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When it comes to different categories of construction industry software here are a couple of the main ones to consider: Project management software for construction Different types of cloud-based software for the construction industry Look for a “Help Centre” or “Resources” section on the website to give an indication of what support information is available. At minimum, you should expect to be able to reach someone within 24 hours during core working hours, whether that’s by online chat, email or over the phone.ĭetailed documentation, particularly if there are recorded video tutorials, can also be really useful and a great resource for training your own team on how the software works. Software companies traditionally offer a great deal of customer service, which can usually be accessed online or through a help centre. In our experience it’s also unlikely that you’ll find one software that will cover absolutely every function in your workflow, so approaching with an open mind can help you to build the best tech stack for your organisation at a lower cost. However these systems can be pricey and more suitable for large enterprises that can afford team training and onboarding from the product’s own success team. The pros of an all in one solution is that you won’t have to learn the interface of different systems and you’ll have start-to-end visibility across your project. When reviewing which software to purchase you’ll need to decide whether to choose an all-purpose construction management software, or combine two or three products in order to cover all areas.
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Everything from BIM object software, to estimating and takeoff, to project management and document handling. There are now plenty of options which fall under the wider “construction management software” bracket. Is the software all-in-one or specific to one element? If this is essential to your own workflow then it’s good to ask the question before you buy into a package. Similarly, your cloud-based software may not work on a tablet, iPad or smartphone due to the smaller screen size and touchscreen capabilities. Although the software will likely still function on an older browser such as Internet Explorer, it may not be optimised or tested within this browser and you could find bugs or quirks that affect your work. Although cloud-based programs should, in theory, be accessible from anywhere, double check that yours works with your preferred browser such as Chrome, Safari or Firefox. It’s a good idea to check whether your software of choice works on the device you use most often. Yes it’s tempting, but if you can hold off then when your connection resumes you can usually just pick up where you left off without losing any of your inputs. One tip we give at Countfire is to not refresh the page if your connection drops temporarily.
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One specific factor to consider is whether any software you choose has an “offline mode” so that if you lose connection or have a WiFi issue you don’t lose hours worth of work.
CONSTRUCTION TAKEOFF SOFTWARE FOR MAC INSTALL
True cloud-based software does not require you to download or install anything to your laptop or PC and should be accessible from any browser, whether you’re working on Mac or PC. The first aspect to look for when searching out a new construction software is whether it’s cloud or web based. Guide to cloud-based software for the construction industryīefore you begin to get prices and set up trials there are a couple of good questions to ask during the research phase: 1. In this guide we’ll walk you through what to look for when purchasing cloud-based software in construction and some recommendations of the tools available. Today, there are plenty of cloud-based tool options across accounting, project management, takeoff and estimating. Studies show that the adoption of cloud-computing is on the rise, with 85% of construction contractors using or planning to use cloud-based solutions in 2017, and that was before a global pandemic that led everyone to work a little more remotely. There are plenty of benefits of moving to cloud-based software for project teams working within construction.
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