5 Questions to Ask When Selecting Construction Management Software
Job Title: CoFounder & CEO
I founded my company, Kitchen Design Concepts, in 2005 and today we have12 team members across design, project management, and operations. It seems crazy, but just a few years ago we were using three different— and totally unconnected— types of software to run the business. We had an internal CRM tool for leads, Microsoft Project to manage our jobs, and QuickBooks for financials.
My goal was to find one solution that would accommodate all our needs. Selecting the tool was a big decision and I wanted to make sure we thought through every angle. With that in mind, I developed a score sheet with five categories to give us a clear, consistent method for judging each software.
We ranked all of the technology solutions on a scale of 1-5 and picked the one with the best overall score. Below are the five categories we created:
User Experience
Is the construction management software easy to use? How well does it perform?
UX was extremely important to us. We wanted an intuitive interface that let us complete tasks quickly and with minimal clicks. We also looked at how long it took for pages or features to load.
Cross-Functionality
Does the software work equally well for different types of users?
We wanted a solution that worked equally well for our team members, clients, and trade partners. It was crucial that everyone in our ecosystem could access the tool easily, provide updates, and stay informed.
Also on our wish list was the ability to see which trade partners were working across different projects at any given time. We have as many as 15 jobs operating simultaneously, and we need to know where crew members are located and for how many hours and see all that info in one place.
Price
Is the software solution expensive?
As in all things, cost was a consideration, and we assessed the price of every software solution that we evaluated and ranked them as part of the overall score.
Adaptability
Is the construction management software customizable? Does it integrate well with other solutions?
We wanted a tool that could adapt to our needs rather than us having to adapt to it. For example, we want to capture specific types of data that other contractors may not need like a particular job status, or certain attributes of customers and trade partners. Mary Kathryn Reese is co-founder/ CEO of Kitchen Design Concepts in Dallas We were also looking for a one-stop shop that integrated well with a lot of other tools. We might not use all of them this time, but the point is that they are available.
Support
How robust is the education? Is there a strong community of users?
We demo-ed a number of options out there and then reviewed the videos, user guides, classes, and support for each one. That told us a lot. We wanted great educational content and access to other users if we needed it.
In the end, JobTread was an easy win. We’re very happy with the product and would recommend it highly. The project management is better than anything we’ve seen and the visibility to our customers and trade partners is fantastic.
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