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The current state of heavy civil construction management software is nothing short of remarkable. As more solutions become mobile-friendly and connected, your employees can access, edit, and share information from anywhere in real time. In turn, these advances in connectivity and visibility enable your organization to become more efficient, productive, and profitable.
Although it can be difficult at times to remember what life was like without an instant connection to the information you need, there has been a significant evolution in technology to bring us to where we are today. This evolution is especially significant in the heavy civil construction industry.
The History of Construction Project Management:
Paper and Pencil are the Go-To Project Management Solution, but Change is Building
In the mid-1950s, the US saw a major construction boom as large projects were being planned and built throughout the country, from schools and hospitals to skyscrapers and highway infrastructure. Throughout this massive increase in demand, heavy civil construction companies were relying on the traditional pencil-and-paper processes that had long been the go-to solution for estimating and project management.
And why not? Computers, which at the time were large, cumbersome pieces of equipment, were only just being introduced into the mainstream, and most businesses could not afford them. Paper remained the more practical choice for its obvious affordability and portability; however, it presented significant limitations. With the increasing demand and scale of heavy civil construction projects, competition grew to be faster and more efficient.
Change was coming to the heavy civil construction industry, and it would never be the same again.
Old school desktop computer
MS-DOS Helps Construction Companies Make a Significant Shift
Although computers gradually became more user-friendly in subsequent decades, there were few attempts to take advantage of their speed and power for heavy civil construction estimating and project management solutions until the introduction of MS-DOS in 1981. A streamlined yet robust solution, MS-DOS made personal computing accessible to countless people and businesses without the need for deep technical knowledge.
In addition to using software on MS-DOS, construction companies had access to new, integrated systems that were designed and built specifically for construction management. These systems typically included accounting functions, such as accounts payable and receivable, ledgers, job cost, estimating, and payroll.
However, like paper-based processes, these integrated systems, which are still used today, carry limitations as well. MS-DOS offered no graphical user interface, and users had to know and type in all commands. These limitations made it cumbersome to utilize MS-DOS for construction applications, especially accounting and financial activities.
MS-DOS also made operations more difficult for works in the field, shop, and office to share information as it wasn’t housed on a single, unified platform. These integrated systems needed to be set up to communicate with each other, which required additional steps before they could be used.
Using construction
management solutions
Windows to Greater Opportunities
By making personal computing possible for people who lacked deep technical knowledge, MS-DOS laid the groundwork for future operating systems like Microsoft Windows.
Windows provided a graphical user interface and made programs much more intuitive. Now, it was possible for anyone to learn and use Windows programs, meaning expanded applications and opportunities in heavy civil construction.
Web and Mobile Take Heavy Civil Construction Management to a New Level
While the move from paper to computers was a huge leap, moving from computers to web and mobile might represent an even greater evolution. After all, although construction companies could take advantage of computers’ increased processing power, those early computing solutions did little to span the gap between the office and the field, an issue that has traditionally been the source of many inefficiencies and miscommunications.
Mobile-enabled construction management solutions, which have grown popular in the past five years in conjunction with the spread of tablets and smartphones, have expanded the opportunities to collaborate across workflows and leverage data exponentially. Users have access to information they need, right at their fingertips, and can share it in real time. What’s more, many solutions designed with mobile devices in mind can automatically collect valuable data onsite and generate analyses of the project’s performance. (Source: www.bit.ly/2IGUQEQ)
Using mobile management solutions
The Advantages of Modern Construction Management Solutions
Today’s software solutions for construction management have immeasurably improved upon their predecessors’ in a variety of ways, including:
- Enterprise-class performance: As construction projects become larger and longer, the solutions companies use need to properly handle this complexity. Enterprise-class performance offers a full suite of features with advanced and sophisticated functionality. The software runs quickly and efficiently and allows multiple individuals to use the software simultaneously.
- Easy user interface: Whether it’s due to budget or company size, many organizations don’t have dedicated IT personnel, which can make it difficult to onboard new technologies or troubleshoot issues. While nearly half of construction companies operate without a single employee dedicated to IT, modern solutions are accommodating those limitations with simple, straightforward interfaces. This way, employees can excel at core functions without having to master complex software. Modern solutions work the way construction employees work, so they are intuitive and easy to learn.
- Mobile/internet connectivity: With more mobile devices than people in the world, bringing smartphones and tablets into the workplace is an obvious next step for any business seeking to move forward technologically. With internet access, employees can view and share the information they need to do their jobs more effectively.
- Unified platform: Construction projects today encompass several interdependent workflows, including estimating, project management, resource scheduling, e-fleet maintenance and management, and safety. Modern construction management software allows these processes to come together under a single roof to enable faster and more productive collaboration and increase efficiencies across workflows.
- Employee expectations: Millennials are now the largest generation in the US labor force, meaning that today’s workforce is younger and more tech-savvy than ever before. Using cutting-edge workflow management software is one way to help recruit and retain smart, curious, innovative people.
Considerations for Modern Construction Management Solutions
Of course, although construction management software has been a boon for the industry, it’s always important to be mindful of the impact these changes may have on your company. Technological advances have been successfully implemented in the heavy civil construction industry over the years, and we’ve come a long way since paper. But the speed at which technology is advancing today can be overwhelming for some workers who are accustomed to the more traditional ways of doing work.
Migrating to modern construction management software requires a commitment to put a technological shift in motion. Training and education programs will help users learn and get used to the software, and smooth over any potential resistance. In addition, once the solution is in place, you’ll need to assess the state of the transition at regular intervals and set measurable goals to determine how well it fulfills your organizational needs. Although modern solutions can help you capture a vast amount of data, you need to have a plan to leverage these data in pursuit of your business objectives.
Today’s software solutions for construction management provide tremendous possibilities for productivity and success. As technology continues to advance, the competitive gap also widens between those companies that stay ahead of the curve and those companies falling behind. Adopting and embracing modern mobile-enabled software solutions is the best way to ensure your business is relevant in the constantly evolving technological landscape.
