Evaluating Construction Software: How to Find the Perfect Fit

When it comes to building out a comprehensive construction tech portfolio, success depends less on having the flashiest, the most expensive or the highest number of solutions, and more on finding the right tools — tools that meet a need, solve a problem or reach a specific goal. 

Nowhere is that more true than with construction software. Construction software solutions make up a tech stack, serve as the foundation of a tech ecosystem and might include tools to manage projects, manage closeout documents, estimate costs, prepare and submit bids, schedule and prepare pay applications. 

Contractors using software to improve project and business outcomes aren’t discovering secret tools that the rest of us don’t know about. They’re selecting tools that integrate with existing workflows and processes, align with their goals and have functionalities that meet their needs. 

This article is about choosing the appropriate software management platform, including how to identify problems, important considerations and how to test potential solutions. 

Understanding Business Needs and Identifying Problems

The process of selecting construction software begins with identifying the needs it should meet and the problems it should solve. Assessing and evaluating the suitability of software can only happen if what it’s supposed to do has been clearly defined. There are a number of ways to determine needs and problems, and most of them rely on high-quality communication, effective collaboration and thorough data analysis.

Engage with the whole team.

From a laborer to a project executive, every member of a team has important, specific needs and problems. An effective software solution should help address or improve as many of those variables as possible. Before selecting software, conduct surveys or interviews to gain an understanding of needs, opportunities and challenges from as many perspectives as possible.

Engaging with the team before selecting software doesn’t just help find a more fitting solution, it also invests team members in the tool, which can improve the likelihood of a successful implementation and integration.

Use technology committees.

When possible, establish a dedicated tech or innovation committee to make well-rounded, thorough decisions about adopting new technologies. This team should include a diverse group of stakeholders from various departments, including field workers, IT and the C-suite. This committee can help assess needs, identify potential issues and test solutions in ways that make sure it meets a range of business needs, fosters a culture of innovation and increases buy-in from different stakeholders.

Map out processes.

Document and analyze existing workflows and processes to pinpoint inefficiencies and areas for improvement. This can include the following steps: 

• Identify Key Workflows

  Determine and list processes and workflows linked to project and business outcomes. Examples can include time tracking, project management, submittals or inspections. 

• Document Steps

  Break down each workflow into specific, detailed steps or tasks. Note who is responsible for each part of the process, what tools are used and any inputs or dependencies.

• Visualize the Workflow

  Clearly illustrate the sequence of steps and how they interact by creating a visual representation, such as a flowchart or diagram. This process is similar to visual tools prepared during pull planning or the Critical Path Method (CPM).

• Analyze Efficiency

  Evaluate the mapped processes to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, bottlenecks or other areas where improvement could be made. Data-driven insights can be gained by benchmarking performance against industry standards. 

• Involve Stakeholders

  Gain a more nuanced, comprehensive understanding of the process and its inefficiencies by gathering insights and perspectives from team members involved with or affected by the workflow. 

This is another example of something that doesn’t just help select a better software program, but also helps the efficacy of implementing the solution. Information gathered here can serve as data to support the rollout of new solutions and as a baseline for ongoing performance analysis and improvements.

Other ways to identify and measure problems.

Companies have problems that are unique to them based on location, company size, project types or the market. Pursue additional ways to identify and measure issues, including: 

• SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis
• Performance data analysis
• Workshops to identify and measure problems 
• External consultants

Things to Consider When Evaluating Software

What to consider when assessing and evaluating software often depends on a company’s needs, size, budget and competition. However, a contractor should have an idea of their preferences on a few important considerations.

• Scalability

  The ability to accommodate future growth, increased number of users or different types of projects.

• Alignment with Existing Processes

  The ability to enhance or optimize, as opposed to disrupting, current workflows. For example, a contractor who’s been doing takeoffs by hand might want estimating software that automates the process or checks for errors. 

• Integration Capabilities

  The ability to integrate with existing systems or software. For example, a project management software should integrate with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or databases to provide and access up-to-date and reliable data and unlock the potential of all tools.

• Usability

  The ability to meet the needs of everyone using the tools, which might include the capacity for real-time collaboration, messaging or mobile accessibility. 

• Security and Risk Management

  The ability to meet IT’s needs and requirements for protecting important and sensitive information. IT can help assess risks associated with data sharing, document accessibility and compliance with industry standards. 

• Cost vs. Benefit

  The ability to offer benefits that outweigh the financial and resource implications. This includes the initial cost of acquiring the software, ongoing fees and other intangible factors, such as required training time. Time-to-value assesses how quickly software can deliver benefits and a return on investment (ROI). 

What to Prioritize When Evaluating Software

The goal is finding a software solution that addresses as many needs or problems as possible. However, not every process or consideration is equally important. Finding the right software requires prioritizing functionalities or capabilities, and ensuring that the tool meets at least 80% of the critical path processes. 

One way to do this is a requirement matrix, a tool used to catalog and prioritize software features and functionalities and evaluate potential solutions against an organization’s criteria. Key steps to using a requirements matrix include: 

1. Identity Must-Haves

   Based on needs and problems discovered in researching solutions, determine features or functionalities that would be essential to the organization. This likely includes many of the considerations listed above, such as scalability, integration, alignment with existing processes or security. 

2. Score Potential Solutions

   Use a scoring system to assess how well each software meets certain criteria. There are few options for scoring systems: 
   
   Weight scoring model: Assign a weight to each criterion based on its importance. For example, if seamless data flow is important, integration might have a higher weight than the user interface. Score potential software solutions based on its ability to fulfill criteria. The weighted score gives a more accurate depiction of the software’s fit. 
   Simple 1 to 5 scale: Rate each solution’s ability to meet criterion on a scale from 1 (does not meet requirement) to 5 (exceeds the requirement). This provides a clear view of how options perform, is user-friendly and helps build consensus among team members.
   Checklists: A simple checklist can help with less complex decisions by providing a list of requirements and seeing which options meet the highest number. 

3. Encourage stakeholder input

   Gather input from various departments to ensure as many needs as possible have been met. People with expertise are able to better assess whether the tool will perform as needed. For example, someone in the finance department might be able to see a subtle but important way that a tool doesn’t integrate with accounting software, or someone on the project management team might see how one software is better than another at managing documents. 

Platforms vs. Point Solutions

Most software is considered either a platform or a point solution. Understanding the difference helps to make sure a tool is able to meet the correct needs and solve the correct problems.

What’s a platform?

A platform is a larger-scale software solution that provides a comprehensive suite of tools and is designed to support and integrate with multiple processes across various departments. 

Platforms have wide-reaching advantages, such as scalability and ability to simplify complex tasks, but they often have higher initial adoption costs. They are ideal for comprehensive needs, long-term growth plans, centralizing data or building the foundation of an integrated, expansive tech ecosystem. 

What’s a point solution?

A point solution is a specialized software application designed to address a specific function or problem. 

Point solutions are ideal for taking care of specific issues, working within tight budget constraints or executing pilot projects. Their focused capability can help solve specific problems without a large commitment of money or time. However, point solutions can present issues with integrating with other components of a tech ecosystem and are sometimes limited in their scalability.

Evaluating a Specific Software Solution

Once an initial selection has been made, it’s time to evaluate how likely it will be to be effective. 

Conduct effective pilot tests.

Before fully committing to an innovation, create a smaller-scale, manageable and measurable pilot project to assess benefits and identify potential issues. A project should have clearly defined objectives and measurable metrics for success, so it’s possible to analyze whether the tool enhanced the process. 

When doing numerous pilot projects, it’s best to use different project teams. This helps avoid burnout that might come from having to repeatedly learn new skills while also providing a variety of data. In some cases, external expertise, such as a representative from the software company or a consultant, can help manage and monitor the software during the pilot project.

Evaluate the process.

Throughout the pilot project and into software implementation, assess how the software performs and integrates with existing workflows. The data and metrics defined while mapping out processes can be applied to analyze whether or to what extent software is enhancing processes. Implementing any innovation is a process that requires continuous improvement. Even when it’s clear that a software is a good fit, evaluating performance can help with identifying and achieving improvements that further unlock its potential.

The Key To Overcoming Common Challenges

Throughout the process of assessing and evaluating software, two things almost always improve ultimate outcomes: communication and collaboration.

Involving various stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding helps find the best possible software and also improves the implementation process. Those practices are also the best way to overcome challenges that are often associated with new tools, such as hesitancy or resistance. Resistance to new technology is common, especially when people don't understand the tool or how it might help them. Overcoming these concerns is almost always done best with personal connection and open communication, such as feedback sessions, training sessions or one-on-one meetings.

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