Document management in the preconstruction phases of a Construction Project
Introduction:
Preconstruction is one of the most significant phases of a construction project. Yet, in the past, it was often considered a rather discrete transition period between the designing and building phases. However, with the construction industry slowly embracing technology, this is no longer the case! In fact, construction companies across the globe are looking into ways to iron out the hiccups they face while in the preconstruction phase to ensure the smooth running of the overall project.
Construction project managers are now focused on improving communication in the preconstruction phase to drive success. Construction projects involve extensive paperwork and documentation that must be consistently shared, monitored, and modified in the preconstruction phase.
Unfortunately, since most construction companies lack comprehensive software solutions for their processes, these documents are spread across disparate locations, making it difficult to collaborate or share information effectively. The construction industry needs to invest in new integrated methods to ensure efficient document management and collaboration as it progresses. This article explores the document management challenges that typically occur in the preconstruction phase and how BUILDFitters can help overcome them.
What is preconstruction:
Preconstruction is the phase of a construction project that occurs before actual construction work begins. It includes all the planning, design, and preparation that takes place before the start of construction. During preconstruction, the project’s scope is defined, budgets and schedules are developed, and necessary approvals and permits are obtained. The project’s design is also completed during preconstruction, and contractors may submit bids to complete the work. Once a contractor has been chosen, a preconstruction meeting is typically held to review the plans, schedule, and budget. Preconstruction also includes procurement, in which the purchasing department orders any materials and equipment needed for the project. It also includes site preparation, in which the site is prepared for construction. Finally, the team begins mobilization, bringing in the personnel, equipment, and materials needed to start construction.
Effective document management during the preconstruction phase:
Effective document management during the preconstruction phase of a new construction project is crucial for ensuring the smooth and successful execution of the project. Construction management software can manage and organize documents throughout a construction project. Some common features of document management in construction management software include:
- Document storage: Construction management software often consists of a centralized repository for storing and organizing all project-related documents, such as plans, drawings, contracts, and reports.
- Version control: It is important to track document changes as a project progresses. Construction management software can help with this by maintaining a record of different versions of each document and allowing users to view previous versions.
- Collaboration: Construction management software can facilitate collaboration between team members by allowing them to access and edit documents in real time. This can help to ensure that everyone has the most up-to-date information.
- Document approval: Some construction management software includes a document approval process, in which documents must be reviewed and approved by specific team members before they can be finalized.
- Document security: Construction management software often includes features to help ensure the security and confidentiality of sensitive documents. This may include user authentication, access controls, and data encryption.
BUILDFitters – streamlined document management across the entire construction project:
BUILDFitters is a construction management software designed to streamline all aspects of a construction project. It is a solution that combines various software tools and systems to organize, monitor, and refine construction project processes for all stakeholders. BUILDFitters simplifies and automates many of the complexities of modern-day construction management, including document management. BUILDFitters moves all construction data to the cloud, which means that the data is now saved in a secure, centralized repository and easily accessible to all stakeholders. Furthermore, cloud storage allows users permission management, version-tracking, co-editing, and many other features that save time, cost, and effort for construction project managers.
BUILDFitters’ preconstruction module provides a wide range of document management and automation features that either eliminate the need to produce documentation or streamline the process for easy access to required documentation. BUILDFitters facilitates documentation across bidding management, project management, contract management, in-negotiation collaboration, procurement, and team collaboration functions.
Bidding management:
BUILDFitters allows construction project managers to save time and effort on manually creating and awarding bids with digitized bids that can be transferred from the sales pipeline. This eliminates the need for excel documents allowing for a much more efficient and productive approach. Additionally, BUILDFitters estimating capabilities enable managers to estimate from anywhere on any device.
Project management:
BUILDFitters allows construction project managers to handle project budgets with access to all estimation details, material purchase orders, and subcontractor services through a dashboard, eliminating complicated processes and siloed data storage. In a single click, the system automatically generates and saves the PO and subcontractor contracts and saves them in a secure document location. Furthermore, BUILDFitters provides project managers with complete access to project summaries, internal team information, and owner team information within one comprehensive view. Managers can also utilize the templatized features for the scope of work, inclusions, and exclusions to populate the type of service within the dashboard rather than fill out mountain-loads of paperwork. BUILDFitters also helps managers keep track of equipment data and documentation through real-time access to information about quantity, vendor, and price, in the dashboard.
Contract management:
As a cloud-based construction management software, BUILDFitters helps construction project managers save countless hours and paperwork that traditionally goes into contract management with its user-friendly dashboards. The contract management module in the preconstruction phase of the software makes it easy to create contracts from the estimates with a single click. BUILDFitters allows project managers to automate contract creation and import schedules directly from awarded bids by tracking and managing multiple contracts correspondingly without having to deal with paper documentation from different channels.
In-negotiation:
With the BUILDFitters in-negotiation feature, project managers can easily access an auto-populated list of all the products and services they have in the preconstruction module. This means they no longer must maintain cumbersome lists on their notepads, phones, or computers. They can easily access all the information they need from the dashboard and say goodbye to long, confusing documents. For example, they can select their preferred subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers by comparing the proposals and related communication. They can also benefit from one-click proposals and update product and service requests in the module without leaving the dashboard. Additionally, project managers can protect negotiations from disputes and manual, error-prone documentation by taking the negotiation documentation to the cloud.
Procurement:
BUILDFitters provides project managers with easy access to the information they need to purchase within the preconstruction phase. This effectively streamlines purchase order (PO) requests as the POs are automatically populated and simplifies the complex process of purchase order creation and management. Additionally, due to BUILDFitter’s advanced document management capabilities, project managers can streamline purchasing requisitions with a comprehensive view of data, approval processes, and progress to save time and costs.
Team collaboration:
BUILDFitters allows project managers to communicate efficiently with project and contract teams by leveraging Office 365 and Microsoft Teams’ advanced collaborative capabilities. They can automatically create a project team with Microsoft Teams and keep track of all preconstruction-related correspondence in the team chat. Furthermore, they can share files, messages, and pictures in the chat without security and privacy concerns. BUILDFitters is a robust platform supporting multiple collaborative integrations. It allows users to carry out video meetings for up to 10,000 people with cloud calling and real-time chatting features of Microsoft Teams. With the BUILDFitters construction management solution, preconstruction teams can overcome geographical limitations with the shared calendar view and enjoy filtered access to project emails in Office 365.
Conclusion:
BUILDFitters is a fully integrated construction management software covering all aspects of the preconstruction phase. Its cloud capabilities and added functionalities streamline document management, whether simple team notes or complex contract documents – BUILDFitters has a dedicated feature for it. Since many construction project managers are shifting their focus to improving their communication and data management in the preconstruction phase, they need to invest in tools like BUILDFitters that help them consistently monitor, share, and simplify project-related documents and paperwork.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how BUILDFitters can benefit your construction company!