Types of contracting and construction software
(what you need to know before buying)

Getting a handle on what software your business needs - and could use - can be mind numbing

This involves:

• learning what options are available
• attempting to compare the options
• grasping if it will fit your current needs
• hoping it will fit your future needs
• wondering if your team will actually use it
• and praying that you can afford it

Even the healthiest of us can feel short circuited by the experience.

All kinds of software is begging you to adopt it:

Who wants to compare, buy, instal, setup, learn, and use a dozen pieces of software?

A lot goes into getting each piece of software up and running. Plus, most software programs work independently, so even though there are good reasons to share information between programs, it can be hair-pullingly difficult to get them to do so.

Who wants to figure out how to get software programs to talk to each other?

Unless you figure out how to get software programs to talk to each other, you will be forced to enter much of the same information over and over just to make the different programs work. Talk about wasting a ton of time and sucking profitability like a shop-vac on steroids.

Then every time a change is made to any job information (how often does that happen?), every change must be updated on all the paperwork and in each piece of software that relies on it.

Failure to update information 'immediately and religiously' means people WILL end up working off the wrong information. This is one of the biggest causes of mistakes, cost over-runs, and stress.

Who wants to set-up a computer network and keep it running?

Unless you figure out how to get computers and devices to talk to one another, you will be left wondering which device has the 'latest and greatest' version of whatever information you need.

Emailing files and memory-sticks don't cut it as you WILL end up with multiple copies of similar information floating around (and people WILL end up working off the wrong information).

Why the true power of software has not been used by contractors

Let's call a spade-a-spade, software has had limited success with contractors - especially for those that spend much of their day on the road and in the field.

The fact is, contractors would have already made much better use of software if it hadn't come with time-sucking, mind-numbling, wallet-burning problems - it's no wonder so many contracting businesses have resisted tapping into the true power of software systems.

How to avoid the software insane asylum (but still benefit from the power of software)

However, none of these are problems with BuildIT because it is one software system that manages, organizes, schedules, and communicates a huge range of job information.

On top of that it takes a lot of work to keep computers running and connected (networked) to each other.

The fact is, people and businesses don't back up their information as often as they should (if at all). Then something happens, a computer gets stolen or a hard drive crashes, and things get real difficult (ask anyone who has experienced it).

It takes a lot of effort to recover from a computer crash - business won't wait - work still needs to be done - but now there's a ton of extra hassle to keep everything going - and the burden to recover from a computer crash usually falls 100% on the user.

However, you used a web based system you wouldn't miss a beat, just go to any computer, access the internet, and you're up and running.

More on the advantages of web-based construction software...

Contracting businesses most commonly use 3 pieces of software and often attempt to use software made for regular businesses (not contracting or construction businesses).