mike.parsons

When it comes to the crossover between the technology and the construction industry, most people immediately think about hardware.

After all, aren’t better cranes, tools and safety equipment the only way in which construction efficiency can be improved? Aren’t advanced materials and building techniques all that present-day technology can do for this industry? Of course not!

You see, construction companies are still profit-oriented businesses at their core, which means that their success rate greatly depends on the ability to generate profit. The use of tools like BIM provides construction businesses with a better ROI, however, this is merely the tip of the iceberg of all that construction industry software can do both for the industry and individual enterprises. With that in mind, here are several advantages of construction industry software that shouldn’t be overlooked.

1. Accounting

One of the problems with the accounting in the construction industry lies in the fact that there are so many factors to keep in mind. For instance, companies that are specialized as builder-owners have tax depreciation to worry about, outside of all the rest that comes with it. Moreover, there are some specifics that are vastly different for construction companies than they are for other industries. For instance, the issues of break-even, expenses vs. overhead, sales and cost of goods sold are done by an entirely different equation. This means that even if you do have a veteran accountant on your retainer, getting a specialized accounting tool is a must.

2. Estimations in BIM

When it comes to the issue of software and the construction industry in the same sentence, the first idea that the majority of people familiar with the industry get is the BIM (building information modeling). This is a concept that develops realistic building models in the digital environment not only visually but also with all of their physical properties. This can help minimize the costs of construction, facilitate the planning and drafting stage, as well as prevent potentially devastating accidents. Still, BIM is just an umbrella term and these services are usually best achieved through specialized tools like Autocad IT.

3. Project management software

Most people in the business world are already well-familiar with the term project management. The problem, however, lies in the fact that this is, once again, different in the construction industry. Therefore, finding a project management tool is not good enough and what you need is a construction project management software instead. Nowadays, when the majority of your employees have smartphones on the construction site, you can even pick a tool that has an app and keeps everyone on the project connected into a single network.

4. Cost comparison software

While a seasoned contractor already knows the cost of most projects, materials and tools by heart, keep in mind that this system is never as reliable. Human error and forgetfulness are factors that you can never completely rule out, whereas there are always new suppliers, manufacturers and construction startups on the market. Needless to say, this means that there are new offers every single day. With the help of a cost comparison software, this is not something that you’ll have to worry about, due to the fact that the comparison process gets regularly updated on its own.

5. AR and VR platforms

This last thing that we need to discuss isn’t necessarily a software as much as it is a trend in the digital environment, in general. You see, with the help of the VR, architects, real estate agents, contractors and buyers will be able to take a tour of the place, long before the construction even starts. Needless to say, this is a trend that will be game-changing in more than one way. However, VR isn’t the only trend that could introduce such a change. A contractor and a construction site manager can use their smartphone, coupled with the AR-powered software in order to check progress or even see potential changes and upgrades.

In conclusion

As you can see, digital tools can make as much of a difference as the actual tools and construction equipment. Nonetheless, only when properly used together can these trends help a construction business reach the peak of its productivity and efficiency, as well as reach its full potential.