What is Construction Information Management?
Construction is about far more than the work that happens on-site. With so many moving parts, pieces and people involved, a lot of documentation is needed, including scopes of work, employee schedules, contractor agreements and more.
Staying on top of mounds of paperwork and changes to documentation – as well as communicating them to the right people at the right time – can be challenging. A single missed instruction could spell disaster on a project. That’s why the right construction information management software is crucial to delivering any construction project on time and within budget.
Construction information management helps connect all stakeholders. It improves business decision-making and enables better coordination, control and analysis of project information. Long story short, it can help you streamline processes for improved productivity.
Benefits of Construction Information Management
Construction information management solutions make things easier. Several primary benefits add up to improved productivity and a better bottom line, as outlined below.
1. Provides a Single Source of Truth
Everyone involved in making a business decision, from procurement to project management, needs visibility in real-time and access to up-to-date information. A cloud-based information management system provides a centralised, easy-to-access repository for all vital project documents and data, accessible at any time and from anywhere.
2. Improves Communication and Collaboration
Miscommunication on projects can prove very costly indeed. But a cloud-based construction information management system provides a single source of truth and enables real-time collaboration and communication across all departments and among stakeholders. Everyone is better able to make more informed decisions based on real-time information.
3. Offers Standard Procedures for Documentation
Construction document management software replaces outdated, error-prone, paper-based systems. It makes it easy to find approvals for invoices or date and time stamps for materials received. It organises and streamlines the handling of documentation, which also reduces time wasted on administrative tasks.
4. Helps to Control Cost Overruns
It’s no secret that cost overruns are commonplace within the construction industry. That’s why having the right construction project management solutions in place is key – solutions that include information management.
With digitised documents and streamlined processes, everyone works from the same information and knows when changes have been made. This approach is highly effective in terms of risk mitigation. It also reduces duplicated, fallible manual efforts that can result in costly rework and erode thin margins.
How to Implement Information Management in the Construction Industry
Understanding the benefits of information management tools for the construction industry and implementing them can be two different matters. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
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Assess Your Current System
Take a look at your current system or software solutions. How is the system working (or not working) for you? How are you capturing the flow of information from start to finish?
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Centralise Documents and Standardise Processes
As you consider your current system, start centralising the existing documents and standardising the processes. This is a good time to make sure documents are also digitised – a key component for successful construction project management.
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Consider the Company’s Culture
What are the current processes? How do employees and departments get things done? It’s important to work with the company culture rather than against it. That means understanding how common tasks are being done, who has sign-off and who decides who sees which documents and when. Aim to achieve the team’s buy-in for any new information management software.
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Name the Project Lead and Go-to Team
Implementing any information management system is a big investment and you want it to go smoothly, so make sure you name the project lead and provide contact details for a go-to team who’ll be able to deal with any queries. They will be the ones to get the work done.
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Rely on the Right Software
You need to do your research, to find the right software that will meet your company’s needs. As a bare minimum, it should centralise access to information and documents; integrate with existing digital processes, like change requests or issue reporting; improve collaboration and communication; and automatically generate notifications and track updates – in real-time.
Choosing the Right Construction Information Management Software
We know you have options when it comes to construction information management solutions. RedSky’s Project Connect was developed out of decades of experience in construction software.
It’s a secure, cloud-based project collaboration platform that provides a centralised, reliable information management system for real-time communication and collaboration and control over documentation. Project Connect provides speed, simplicity and digitisation, while also enabling smarter decision-making.
Learn more about how easy project collaboration can be by requesting a demo with one of our specialists. You can also get in touch through our contact form or by giving us a call on +44 020 3002 8600.
