Top 9 Must-Have Features of Construction Management Software

Whether you are a subcontractor that does civil work, infrastructure, labor hire, dry/wet plant hire, or commercial work, you want to deliver your projects with the highest service standards.

The right construction management software supports this goal. With the right software tools, subcontractors can not only improve their workforce’s productivity but also gain better insight into the business and gain control over what is actually happening on site.

At the moment, construction tech and construction management software are hot topics. There are many different point-solution platforms that offer productivity improvements to contractors in the construction industry, and technology is expected to be adopted industry-wide within the next few years.

Subcontractors should look for the following features when selecting their construction management software.

1. Timesheets

Billable hours are one of the most important factors to invoice customers accurately. When looking for construction software, you want to ensure that timecard data is collected accurately, can be processed for payroll, and is linked to different projects. A timesheet feature should include different pay rates and activity types to ensure different activities are billed to the client appropriately.

2. Inspections and Checklists

While digital timesheets save contractors some paperwork, most construction sites still rely on clipboards and paper inspection forms. Different projects require different forms, so a flexible digital form-building tool helps contractors reduce paper clutter on site. Forms can be updated and sent to the field team’s mobile devices.

Processing paper forms can take weeks, delaying corrective actions. A digital form that notifies the right person when something needs to be actioned saves time and enables faster responses.

For example, many contractors use incident reports in their health and safety procedures. A construction management platform that visualizes this data in real time can help solve underlying trends for incidents. Digital forms can support WHS policies, plant maintenance, toolbox talks, change orders, and inductions.

3. Document Management

In a highly regulated industry like construction, it’s important to comply with all rules and regulations. Being ISO 9001:2015 accredited is the norm when working for government and large GC projects.

Part of the accreditation is to prove that your entire workforce is competent to work on projects. Tracking expiry dates of certificates and licenses is a lot of work for a 100+ workforce, and keeping the competency matrix up to date is a daunting challenge. When buying construction management software, subcontractors should look for a real-time competency matrix feature that allows them to send an updated competency matrix to the client in a matter of minutes.

4. Job Scheduling / Task Management

Once your workforce is compliant with all job requirements, you’re ready to schedule and allocate workers and their equipment. A scheduling calendar that allows subcontractors to replace the whiteboard enables operations managers to collaborate and work on one schedule for the entire company. Tracking where everyone is and what they are doing will improve the efficiency of the entire workforce.

5. SMS / Email Communication

Communication between the office and the field is one of the most challenging parts for subcontractors. Communication is often lost in the pile of SMS and emails, making it hard to hold people accountable. Tracking communication within your organization is key to managing accountability and reducing communication-related risk. When buying software, subcontractors should consider how they’ll communicate with their staff.

6. Payroll

Data collected via field mobility functionalities (timesheets and leave request forms) is the cornerstone for fast payroll processing. Many subcontractors who use software to manage their business save hours processing payroll. Instead of collecting paper timesheets and manually entering numbers into accounting software, they can directly export timesheet data from their platform. Payroll is processed faster and is less prone to errors.

7. Invoicing

Sending accurate invoices is essential for healthy project margins. Work done out of scope needs to be reported and charged accordingly. Many contractors using outdated processes leave money on the table because field staff struggle to report all out-of-scope work, and if they do, clients may dispute it. Being able to show an accurate log and invoice out-of-scope work accurately not only prevents arguments but also demonstrates professionalism to the client.

8. Custom Reports

In many industries, data collection and reporting have been the main reasons for increased efficiency and profitability. In construction, where subcontractors compete on efficiency, safety, and quality, data can play a crucial role in gaining a competitive advantage.

However, collecting and processing data has been difficult. Construction management software is changing that. With the right reporting features, subcontractors can collect and process real-time data in easy-to-read custom reports. This helps contractors better understand their business and make changes to increase margins and improve safety procedures on site.

9. Project Budget Tracking

All data tracked in reports can be allocated to specific projects. Your software solution should provide insights into which projects yield higher margins and which ones may not be worth pursuing. Construction management software can help collate data towards a project, allowing you to track actual costs versus the budget. Contractors have daily insight into profitability and project progress, enabling them to make changes during the project to improve margins.