Revolutionize Construction with Workflow Management and Automation

The construction industry is very capital-intensive that also requires to be dedicated a lot of time. The efforts to be put in are immense too. The construction project starts way before the foundation of the same is laid in the ground. The process begins right from the point where it has been conceptualized in the minds of the investors and planners and continues to the point of sale or the beginning of the operations of the project. Through this all, the communication and coordination required must be impeccable to finish the project within the predetermined period and the predefined budget, but that is hardly ever the case.

As time passes, the construction industry also becomes more and more audacious with its projects that are just as ambitious as they are complex. Such projects require modern and high-tech equipment, but something else that cannot be done away with is a workflow management system for construction.

What it is and how it can help revolutionize certain critical areas of the construction process are explained further in this blog.

Key areas that can be revolutionized using a workflow management system

A delay in completing a project means tons of money lost in revenue that is accompanied by the burden of interest. So it is imperative that a project be completed in time and within the defined budget if a safe profit margin is to be maintained. And the key to that is effective communication and complete coordination.

A workflow management system can help a lot in this process as it makes workflow visible to the stakeholders and helps them know who is supposed to do what.

Workflow ensures smooth handover from one stage/team member to another so that no stone remains unturned on each front. Everything from planning to implementation will be done with the complete involvement of everyone involved, including workers, engineers, architects etc., thus streamlining the entire task.

The best part about the workflow management system is that it takes care of all these things by ensuring perfect integration among software components required for different stages along the construction lifecycle.

1) Design Review

Design review is the process wherein the design of the construction project is reviewed and approved before implementation. It makes sure that all parties involved in a workflow agree and sign off on the building's blueprints, ensuring no errors or inconsistencies during implementation. The workflow management systems can help streamline this process by storing each document digitally, providing access to every party who needs it anytime, anywhere, saving time and money spent traveling back-and-forth between sites for coordination meetings.

Also, since everything will be stored online thanks to the cloud storage for construction industry offered by Docupile; changes cannot go unnoticed as updates made to documents would be immediately visible across everyone working on them, which reduces unnecessary rework, thus preventing costly delays due to redesigning costs incurred if done after concrete pour has begun.

2) RFI - Request for information

This is that part of a construction project where the owner or the client provides information to all the parties involved.

Using a workflow management system, instead of emailing back-and-forth documents among each other; everyone working on RFI will be able to see what has already been answered and can just add his/her comments into that document which saves time for workers who didn't have anything to do with particular inquiry in the first place.

Since everything is digital, it also means no more lost files! If you ever lose your laptop, there's nothing to worry about because every file related to a specific task from the beginning until completion will remain stored securely online.

3) Change order management

Change order management is required when the material needs to be changed due to design alteration, some mistake, change in preferences, etc. But to go ahead with the change order, the permission of various stakeholders is required.

The workflow management system can help achieve that. Since workflow management software is all about managing tasks and processes within the workflow, it will ensure that every stakeholder has given their consent within time to make changes in material/ design before finalizing the change order.

4) Invoice/ Payments

The project manager has to look over multiple payments to various parties like suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors. For this, he has to create different invoices for each payment which is the most time-consuming process. Usually, one invoice takes at least an hour of work, so handling all these tasks becomes complicated. And because of this, many contractors do not see a cheque for months which deteriorates the company's payment ratio and credibility.

And this is where one can see the true benefits of a workflow management system. It can completely automate the workflow of invoice creation. The time required to create an invoice is reduced to just a few seconds which saves so much headache for the project manager and enables them to do more work in less time.

And this automation process happens automatically with workflow management systems, and there are no manual tasks involved! Upon that, it decreases the time to disburse the payment to the creditors and also maintains the credibility of the company. And that's why these systems have become very popular among contractors nowadays.

The wide expanse and uses of a workflow management system

And workflow management system isn't just for construction companies - the opportunities extend to different areas as well. For example, real estate and rental agencies can benefit from utilizing workflow management apps due to increased productivity and higher quality of work done by every person involved in a project.

Having workflow management software also means you don't need any technical skills or training because everything is user-friendly!

In conclusion, workflow management has revolutionized this industry across the globe, no matter how big or small your business may be today, it's time to join everyone else who already realized what an impact workflow technology could bring into their daily operations.

Why Docupile?

Documentation before Docupile spent thousands of dollars to get their workflow software up and running because it was still too difficult even though they had the technical resources. With Docupile, you can create your own workflow dashboard in less than 30 minutes - no coding or programming skills required! We've told you that there are plenty of benefits to be gained from workflow automation but did we mention how much time our customers save? This is especially important if your company struggles with staff retention issues due to overworked employees who never seem happy enough to do a good job.

Upon that, we strive to offer the best customer service to our clients. So, contact the Docupile team today and book a free demo with us!