More and more, construction companies are turning towards technology to streamline their operations instead of away from it. But being able to find the right fit for your needs requires a strategic approach to effectively implement and use that technology.
Here are three key tips for evaluating and selecting the kind of solutions that will meet and even exceed your construction company’s needs.
Designate a team
Identifying needs and wants takes a broad amount of participation across different departments and different levels. But you’ll also want to select a designated team that can systematically evaluate your options. These people will be charged with ensuring your technology investment is a good fit and will be embraced by the entire company as an effective and useful tool.
Make a “needs” list
The pain points are often well known amongst your team members but making a clear list of what you need is very important. Company leadership may want to get employee feedback to help develop this list, allowing them to feel a part of the process. It might sound simple, but clear goals make a significant difference in identifying what kind of technology you need. Instead of broad complaints, turn the pain points into specific objectives that can be achieved. Below you’ll find a few examples of ways to hone your pain points into needs for a legitimate solution.
Pain Point: Sharing reports with different people in my construction company is difficult to do.
Need: We need a way to quickly and easily share reports with multiple people in the company so that people have information needed to do their jobs.
Pain Point: The data I need is not available to people in the field.
Need: A mobile solution that can be used from anywhere would allow better collaboration among different departments.
Participate actively in the implementation
After your designated team makes recommendations and a decision is made, you still need to remain involved. Getting a solution implemented requires active participation. You will want to stay in close contact with the people at the solution provider you selected. There will be timelines, training and possibly occasions to adjust as needed when any roadblocks come up.
Strong planning leads to success, so approach this strategically. Once you’ve selected the solution or solutions needed, gone through training and implementation, your patience and hard will be apparent. Aktion supports a wide variety of technology options for the construction industry. When you’re ready to look at those choices, please reach out to us.
Tarry Schabel, Construction Division Sales Manager, leads a national sales team focused on helping construction companies modernize their operations by implementing next gen software for the Construction industry, including Sage Intacct Construction, Sage 300 CRE, Sage 100 Contractor and Sage ISV/Third Party applications.