Project Management Tools in Construction

Project management tools are useful in planning and scheduling, organizational management and control, risk management and health and safety management and control.

Project management is an important aspect in construction industry, especially in large projects that involve several stakeholders, time-consciousness, and significant financial resources to execute the plan. Organization is the biggest determinant of success in construction projects and this is anchored on the use of enhanced project management tools.

This article presents a discussion of some of the common project management tools being used in construction, and the key aspects of the tools in terms of components, advantages, and importance in boosting performance.

Introduction to Project Management in Construction

Building processes are always large-scale and multifaceted as normally they undergone a various number of stages including planning and design, procurement, construction and hand over etc. Both phases involve coordination of several sub-activities which involve architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers as well as the clients.

Construction project management is therefore the coordination of these phases to make sure that they are completed on time, costs determined and the quality needed met.

Thus, the use of digital instruments as the ways to support the construction industry in project management became priority in the recent years. They extend from the simple calendaring applications to the complex integrated ones that address all the project-related issues.

The use of project management tools has been stimulated by the quest for improvement of the various tasks within construction projects through improvement of efficiency, accuracy and control.

Classification of Project Management Tools in Construction

Available tools in construction project management can commonly be classified into some
types, with each aiming at performing particular activities in the lifecycle of a project. The following are the key types of tools used in the construction industry.

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The following are the key types of tools used in the construction industry.

a. Scheduling Tools

Schedule development is one of the most sensitive components in the construction project management process. It includes management of such affairs as scheduling, resource management and even setting of time frames. Software products that support scheduling allow a project manager to determine precise
project schedules, recognize the critical links and analyze the project’s performance regarding planned schedules.

• Microsoft Project: This tool is common on the market; it helps the project managers to develop Gantt charts and allocate resources and track the process. But it also has features such as dependencies, goal setting and the critical path which are important in construction work.
• Primavera P6: Adapted by Oracle corporation, Primavera P6 is a powerful project management software suitable to complex construction projects. It favours detailed scheduling, resource managing and risk assessment and as such it has become the favourite tool of most large construction companies.
• Asana: Asana is not solely used in construction but is a versatile project management tool that can be utilized to scheduling, assigning task, and tracking the general progress of the project. Specifically designed for LCM projects which are not very large construction projects rather for those projects which demands agility.

b. Cost and Control Techniques

The last element of construction project management is cost management. Project cost control requires the use of budgeting tools that assist the project managers in making estimates necessary for cost estimation for control, costs costs allocation, control of expenditure and control of cash flow for the whole project duration.

• Procore: Procore is a construction management software that offers the capability for budget and cost of project. For instance, it enables the project managers to be in a position to create different cost estimates, undertake different contracts, track invoice, and conduct the overall project financials. Connecting it with accounting systems also means that the financial data used by Procore is accurate and real-time.
• Buildertrend: Buildertrend is a cloud-based construction management tool developed for use in the construction of both residential and commercial real estates. It has tools for accurate budgeting, bidding, and cost reporting and thus can simplify the management of costs by a project manager.
• CoConstruct: CoConstruct is also similar to Buildertrend in the sense that it is also designed for use in residential construction projects. It has cost estimations, scheduling and communication tools, all of which enables project managers to monitor costs and report to clients.

c. Document Management Tools

Construction projects produce a huge paper trail that includes but is not limited to blueprints, contracts, permits, progress reports etc. Project manuals, for instance, are useful documents that must be well coordinated, managed and retrieved when needed by the project managers and other stakeholders with ease and security.

• PlanGrid: PlanGrid is a tool for managing documents that are meant for the construction business. It enables all members of the teams to have the ability to view blueprints and other project-related documents, add comments or notes on the same in order to work with updated information.
• Aconex: Aconex is now part of Oracle’s construction and engineering cloud suite and is an online construction document management system used throughout construction projects’ lifecycle. It helps the different teams to coordinate on project data, documents and communication and hence minimizes on instances of errors and hence rework.
• Bluebeam Revu: Bluebeam Revu is one of the most widely used construction document management as well as collaboration software. By means of this utility, various PDF documents can be produced, changed, annotated and managed, which makes the work with construction drawings and specifications easier.

d. Collaboration and Communication Tools

Proper business communication and interpersonal business management are critical to the successful delivery of construction projects. The applications encourage cross-teams to communicate in real-time and keep all members informed and any emerging challenges solved on the spot.

• Slack: Slack is an example of the most popular business messaging apps which is focused on the channels, direct messages, and audio-video calls. Slack can be also used in construction industry as a tool to organize the tasks, share the information, and unblock the problem on the fly.
• Microsoft Teams: Another tool that can be mentioned is the application called Microsoft Teams – it is also a collaboration tool that connects with other resources of the Microsoft Office line. It has features such as video calling, sharing of files and Documents as well as team chatting that makes it essential for the construction management of the projects.
• Basecamp: Basecamp is a program for project management that assists people in keeping track of the progress and communication of a particular project. Some of these include; to-do list, files’ sharing and boards with messages on the constructions thus enhancing the construction projects from the construction initiation.

e. Building Information Modeling Tools

Benefits of using BIM tools are rising in construction as they enable building and infrastructure to be modeled in a more intricate manner. These models can help in visualizing the project, risk analysis and evaluation of the project and also to enhance the communication between the stakeholders.

• Autodesk Revit: Autodesk Revit is one of the most popular applications that enables architects and engineers as well as contractors to design buildings in BIM. It has capabilities to support all the phases of a project from conception to construction and is used to integrate the project teams.
• Navisworks: Navisworks is another Autodesk product in that it also enables the project teams to review the coordinating models. It can also be used for identifying interference, sequencing schedules and construction phasing, hence its importance in handling large construction projects.
• Trimble Connect: Trimble Connect is a cloud solution that provides a means of sharing and editing building information modeling work, in addition, to drawings and other project data. It is useful in enabling concurrent working and can be used to fix design and construction challenges that could prove very expensive in the future.

Advantages of Employing Project Management Instruments in Construction

The application of project management in construction has the following advantages which assist in the achievement of the goals of a project.

1. Improved Efficiency :PM tools are useful in reducing the cycle time and where possible the human effort that might be taken in accomplishing certain tasks, hence freeing the PM time for more important achievements. For instance, while using Project management tools one does not have to manually alter the timelines because it updates something once the feat has been accomplished in the project management tools, similarly, documents can be managed through tools which creates different categories and stores different documents without the need of the human intervention.
2. Enhanced Collaboration :These applications help people to coordinate them in the same time, to exchange information, to solve the appeared problems. BIM tools are particularly beneficial for architects, engineers and contractors as they allow all of them to work on the same 3D model and every change made by one of the participants is reflected immediately in the model used by others.
3. Better Resource Management: Application software employed by project managers assist in the management of resources in order to avoid wastage of resources such as materials, labor and equipment among others This helps minimize risks associated with unavailability of resources or having excess of the resources, which prolongs the project duration and costs.
4. Control of expenditure so that budget is not exceeded : Budgeting tools can help project managers to build very elaborate cost plans and monitor the costs in real-time. It also aids in identifying some of the over expenses early enough hence corrective action is taken to be within a certain budget set. Integration with accounting systems also ensures that the data fed in is financial data and is as up to date as possible.
5. Risk Mitigation: The management of risks is highly important in any construction project. Risk management is another area where the project management tools are of great assistance in the evaluation of the risks and how to deal with them. For instance, scheduling tools may be used to point out critical path and possible delays, BIM tools to point out design interferences prior to the construction phase.
6. Improved Decision-Making : Tools used in project management help the project managers to provide real time data and analysis thus improving on their decision making. For instance, the dashboards, reports give information on the project progress, resource inventory, and financial from which the project managers can make his or her decision.

Difficulties of Applying Project Management Instruments in Construction

On one hand, the enhancement and use of project management tools presumably contribute to higher competitive construction performance; on the other hand, the implementation experience is laden with certain difficulties. These challenges include:

1. High Initial Costs: Sophisticated project management tools tend to involve longer acknowledged costs such as costs in the procurement of software and hardware as well as costs for training. This can be a challenge to the small construction firms or project which may not afford the cost of a project manager.
2. Resistance to Change: It is worth acknowledging that the construction industry as a value chain has not been very keen or quick in adapting with new technologies and sometimes there may not be any inclination among the project teams. To overcome this resistance optimization of the change management strategies such as training, communication and showing the benefits of the tools is necessary.
3. Complexity of Tools: Some project management tools, especially these used in large complex projects are complex to learn and to use as well. This makes it also present some challenges such as high implementation cost, generally coming with a steep learning curve and might need constant training to be effective.
4. Interoperability with Other Systems: Each construction company may employ a range of programmes for specific activities, including accounting and procurement, or scheduling and planning. The best of the breed tools are generally designed to operate independently and may not easily integrate into these existing systems, and may require development or acquisition of application interfaces.
5. Data Security Concerns: Since quite many of the project management tools entail storage and sharing of information within and across different projects, issues to do with data security and privacy become vital. Construction firms are as a result required to put in place measures that ensure that the tools they are using are in compliance within the law and regulatory frameworks on data protection.

Future trends in construction project management tools

Construction remains an industry that is dynamic and therefore; the instruments utilized in project management are also dynamic. Some of the future trends in construction project management tools include:

1. More Automation by Means of Artificial Intelligence :There is indication that AI shall feature heavily in the management of construction projects in the future. Other benefits are the ability to analyze a vast amount of data to find correlations, prognosis and the schedule optimizations on a project. For instance, AI can be used in prediction of delay commands, in resource management and in security risks within a project.
2. The Use of Internet of things (IoT) technology: The IoT technology is gradually being adopted in construction to track the implement, material and safety operation at the construction site. [virtual] IoT devices could feed real-time data to the project management tools to make the project decisions more informed and to enhance the productivity of project processes.
3. Expansion of cloud based solutions: This makes cloud-based project management tools to have some virtues including; Cloud based project management tools implies that the management can be underway from any location. The shift towards digitisation across construction firms is steady and cases of cloud solutions are likely to feature more especially for teams that are located in different regions.
4. The fusion of VR and AR: Both VR and AR are being adopted in construction for purpose of visualization and designing. These technologies can be combined with project management applications to offer immersion, through which individuals are able to ‘walk through’ the project before it is built; this will help to find problems during the designing stage.
5. Emphasis on Sustainability: Green construction is slowly gaining ground as an important factor in the construction industry and as such; project management tools are slowly incorporating the aspects of sustainability. For instance, applications to monitor carbon footprint, energy, and waste that project management tools are being incorporated into firms for sustainability projects.

Conclusion:

Planning and control tools have therefore become essential to organizations within construction projects, to enhance the control of projects. These include the planning features such as scheduling and budgeting, collaboration features and features for risk management which makes these tools to equip the project managers with all that they require to embark on a project and succeed.

In the further years, new and more complex project management technologies are anticipated to unfold in the construction industry – including the AI, IoT, and cloud technologies. Despite these concerns; the use of these tools is crucial in the construction project because of the element of productivity, work cooperation, and cost reduction.

Thus, many businesses have realized that for a project to deliver more value, it has to do this in less time, cost less and be of higher quality – and the role of choosing the right project management tools cannot be overemphasized. Through those tools and tecniques, construction enterprises are able to increase their competitiveness and efficiency of the construction projects, as well as being of more value to their clients.

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