Nobody likes paperwork. In fact, one of the biggest complaints regarding paperwork is that administrative tasks take us away from the job or the service we enjoy providing. But here’s the catch. Without the correct management and administration of documents and files, our services to our businesses, clients, suppliers, and distributors cannot be realized to their fullest potential.
In the construction industry, we often work with different key stakeholders in an increasingly complicated and digitalized world, which is why it’s more important than ever that all information be organized in one central location and accessible by all necessary parties. Document management software allows you to do just that, and if you’re not already using a document management system, you should be. Let document management manage the paperwork, so you can focus on what you love doing.
What is document management?
Just like it sounds, document management refers to the system of storing, organizing, and tracking of electronic documents that pertain to a business or organization in one centralized digital platform or location. Within the context of the construction industry, this can include the management of documents such as blueprints, contracts, designs, plans, and order sheets, among many others, which are integral to ensuring the success and timely completion of a project.
Long gone are the days when documents were scanned, copied, and printed, later to be stuffed into filing cabinets filled to the brim.
What is it used for?
Electronic document management systems are used for keeping track of all of the variety of online files that make up a project or are necessary for the operation of your business. In a way, document management is the backbone of construction management and can also be used to set up procedures for document control and automate certain steps in project management.
Why is it important to have a document management system?
According to a recent report from Levelset, 66% of construction businesses report that they spend more than a quarter of their work hours waiting for work to be done, which strengthens the claim that the industry is riddled with inefficiencies. Document management software, as a standalone service or a part of a comprehensive enterprise management system, can help your business run more seamlessly and efficiently.
Document management solutions help improve communication and management internally, for example between your project management team and the accounting department or between your workers on the jobsite and your employees in the office. Invoices or important job site updates can be shared live, which produce numerous benefits related to both cost and time.
These systems also help improve relationships between your business and its different stakeholders. Shared documents can be uploaded to one central database, meaning you’re not wasting your time and waiting on plans or estimates that slow down your timelines. With immediate communication between your different teams, you also reduce the potential for accidents and risk on-site, which is critical considering that 78% of construction and engineering firms believe that project risks are increasing.
In addition to saving time and reducing risks and cost, document management software can increase productivity, since detailed notes can be documented during a project and later assessed to examine what worked and what didn’t.
Different types of document management software
Not all document management software systems are designed the same. Before deciding which system is right for you, think about how your business is structured, who your stakeholders are, where your opportunities for improvement are, and what you need from a document management system.
The most common examples of document management systems are:
- Content management
- Workflow management
- Record management
- Document imaging
- Enterprise content management
These different types of systems can be server based, cloud-based, web-based, or be managed through an online database.
Examples of document management companies
ProPlanner
ProPlanner is the only collaborative ecosystem that integrates everyone in the project site, hence changing the way construction projects are built from the field. This is done through a collaborative platform, web & mobile, for managing engineering and construction projects based on Lean BIM technologies.
Voyage Control
Voyage Control is an SaaS platform to help construction firms manage their logistics and supply chain more efficiently as well as support their compliance needs. The benefits of using Voyage Control include streamlining operational processes, enhancing security, reducing congestion, improving driver compliance, and benefitting the environment.
Aecore
Aecore is a vertically integrated general contractor that combines architectural design, material procurement, and construction services to provide clients with a one-stop solution and a seamless transition from design to construction. Their in-house software helps to manage the process end-to-end, simplifying the complexities of construction and automating most of the construction administration and accounting process.
StructionSite
StructionSite is an US-based startup that creates digital worksite models through 360º cameras that provide data to its software, which digitalizes and documents worksite progress. Structionsite streamlines a project’s construction phase by reducing the time to calculate progress and obtaining the contextualized information to enable strategic decision-making and improved coordination between the actors involved.
CEMEX Ventures and document management
You’re no stranger to the reality that our industry is one of the most fragmented and least digitized in the world. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Do you have a solution that uses technology to enhance productivity from within the industry? Get in touch and let’s revolutionize the industry together. The opportunities are endless!
