How to Get Your Field Teams on Board with Construction Software

Follow these five tips to help get your team on board with using a new construction software.

By Luke Hansen, CompanyCam CEO.

According to JBKnowledge’s 2015 Construction Technology survey, construction companies spend less than 1% of corporate revenue on technology. Out of 19 industries, construction allocates the least amount of revenue -- by 60% or 70% -- for new software. The underspending is quite staggering, seeing as there are several great tools available at construction manager’s disposal.

If it’s time to add a new software to your line of work, don’t fret over the on boarding of sometimes difficult and frustrating technologies. In the end, adopting construction software for time management or project management will save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as the head of your construction company is not adopting new technology. Serious benefits of new tech include avoiding rework costs, ensuring the use of up-to-date plans, and lightning fast communication from the field to the office or vice versa.

If you’re looking to adopt a new construction software or you’re trying one out right now, here are five tips to help you get your team on board:

Explain how it will make life and work easier If a new construction software gets your team home earlier or saves them three or more hours per week, they wouldn’t dare turn that opportunity down. With a software like CompanyCam, completing projects quickly and properly is inevitable. The photo solution allows for better organization and communication to and from the office, which means staying on schedule and under budget. Explain to your team that using a new software will improve their work on a personal level. New software means fewer trips from the jobsite to the office and a constant flow of updates.

Master a few features, rather than everything Trying to learn the ins and outs of a new software can be difficult. If you try too hard to reel in all the features, you can get burnt out. We’ve all tried out new software, become bogged down by its complexity, and tossed it aside. When adopting a new construction software for your field teams, try tackling a few features at a time. While using CompanyCam, for example, have your workers focus on uploading their progress first before moving on to commenting and drawing on their photos. Eventually, your team will have the software mastered and they will be snapping dozens of before and after photos for you to use for social media, marketing and inspiration for the next job.

Get people to use it together Though most construction softwares can be productive primarily for individual users, photo apps in particular will encourage your team to use it together naturally. The more your team manages to explore a particular software, you can learn more about different ways to use it. For example, many users may not only take pictures of their jobsite progress, but they can snap pictures of their receipts, punch lists and other documents otherwise lost in the flurry of papers in the office. If you’re having a hard time finding a new software that works for you, a simple Google search can bring you a handful of very informative knowledge on apps for you, whether you’re a roofer, a landscaper or a master of many trades.

Let the technology lead you In general, research shows that companies don’t usually have a clear and communicated strategy when budgeting for technology. Most builders have a business plan that aligns within their space as far as jobsites, clients and employees, but for most, technology has yet to establish a role for itself as being a necessity. However, the integration of a new software can lead to a competitive advantage. Taking time to learn a software and incorporating it into your workflow with pay off in dividends further down the road. The best bet would be to build your budget around suitable tech.

Utilize training and support Right now, you might be missing out on the marketing advantages of adapting your business into the digital era. To make the right judgment call on which program to use, look at some key features of the business that created the product. Does the company offer onsite training, a responsive chat, online demos, and more? These resources are there for your use and if they have all these features, you might be dealing with a serious business. Even spending time watching “How-To” videos on the software can increase the speed at which you can adopt your new software.

Here at CompanyCam, we live by the motto, “work smarter, not harder.” Contractors have yet to fully tap into construction software, but they will. You don’t want to get left behind while your competitors are moving on up. We believe that the value of our app pays for itself instantly when properly exercised. Start with a 14 day free trial right now.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on CompanyCam’s blog and can be viewed here.