CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT & SCHEDULING BUYERS GUIDE


CONTENTS

I. Intro to Project Management Software 
II. Software Advantages
III. Upgrading your Toolbox
IV. Evaluating Software
  a. Getting started
  b. Document Control
  c. Change Order Management
  d. Project Calendar Management
  e. Budget Management
  f. Subcontractor/Vendor Management
  g. Resource Management
  h. Reporting and Analysis
  i. Vendor Selection
VII. Implementing Software

Evaluating Software: Purchasing Construction Project Management Software


Document control

If not managed well, paperwork can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a project in overhead, missed deadlines and do-overs. You'll need to understand your current document strategy and how new software will support it. Here are some important questions to consider:

How does your company manage documents? Can the software support the way you currently manage documents, or will you need to refine business processes to support better document management? The latter is not necessarily a bad thing, but it will require additional planning, and probably additional expenses in implementation and training.

Are documents such as change orders, submittals and other vital paperwork kept in file drawers or electronically? Do you need the ability to scan in plans, photos and other images so they're stored with electronic documents?

You'll want to choose project management tools that fit (or extend) your current document control strategy. During vendor demos, pay special attention to how the software handles documentation for change order management, a critical piece for most contractors.

What are the storage requirements to use document control features in this software? Moving your paperwork from file drawers to hard drives may require significant upgrades in your file servers and storage systems. The ability to quickly scan in batches of documents can be an asset here.

Is the document control system's database compatible with databases currently in use at your company? If other applications in your shop use Oracle database environments, for example, a document management system supported in Oracle can save time and money for your IT crew.

Do you need to automate workflow? Often the appearance of new documents triggers an important event, such as sending a notification to the project manager, or rescheduling an important subcontractor. If that capability is important, how is it implemented in the systems you're considering?

Next: Change Order Management