The success of your construction project depends largely on how efficiently you are able to utilize your time and resources. A Construction Management Software helps align all the tools and resources utilized in construction, making it easier for you to improve your team’s productivity and efficiency while completing projects on time.
When looking for a free Construction Management Software that will let you keep a birds-eye-view of all your projects, you need to know what features to consider so you can avoid buyer’s remorse. We'll provide a helping hand for you to choose the best project management software in the market.
What is Construction Management Software?
Construction management software programs are tools designed by professionals to automate construction management processes. These technology-driven products are used to simplify day-to-day tasks to improve the delivery of projects. Having access to an all-inclusive software for construction enables you to keep track of your projects of all sizes and scopes.
Firms can easily automate complex processes, such as accounting, takeoff, project management, estimating, and integrate different stages of the project life cycle. These robust tools can help companies modernize, operate more efficiently, and grow their business.
Benefits of Construction Management Software
Some key benefits of implementing these softwares in your business include, but are not limited to:
- Increased productivity & efficiency
- Lower IT costs
- Improved forecasting
- Visibility into project life stages
- Predictive analytics
- Reduced risk of litigation
- Safer jobsites
- Reduced rework
- Better recruiting
- Reduced internal training staff
- Faster project delivery
- Leaner staff
- Talent retention
Features of a Construction Management Software
Now that you have identified your pain points, it’s time to start looking for a provider that best aligns with your unique business needs. Stick to your selection criteria by narrowing your search to most relevant providers.
The best Construction management software comes with a variety of different features, depending on the type of your construction business and the capabilities you need from the shortlisted vendor.
Most construction software programs offer these key features:
- Blueprinting, file imports, and drawing
- Complete project scheduling
- Forecasting, budgeting, and estimation
- Staff management, timecards, and attendance tracking
- Bid proposals and management
- Takeoff and team coordination
- Dispatching and purchase orders
- Bookkeeping and financial report generation
- Supplier and contractor databases
Business Types and their Construction Software Needs
Your construction needs depend entirely on the size of your business. Startups won’t require the same range of advanced features as large businesses would to optimize their processes.
Small Business
Project management: A software for small construction businesses can offer cloud-based project management tools to help them make their processes more efficient.
Estimating: Startups or small businesses need tools to create professional-looking bids based on their takeoff. They can use free estimating tools to win more jobs without breaking the bank.
Medium-sized Business
Accounting and job-costing: Midsize construction businesses need tools to manage core financials and track job costs across projects.
Enterprise Business
Program management: Enterprise level businesses need advanced functionalities to manage a portfolio of projects, optimize profitability, and track costs across job sites.
Customer relationship management: They need a robust set of tools to communicate with current and prospective customers all through the customer life cycle.
Features We Recommend for the Best Construction Management Software
Takeoff: Takeoff helps users extract estimates from digital blueprints and drawings to determine accurate labor costs and material quantities. The best construction management software allows you to perform takeoff digitally so that you don’t have to deal with the hassle of managing paper records.
Estimating: The top construction estimating software helps users calculate material and labor costs for construction projects based on the current pricing data. This feature also allows contractors to generate itemized proposals from the estimates.
Project scheduling: After you have won the job, the construction scheduling software helps you track who is working where, the start and end dates of a project, and the time when project equipment and materials need to be sent to a job site.
Project management: A construction management system works to help builders track costs compared to budgets, manage project schedules, collaborate with other users, and store important documentation.
Bid management: Bidding in construction closely related to the project scheduling and estimating processes. A construction bid management software or a general constructor estimating software helps users coordinate the procurement of bids from supplier and subcontractors during the proposal generation and estimating process.
Accounting: Construction accounting software features enable you to maintain fixed assets and depreciation schedules for equipment, manage subcontractor payroll, track timesheets, and facilitate job costing.
Construction Management Software Cost
The costs of purchasing construction software varies according to the following factors:
- Number of users supported
- Features
- Contract terms
- Implementation processes
- Customer support
The pricing for most cloud-based construction project management software starts from $99 per month. Some vendors offer an unlimited number of proposals, leads, and users, without charging setup fees or requiring contracts.
Other constructions ERP software offer custom pricing based on the feature set your company needs. Large construction businesses pay around $1,000 a month for a system with more advanced features.
Our Top Picks for Construction Management Software
The following integrated construction software systems have positioned themselves as market leaders:
- BuilderTrend
- CoConstruct Software
- Procore Software
- Stack Software
- Acumatica Cloud ERP Software
Drawbacks You Should Watch Out For
Listed below are some common sources of dissatisfaction we've seen among current construction project management software users:
- Poor integration
- Limited or lacking accounting functionality
- High cost
- Limited custom report options
Choosing What's Best for Your Company
Choosing the most appropriate construction software for your business can take time, but it's worth it to deal with this process before rolling it out to your construction team. Construction software programs can offer a great deal of help when it comes to keeping things under control and accomplishing tasks efficiently.
The best construction based software can offer enough functionality to improve your firm’s operational efficiency and save you time and resources as well. When deciding which software to go with, it's pivotal that you consider what kind of construction business you run, how many people are in the organization, and how you want to move things forward. The construction ERP software market is full of excellent options that fit every budget.