Time is money. We all know that.
In construction, it’s very important for contractors and project managers to effectively manage time, resources, and people if you want to succeed in the industry.
Project management software may be hit or miss, but it can help you accomplish goals in a much more efficient and productive manner.
Before you choose an online or desktop project management software, you must evaluate the pros and cons of using such a program for managing jobs.
There is a lot of project management software out there for contractors, but the most popular one I’ve seen so far is Buildertrend.
This software doesn’t come with cheat codes, but there are ways to leverage the system to your company’s advantage.
Through this tool, you’ll get:
So let’s break them down:
Before you pour the concrete and set up a building’s foundation, you need to know how you can efficiently acquire clients. Buildertrend’s pre-sales process feature does just that.
Within this system, you can:
It also features robust leads and a client relationship manager where you can create, capture, and close prospective customers. Through your website’s contact page or Excel file, you can easily collect information or add the on-the-fly from the app itself.
Some extra features are their email marketing feature for automating email campaigns for client announcements and email blasts.
I think it’s exactly what makes this app a powerful one, especially for construction business owners.
Buildertrend is an end-to-end software built for contractors, but its project management feature specifically helps teams collaborate, communicate, and report in real-time.
Some helpful features are:
Their financial tools consist of various sections, which can help you systematize and automate your processes.
QuickBooks is a very popular tool for bookkeepers and accountants. This is why it excited me when Buildertrend announced that they allow integrations with Quickbooks.
Some benefits to this are:
keeps all your information in one place and helps you stay organized.
From customer logins to client selections, surveys and reviews, and their main communication section where you can message your team in one place, it’s such a powerful app, isn’t it?
Other additional features are:
And the cherry on the top is that this is available on both iOS and Android! You have the power of an entire system in the palm of your hands.
Now that you’ve seen the many features of Buildertrend, it might seem a bit overwhelming as its capabilities seem endless.
However, you must understand that your core priority is project management because you get to focus on systems and build the foundation you need to keep your company running efficiently.
Buildertrend’s advice is that you should start with their project management feature before you branch out further. This way, you can solidify your foundation before you start setting up everything else.
Like anything that can help grow your construction business, Buildertrend in itself is a solid investment.
The onsite advisors of Buildertrend advise its users to immerse themselves in learning more about the system in the first 90 days.
Devoting this time to getting comfortable with the tool allows you to leverage its features to your advantage. Plus, it makes it easier for you to train new people if you know the app inside-out.
Like any other system, of course, Buildertrend isn’t perfect and it may not be for every contractor out there.
There are obvious pros to the software because of its robust and comprehensive features, but there are cons to the app.
Suffice to say, all these cons have easy fixes. You can always bring a power bank for your phone, have a trusty bookkeeper who can help you manage the app, and you can always check other helpful resources if you’d like to relearn its features.