Selecting New Construction Software Tips

Any company that is beginning the process of selecting and implementing new construction software hopefully understands the need to have adequate leadership throughout the process.  An individual or team must be selected to lead the process of evaluating, selecting, implementing, customizing, and training end users to use the new software.  These people need to have a large amount of knowledge about how the company operates as a whole, including intimate knowledge of all processes, as well as a good understanding of construction management software functionality.  As such, I have compiled the following lists of individuals that should be included in this team, or should at the very least be consulted with if they cannot dedicate the proper time to the entire process.  Additionally, I have listed several factors that should be a part of any software evaluation.

Input that is “Nice to Have” (highly recommended)

The following individuals are recommended to be included in the software selection team.  They may not need to be permanent members, but their input should be taken in to consideration.  In most cases, the size of your company, more than anything, will dictate how involved each member needs to be.

• End users (anyone that will ultimately be using the new software)
• Management (all levels in large companies)
• Accounting (they need to provide input on how the new software will impact their operations)
• Payroll
• IT ( they will need to know the technical aspects of the software implementation, among other things)
• Sub-contractors (if necessary)
• Suppliers
• Vendors (once selected)
• Other members that are deemed necessary, which will vary depending on each unique company

Factors that Must be Considered in Any Evaluations

Smaller companies, especially, will probably not have the time and resources to justify dedicating an entire team to a full-time software evaluation.  Additionally, the benefits in terms of process improvement that a formal team may be able to identify and implement will likely be less significant in smaller companies.

Thus, smaller companies need to make the most out of what resources they do have.  They cannot afford to be lazy in evaluating software any more than larger operations can.  At a minimum, the following things need to be thoroughly evaluated for each construction accounting software package that they consider:

• The number of varieties of each product and what makes each version unique
• The number of available vendors
• The history of the product, including testimonials from current users
• The history of the vendor, including testimonials from current users
• The functionality of the product
• The product interface and any potential issues that it may create
• The necessary steps require to integrate the new system with current processes
• Other factors that are unique to your company