How to conquer 5 common construction management challenges

Documents, connectedness, risk, and cost management activities are part of every construction project, and they can be inefficient and time-consuming.

Even when project teams digitize their workflows, systems and data may still be disconnected, with stakeholders unable to access key information consistently or timely. Incorrect or missing information can disrupt workflows, schedules and budgets.

Construction management software can keep things on track, on budget and on time.

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Learn more about Autodesk Construction Cloud in the free Applied Software eBook: The Importance of a Common Data Environment.

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Following are five common challenges that construction management software can help you conquer:

1. Keeping projects on schedule.

Projects don’t happen in a linear time frame. Multiple teams can be working on their portion of the project before other teams finish up. Construction management software gives teams visibility into multiple phases of the project as they unfold. Each phase has a timeline, and when those timelines overlap, showing progress in real-time helps stage tasks. Software can also connect cost with time to indicate when “schedule creep” threatens to upset the project schedule (and budget).

2. Managing documents.

Each project can have hundreds of documents to track and file, including estimates, bids, contracts, permits, drawings, drawing revisions, work orders, requests for information (RFIs), bills of materials, and more. Construction management software enables you to standardize the way your company handles those documents. Then it enables project stakeholders to access them to ensure they are basing their work on the most current information.  

3. Connecting teams.

Handle a document as few times as possible (ideally only once). That was one of the gems I learned during a seminar on time management 30+ years ago. It still applies today. It’s a waste of time for a project manager to have to relay the same information multiple times to different teams. Software can automatically reflect updates to the project from different sources, and all teams have access to the same information at the same time. Each step in an RFI workflow, for instance, can assign responsibility and accountability, and software can protect you with an information trail through to an issue’s resolution.  

4. Keeping projects within budget.

A project budget lists anticipated outlays for materials, labor, equipment, permits, tools, and other expenses. When one category goes over, another category must be decreased to keep the overall budget in balance. As with schedule, “budget creep,” especially if it happens in multiple categories, can quickly blow up a budget, with a resulting decrease in profit. To avoided that, cost management software can keep tabs on issues in real-time so you can react promptly. Quick, informed decision-making helps avoid budget overruns.

5. Managing risk.

Construction management software gives you a place to track audits, inspections, information, and documentation on safety incidents. Tracking can assist with continuous improvement for future jobs. This can also be a centralized place to store safety policies and procedures to be accessed on-the-fly.

Autodesk Construction Cloud products can help address your construction project management challenges. The single cloud-based platform enables teams to share information and collaborate on designs so project workflows can be optimized.

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If you need a partner to help you navigate the Autodesk Construction Cloud, contact Applied Software today. The experts of Applied will help you investigate the solutions that are right for your company.

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