Today, most companies have understood that it is imperative to be agile in order to adapt to changes and remain current in an increasingly competitive and changing market, which implies the use of technology and the digitalization of their processes.
In construction, workforce management, safety and compliance, supplier tracking, resource management, contractor communications, and more can be found in different individual systems or even in the manager´s email inbox, which can lead to rework, loss of materials, duplication of work, and budget problems.
Therefore, it is necessary to have centralized systems that provide visibility to all aspects of the project in real time, allowing to anticipate problems and achieve project and company objectives.
DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN THE CLOUD
Frequently, problems in construction projects in terms of deadlines and compliance are due to a lack of coordination and planning between the different participating actors. A cloud platform makes it easier for participants to access updated, automatic, and relevant information from different devices and location, in addition to receiving notifications and alarms about assigned tasks, promoting coordination, and increasing compliance. Additionally, there is the advantage of not having to invest in installation and maintenance of information technology (IT) infrastructure.
Cloud-based platforms thus form a virtual collaborative ecosystem between companies, contractors, suppliers, and other actors from different places where project planning is carried out, control of physical progress, quality protocols, resource management, risk management, etc.
Moreover, these platforms usually allow integration with other tools used in the industry, converging data into a control panel with graphs, indicators, and automatic management reports, in real time and from any place with internet connection.
Due to the above, cloud-based platforms have become a vital trend in the industry. They are flexible and adaptable and allow greater efficiency in the face of uncertainty. Furthermore, they can be for either large companies as well as for small and medium-sized construction companies, adapting to every need and budget.
WHY CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE CONSTRUCCIÓN
With the aim of making construction processes simpler and more efficient, cloud construction management software helps manage budget, communication, job scheduling, project estimating and more, being one of its most important functionalities, its ability to effectively coordinate the management of different projects and their actors, even if they are in different locations.
In addition, they allow having a centralized place for communication and management of the entire organization.
Among the main benefits of implementing cloud software specifically designed for construction management, we have:
- Real-time communication and collaboration between clients, consultants, suppliers, contractors, and project managers, with each team member having access to a centralized site, no matter where they are or what device they are using, reducing the risk of discrepancies, and increasing responsibility for the information provided.
- Document management in a safe and easily accessible place for the large amount of important documentation handled.
- Project management with a systematic approach that allows to instantly share information, track and generate documents.
- Better budget management, which enables to minimize costs and maximize profits through automation and standardization of bidding proposals, storage, and integration of costs from previous projects, etc.
- Convenience of having manual and routine processes automated, being able to dedicate time gained to higher impact tasks.
- Ability to quickly and efficiently organize processes, from storing and easily accessing information to tracking expenses, contracts and budgets, so that team members can access what they need when they need it.
- Resource management that helps align and coordinate their application to the project deadlines, and their optimization.
- Adaptation of software to new needs of the company, and its integration with other tools in use or implemented later.
- Customization, to adapt to the specific needs of the company, its processes and its requirements.
There are several types of cloud software available in the market designed for the construction industry, tools that simplify control and allow a complete view of performance, providing timely information for making right decisions. They can be comprehensive solutions with a variety of functionalities or specific categories, some of which are:
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), to manage daily activities and centralize project information systems on a single platform. From billing and accounting to document management and communications. Designed to make it easy for different teams to stay connected no matter where they are.
- Analysis Software, provides historical and real-time information, saving time when making estimates, comparisons, while staying updated on current projects.
- Drawing programs, to quickly and collaboratively upload and edit construction plans, helping owners, contractors, builders and managers during planning and implementation.
- Cost or Estimating Software, helps manage construction project estimates and processes. Adaptable to specific niches such as plumbing, electrical, etc., or for a total estimate.
- Project Management Software, to handle the daily management of the life cycle of a project; manages aspects such as workflows, checklists, task assignments, resource assignments, etc., to ensure that the project aligns with its initial budget and timeline estimates.
- Safety and Risk Management Software, helps mitigate construction site risks by collecting data on site, production reports, etc., ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.
“LOW-CODE” DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN THE CLOUD
The use of “low code” platforms is becoming increasingly widespread because they allow to create applications faster than in the traditional way, since it requires much less manual coding by the developer, with drag and drop functions, and an intuitive interface that enables non-IT professionals to create custom applications and tailored solutions.
Their main features and advantages are: speed of development due to its drag and drop capabilities, pre-built models, ready-to-use components, templates, and point-and-click editors, for creating and deploying fully functional applications in significant less time than from scratch; lower development and integration cost by requiring less time and resources to create, deploy or maintain applications; the automation of manual and routine processes that reduces entry errors, labor costs, and increases the efficiency of workflows, while freeing staff for more relevant tasks, increasing their motivation, productivity and compliance, among others; the need for less maintenance as it uses pre-designed modules that eliminate technical obstacles to run smoothly.
In short, low-code platforms in the cloud are agile ways of developing applications quickly and easily, customizable, scalable, and integrable with other digital tools, allowing the developer to concentrate on what needs to be shown to end users without the complexities of traditional coding. Another very important aspect is that they are mostly intuitive and easy to use.
In this sense, there is an offer of IT solutions specifically designed for the construction sector, on digital platforms in the cloud, and low-code development. Those that are not low-code development are sold as SaaS (Software as a Service) and are developed with specific functionalities offered to the industry; that is, to solve a specific problem in the construction company, with a certain capacity for adjustment to specific requirements, as we have already mentioned, and integrable with some other commercial systems in the market.
On the other hand, low-code solutions are developed together with the client, according to specific needs and requirements, through pre-built models and ready-to-use components adjusted to the needs of the different areas of construction and at the same time, adaptable and scalable to new needs that may arise, when they arise, without having to wait for periodic SaaS updates; resulting faster and easier to customize. In the current uncertain and changing context, the faster and easier a digital tool or solution can be adapted, improved, and integrated, the faster its implementation, and the faster the company's efficiency is increased.
Therefore, low-code digital development platforms, along with no-code ones, are becoming increasingly popular, and it is predicted that, in the near future, they will make up 65% of digital developments.
