Preventing Construction Software Integration Issues

In any business, you’ll find people that get so caught up in the day-to-day action that they often work inefficiently.  In the case of a construction company, this often means that they do not put their construction management software package to proper use.  Frequently it is not until after the system is implemented that the fruits of improper preparation come to the forefront.

After a period of time in which new users learn the new system, clogging from inferior, inaccurage data is inevitable.  This leads to inaccurate reports, which lead to poor decisions.  A snowball effect follows shortly.

In order to prevent some of the more commonly experienced integration nightmares, it is imperative that a construction company can ensure that its operational procedures, processes and practices readily adapt to a software package’s functionality; or, the company needs to seek out construction software which is fully customizable, and can be designed for just about any business model.  Of course, we like to think either solution is acceptable; however, it is still widely variable in that regard, since all business models are not alike.

Construction software execuctives do a lot of research to make their product the “best” for a number of applications.  However, it is nearly impossible to design a “solution in a box” for most construction companies due to the diverse processes and procedures that different companies follow to complete similar tasks.  Since it is often easier to find software that adapts to your processes than adapt your processes to fit a software package, doing research up front will pay huge dividends in the long run and will help avoid integration issues down the road.

Additionally, the company should focus on end-user training and involvement.  A significant amount of “up-front” work may be necessary to ensure a smooth transition, but the end result will be worth it.  Many companies do a thorough analysis of the software solutions available externally but fail to do a thorough internal analysis – which leads to problems.

Some questions construction companies sould ask before they settle on any one package:

1. Are company processes, procedures, protocols and other operational parameters where they need to be for current construction industry best-practices?

2.  Is old data structure compatable with the new software?

3.  Are our data collection methods and analytics in line with new software functionality?

Of course, there are a lot more similar questions construction companies should ask themselves before jumping in too deeply.  And, part of the difficulty with construction project management software selection is based in this very paradox – that of knowing all the right solutions from both angles: the construction company’s and the software system provider’s.   The real secret, of course, is to know all the right answers before you begin.

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