Stop the Finger Pointing: Avoid Mishaps With BI

If you work in construction, you’re probably familiar with the finger-pointing phase of a project. It’s that time when things are going wrong, and everyone starts looking for someone else to blame for cost overruns, delays, and other struggles.

It’s no surprise the finger-pointing phase happens in many projects. Only 25 percent of construction projects are finished within 10 percent of their original deadlines, and 35 percent of costs in the construction industry can be attributed to material waste and rework. Delays and change orders are pretty standard, but that doesn’t make them any less stressful for those involved in a project.

While many common problems like delays are inconveniences, some project failures have significant consequences. Take this nuclear expansion project in South Carolina. Design problems led to a series of mistakes, rework, delays, and extra costs. Ultimately, the project was abandoned, which led to political investigations and a negative impact on the local economy, which had stood to gain jobs from a successfully-completed project.

Not all project failures have such serious consequences, but no failure is desirable. Many of them can be prevented, however, with improved communication and collaboration, enabled by leading-edge technology and business intelligence (BI).

Get on the same page with construction software

The construction industry hasn’t been the quickest adopter of technology. KPMG International’s 2017 Global Construction Survey found 57 percent of construction companies surveyed say they’re technology “followers” or “behind the curve.” That doesn’t mean businesses aren’t adopting technology, but it does mean there’s room for improvement.

Construction management software is one type of technology that enables better collaboration, a key part of avoiding those costly project delays and other mishaps. With integrated software that’s built for the construction industry, communication can occur much more quickly among the head office, architects, engineers, suppliers, and crews in the field. With built-in collaborative tools, everyone involved in a project is on the same page from the beginning and can stay on the same page despite possible change orders, weather delays, materials delays, and other common occurrences.

In addition to improved collaboration, the right software can streamline processes through features like web-based access and automated workflows, improving the overall project management experience for contractors, subcontractors, and project owners.

Adapt with business intelligence

We recently discussed ways business intelligence can help contractors get ahead. Avoiding costly project failures is another way BI benefits construction businesses. The right software keeps track of information and can help you gather important data. The key next step is using that data to make smarter decisions for your projects.

Keep project delays and costs to a minimum with construction software and BI.

Most contractors are able to make decisions for projects in progress right now. But it’s also possible to harness data from past projects to better forecast — and avoid mishaps on — future ones. This means there will be fewer headaches and finger-pointing, and more efficient, profitable projects.

If you’re ready to cut back on the number of problems your construction projects face, take a minute to learn about how you can put business intelligence and the right integrated construction software to work for your company. Or feel free to reach out to us through our website, Facebook, or LinkedIn.