How and why do you choose which Construction Project Management Software is right for your company? Like most complex projects, the way to make the decision making process manageable is to chunk it down.

Make a list of those things that you want your software to help you with. Look at your operation and itemize which tasks you want to systematize. Each company is going to be different depending on the size, the scope and the complexity of both what you are producing and the way that you are getting that work done.

Do you sub most work out? Do you do work in-house? Are you a design bid firm or a competitive bid firm?  Do you do commercial, residential, industrial, infrastructure or public works?

The project management software packages  vary from spreadsheet based packages that sell for pretty cheap to huge, complex packages  that cost tens of thousands. Picking the package that is appropriate to your present and future needs is critical.

You can’t decide what you need just by reading sales letters and talking to sales people. The way to stay in control is to know what you need, now and in the future, and look for the most efficient way to get those needs filled.

Like many projects the first step is to start a spreadsheet. List those functions that you want your software to manage. What tasks are you handling in some fashion now. How are you getting your estimating done, your accounting, your document control, your job costing and your scheduling? How do you handle change orders, how are they integrated into your invoicing and into your original estimate. How are your change orders integrated into your reports?. How do your original estimate, your change orders, your actual costs integrate into your database for future estimating? How about Requests For Information (RFI’s)? How about change directives?

When I started construction management, I did everything on spreadsheets. I eventually stepped up to an accounting package! Reports were printed and filed, as were RFI’s and change directives. But primarily I relied on my memory and my lists to keep control of my projects. That was a lot of work and worry. And, I couldn’t delegate without losing some continuity. Today, with proper software, it is possible to put a lot of the tasks of construction management on automatic. Properly systematized, construction gets to be a lot less stressful and more efficient. Information is power. Information about your own organization gives you the power to manage resources, people and finances so that you can maximize your profit. You can concentrate on the real work of forward thinking, decision making, communication and delegation and turn to your computer for stored information, rather than carrying that responsibility between your ears.