making the difference between having multiple full-time staff working on administration, to reducing the time needed for scheduling to a few hours a week. In this blog, we will discuss some of the ways that construction project management software can improve the working day and business outcomes for subcontractors.The Subcontractor’s Quandary: Juggling Multiple Responsibilities
The subcontractor in the middle of the construction process has a lot to contend with. On one side, the client and head contractor regularly change the plans. On another, products and staff are in short supply and over budget. Add in the weight of construction compliance, and it’s clear how much a subbie needs to manage on a daily basis.
Trying to project manage all of this from a cocktail of notepad, spreadsheet, messenger apps, emails, and calendars is hard work. There are so many important pieces of information, and dropping any one of them can cause a domino effect of problems.
Construction project management software that is built with a real understanding of a subbie’s life, with purpose-built tools to make it easier, can reduce the time, cost, and risk on the business, and the amount of pressure being applied to the people managing it.
What is Construction Project Management Software?
Construction project management software brings together the big areas of a subcontractor business and streamlines how it is managed.
A major task for subcontractors is scheduling people and plant to do the work. Construction project management software tracks all the projects on a dashboard, with click-and-drag tools to manage them right there. Keeping track of staff leave, or when equipment is out for service – an updated inventory is key to planning and doing the work efficiently. Communicating the schedule to the team and what to do on-site – seamless, fast communication directly to the supervisors or field workers, giving them the information they need via mobile app.
A construction management system also enables team members across the business to collect and record information on a project, where it is accessible for who needs it. A site diary built into the project management software enables the site team to take notes, photos, and notate PDFs, and file the information in the right context for others to use. The admin team can access the information for reporting, chasing suppliers, and invoicing.
Efficient, productive – the transformation thanks to the right software
Construction project management software changes the subbie work life from struggling to keep up with the changes, to smoothly rolling with it. Smart software keeps the subbie moving forward, as changes are quick and easy, making the business more efficient and productive. For one business, reducing the time needed for invoicing by 80% gave a massive saving in direct costs, plus the potential using the reclaimed time for business development.
A mobile app site diary used throughout the working day, to collect detailed information, and recording it centrally, can save the day. When information is power, having complete and credible records can give the business the might it needs to quash a dispute or identify a problem before it becomes a catastrophe.
Getting everyone on board
Any construction project management software can only deliver its wealth of benefits if everyone on the team is able to use it. Subbie management software needs to be quick to set up, getting everyone onboard as soon as possible. It will work to familiar workflows, and the interfaces will be simple to navigate and easy to use. All users will get the information they need, and nothing they don’t – from the supervisor and field worker mobile apps to the admin desktop portal version.
From potential into real-life transformations
The transformation of potential benefits of a construction project management system into real-world business is what it is all about. Subcontracting businesses from painting to concreting, formwork to scaffolding all benefit from better access to information and reduced admin. Reading any of the client success stories shows the possibilities for any business.
“Our biggest risk is labour cost and time. Implementing Neo allows us to identify how many employees we have and where they are allocated, which translates to costs. Saving time and money on labour allocation is the biggest benefit.” Lucas Tobacco, Construction Manager from SG Formwork.
Precision Painting has reported time savings of up to 70% (or $15K per year) in allocating resources, confirming the availability of people, sending SMS, and receiving replies from subcontractors.
Ready to see how the right construction project management software can transform your business?
Contact our team for a demonstration today.
