Simple Construction Software for Construction Planning: Case Study

Many businesses are adopting new custom project management software solutions, adjusted to the specifics of different industries. Simple construction software development is one of the best examples of such trends.

So, how can project management software for small construction companies improve the construction process and the efficiency of construction management?

To answer this question, we propose examining one of our recent case studies on developing a software-based construction planner for a small business. But before that, we have to explain the basics of software for construction project management plans.

Construction Planning Software Explained

As the name says, this type of software solution is designed for the construction industry.

It is not a secret, that most construction companies have no experience in IT outsourcing and software development. Thus, it is important not only to make it efficient but user-friendly as well.

Most examples of simple construction software are based on spreadsheets like Excel. So, many small construction companies, that can’t afford to buy modern SaaS solutions like monday.com, are using free property management templates for Excel like:

• Rental Property Spreadsheet
• Home Renovation Cost Estimator Spreadsheet
• Construction Budget Template
• Construction Schedule Template

To sum up, one of the most popular user interface patterns in the field of construction project management software for small businesses is spreadsheets.

At the moment, there are numerous free or affordable subscription-based management SaaS solutions for construction companies. The main problem with most such solutions is that they usually cover a particular functionality. So, they propose nice services for contractors, which cover a limited number of features, required in any construction management plan.

The only way out in terms of limited resources and the need to have efficient construction planning software is to consider:

1. Setting up a custom CRM in spreadsheets with the use of free templates
2. Developing simple construction software in terms of IT outsourcing

Let’s briefly talk about each construction project management plan application development.

Pros and Cons of Construction Planner Templates

Fortunately, there are numerous free ready-made Spreadsheet templates for construction management plan creation and tracking.

Despite their overall usability, efficiency, and payment-free nature, there are a few major drawbacks worth remembering.

Most of these templates are individual, i.e. responses for a certain aspect of the construction management plan. For instance, the construction budget template for Excel is designed to simplify cost estimation and budget planning.

This is an essential aspect of any project management process. However, most free construction budget templates are designed to work standalone. For instance, you will have a home renovation cost estimator spreadsheet, which will ideally perform all the required tasks. However, all the input and processed data will stay only in this spreadsheet.

To share the budget statistics with other members of the team, who have no access to the spreadsheet, you will have to share screenshots or try to set up a data-sharing process between different spreadsheets. This will eventually lead to “cutting off” certain features like real-time statistics updates, or infographics.

Besides, such spreadsheet adjustments require skills and experience in working with such software, writing formulas, or even programming.

Alternatively, you can use many different construction planning templates for Spreadsheets individually, i.e. use them in different tabs. However, a variety of such spreadsheets like construction budget templates, punch lists, home renovation planners, construction management plan checklists, construction schedule template spreadsheets, and others, sum up into a decent number of standalone sheets. It would be great to have a centralized construction process status spreadsheet, where all statistics from separate templates can be found. This can be achieved with the use of the second approach.

Benefits of Construction Management Software

Even a simple construction software can propose all the foregoing but in a more user-friendly and centralized manner, which includes data-sharing between all the separate spreadsheets.

If you have learned the cost to create even the simplest app, you might consider, that IT outsourcing is out of your budget. But this is a mistake.

Software development of construction plan management has many possible ways to be accomplished. Clearly, it is better to have a standalone app or web-based platform with custom UI/UX patterns and advanced features. Yet, it is possible to develop a construction planner without all these additional features.

For instance, it is possible to achieve the same or even better results and efficiency using JavaScript code elements and Google Sheets, as ready-made construction management SaaS solutions. To prove our point, let’s consider one of our recent case studies for construction planner development.

Simple Construction Software with Incora

Frankly, spreadsheet-based construction plan management software was just one of the aspects, defined by our cooperation with one of our clients from the construction and home renovation industry.

The main goal of this project was business analysis and consultation: to define the main business issues and find potential solutions.

First of all, we inspected each business operation, starting with communication with the clients, and ending with examining the construction process management approaches.

As a result, after a month of observation, we managed to define the main pitfalls of business processes. Apart from poor communication strategies, our client’s construction processes lack efficient management methods and clear ways to inform about each ongoing and finished construction process.

To sum up, we understood, that many business operations lack efficient management and communication both internally (within a company) and externally (with clients). Also, the company lacks a CRM system for advanced management and progress tracking.

Discovery Phase of the Project

The first step was to create a clear and efficient business strategy for the short and long term.

Our advising team helped clients define the main goals and KPIs for the next year. This helps not only to keep track of the most essential business operations but also to manage construction process steps better.

To do so, we examined each business process and decided how to automate various construction process management activities.

One of the main pitfalls of such a construction planning routine is that numerous tasks are assigned to different contractors and employees. This makes it harder to monitor the progress of each separate activity and manage them to achieve better productivity.

In terms of such business optimization, it is important not only to define the weaknesses and fix them. Also, it is important to explain the main mistakes to clients and make sure, that they won’t repeat them in the future.

To summarize, business process analysis and consulting took us around 100 hours. It includes not only business observation but also meetings, discussions, and consultations. We also spend this time, planning how to improve the performance of our client’s company and create a business strategy for the next year.

The approximate business analysis plan was:

• To analyze the client (Who, What, and Why)
• To analyze the website or other platforms (access to code, and third-party analysis)
• Sales Analysis
• P2P conversations about the working processes (how the marketing department works, what they need)
• Summary and Planning

Simple Construction Software Development

Due to the limited time and resources available for the client, we agreed to design a custom CRM, driven by spreadsheets. Apart from creating separate sheets for each construction process step like budget planning, scheduling, efficient punch lists, to-do’s, and others, we managed to link them with each other and create a centralized analytical spreadsheet, where all processed data can be found.

As a result, we managed to avoid developing an app from scratch, saving costs. Still, we got a decent and efficient result, which offers similar functionality as most SaaS construction management plan software like Monday.com and ClickUp.

Frankly, spreadsheets are very customizable tools by default. They can be adjusted to almost any type of work with arrays of data, using a vast variety of predefined formulas and other built-in instruments.

However, to achieve even better results, it is worth using JavaScript in Spreadsheets. Using programming in Google Sheets and Excel gives numerous advantages over built-in formulas, significantly upscaling the variety of use purposes and increasing use cases for such instruments.

A single app developer for hire managed to set up a full-fledged custom CRM in a single app. Thanks to JavaScript code elements, we managed to create various sheets for all kinds of construction process steps, covering almost all working aspects of our clients.

Additionally, apart from automated analysis and summary for each department (Sales, Finances, construction site workers, etc), we created a centralized dashboard-like spreadsheet, where business owners can see all essential metrics, related to different departments and working aspects.

Project Management Software for Construction Development

If you are interested in developing similar project management software for a small construction company, you will need to find an app developer for hire.

The easiest way of hiring developers to develop project management software for construction is to contact IT outsourcing companies, who propose software development as a service. Thus, after explaining your needs and discussing the potential software development project, you can get a dedicated developer, experienced in such development projects.

However, it is important to find a trustworthy partner like Incora Software. To do so, you can examine our client’s reviews and case studies. Apart from that, it is worth checking the rating of your potential IT vendor on various B2B platforms like Clutch or GoodFirms, which constantly update all information about various IT outsourcing companies.

Eventually, you always can contact an IT outsourcing company to get at least a rough estimation of the software development project, you are interested in.