Business software in Australia continues to grow at breakneck speed and it seems there is a new app available every month. Construction is just one of the areas that stand to benefit from this trend.
The industry is currently faced with a severe worker shortage, in fact 43% of Australian and New Zealand construction companies have reported a shortage of skilled labour. With the ongoing border closures and COVID-19 regulations, this is only set to worsen.
The challenges around these labour shortages, maximising productivity and propelling the industry forward, can be addressed with technology. In an ideal world, your focus should be on closing and managing projects effectively, and not on chasing down updates or sending repeated reminders. Collaborative work management software, such as Smartsheet, aims to offer relief from time wasted on manual and repetitive tasks to focus on more rewarding and higher-value tasks by helping you automate workflows and better manage projects.
Unlock time savings
When implemented correctly, software can be used to lighten the load on an already-stretched workforce. For construction organisations, this is an attractive option, as nearly a quarter are working more than 50 hours per week. This, as well as delivering fewer errors and better collaboration capabilities, highlights how automation leads to improved project delivery, specifically, compiling a process like creating submittals logs that has historically been tasked to a project team member. Now what used to take days or even weeks to create, track, and manage, can be done almost instantly with automation.
Smartsheet’s latest automated workflow enhancement empowers users to automate multiple actions and address multiple scenarios in a single workflow — and even repeat the workflow based on a preferred schedule. Focusing on the more valuable and interesting aspects of the project is now easier than ever.
A simple example where workflows can be streamlined throughout the construction industry is invoicing. Smartsheet’s workflow automation can be used to track receipts and both paid and unpaid invoices from suppliers, contractors and any other third parties. The software can synchronise that information with other financial information, including tax data, to help manage progress payments and project budgets.
Better teams, better projects
Automating more of the construction project process can set teams up for success and ultimately deliver projects faster—a win/win for all involved. In fact, research has found that companies with a strong track record of digitisation are 50% more likely to generate profit from using AI.
Anyone who works in project management understands that the day-to-day involves a delicate balancing act between multiple stakeholders, projects, and employees. Now is the time for organisations to evaluate their processes — and bottlenecks —in place and think about how technology can help empower teams to be more productive.
A lack of collaboration and visibility across activity can quickly stunt a project. In construction, it also becomes time-consuming keeping teams abreast of progress.
Automated workflows can easily and quickly keep everyone looped in, enhance collaboration and keep teams on schedule. For example, Smartsheet can help with sending out recurring meeting reminders to reducing hours spent in meetings, without the distraction of constantly popping in and out of email
Automation software has the potential to be a game changer in the construction industry. Tasks driven by automation are now addressed within minutes—not months—and allows teams to be proactive and collaborate easily. In the end, this is not only more effective for your business, but it also frees up your employees’ time to spend time where it matters most.
With Smartsheet – the enterprise platform for dynamic work – you can make the move to more efficient project management today with our 30-day free trial that comes with access to many pre-structured and customisable templates. Streamline your projects by following these best practices to increase consistency, from project initiation to completion.