Resistance to change is normal. As technology infiltrates the construction space, offering more and more opportunities to improve project efficiency, it’s essential for companies to evaluate the possible shortcomings of their current project management solution and consider the benefits of adopting new technology. When teams continue to use outdated project management methods, like in-house servers, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Excel spreadsheets, and even paper, they waste valuable hours and force individuals to wait for vital project information before those individuals may resume work. This limited accessibility to current project data drastically impacts the project schedule, and more importantly, the budget.
OFFERING A SOLUTION
Team-based projects require seamless project collaboration, accurate data, and anytime, anywhere accessibility to that data. This is the promise of Procore cloud-based construction software. With Procore, entire teams have the power to easily and securely deliver real-time, up-to-date project information to team members with any Internet-connected device. When project teams have around-the-clock access to vital project data, they’re able to make timely, confident decisions when needed. Every time you make a contract adjustment—enter a commitment, submit a change order, or update a drawing—all members of the team are informed and up to date.
Furthermore, Procore tracks and archives these communications for all involved parties to review at any time. Procore tracks and archives the entire change history across all versions, as well as documents who made those changes, increasing accountability. This transparency serves as a risk-avoidance tool by providing 24/7 visibility into project health for all stakeholders, helping to identify risks before they become issues that impact the overall success of the project.
Procore not only provides teams with around-the-clock access to project data, but access from anywhere with Procore for iOS and Android mobile apps. A previous barrier for construction companies going mobile was limited smartphone adoption. However, in the 21st century with the overwhelming acceptance of smart devices, this is no longer a concern. And with the increasing popularity of bring your own device (BYOD), many people have their own personal devices on the jobsite.
MOBILE TECH BOOSTS
Mobile technologies are starting to replace fixed-location technologies that keep individuals chained to their physical location. The workplace is no longer a physical location, but a device—a device that goes wherever you go. Mobile solutions untether individuals from their offices and computers by allowing them to access project information from anywhere at anytime.
With construction applications for mobile devices, project teams have all the project data at their fingertips and can answer any project-related question instantaneously. Project teams can create and assign RFIs directly from the jobsite and access product specs attached to submittals in seconds. They can view the current drawing set and all punch list items on it with up-to-the-minute open or closed status. Mobile applications can complete tasks that used to seem impossible, such as drawing management and Real Time As-builts. Now, project teams can manipulate extremely large drawings containing rich objects on a device as small as a phone.
Many software solutions also require a constant Internet connection in order to run, but due to the prevalence of remote jobsites, this is an unrealistic expectation. That’s why the Procore team has made Procore accessible offline, allowing users to access their data in the most remote areas. Users can seamlessly work without an Internet connection and Procore automatically syncs all work completed offline once back online.
UNEXPECTED USERS, NO PROBLEM
Another common barrier to adopting mobile SaaS solutions is the per-user licensing model. Most construction software platforms require companies to pay per user, meaning every individual must pay for access to the application. This drastically increases software costs and limits collaboration as only key stakeholders have access rather than entire teams—a necessity for project success. All team members, all the way down to the subcontractors, require access to project information in order to successfully complete their tasks and remain on schedule and within budget.
Other systems will cost you thousands more for individual seat licenses, maintenance, and training. If you have many projects that come up unexpectedly that require you to bring on new superintendents or you have an engineering firm that declares they need access to the system, you will have to manage those extra users and your software costs will drastically fluctuate month to month.
With Procore, it’s simple. Under one annual access agreement, everyone from the office administrator to the owner and construction managers to subcontractors have access to Procore. Never again will you need to discuss who should and shouldn’t have access to project information—it’s the same cost for 500 or 5,000 users. You know your fixed yearly costs for Procore. Each and every user also receives a login and ID with controllable permission levels so you can manage who sees what project information.
Accurate, up-to-date project information, securely delivered to all project team members on any Internet-connected device—that’s the promise, and the reality, of today’s cloud-based construction software and mobile apps. Over the next few years, the industry will see more advancements in collaborative software as teams continue to mobilize technology, making the days of working with paper-based documentation and outdated in-house servers an unloved remnant of the past. ■
For More Information
Procore Technologies, Inc. provides cloud-based construction management software to clients across the globe. You can download the Procore and free CurrentSet by Procore mobile apps for iOS and Android from the App Store or Google Play. For more information about Procore Technologies, or for a free demo, visit www.procore.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, December 2014
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