7 Tools to Improve Project Management and Save Time

The successful management of a construction project is no easy task. Some may even go as far as to say that construction project managers have the “hardest job.” While we think this definition is quite subjective, we do know the day-to-day hurdles of project management that aren’t so subjective. We’ve been there: we’ve managed projects, large and small, over the course of our careers.

As our careers transitioned from managing construction projects to managing a software company, we’ve quickly noticed something stark about construction project management: there are a lot of valuable software tools in the marketplace not being utilized in the right way. Many of these tools are marketed as general communication and productivity tools and not marketed directly to the construction industry—so it can be easy to overlook their benefits.

You may be asking yourself why you need any other software tools. After all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it? Why change something when you’ve always done it a certain way? Who has time for that? It’s easy to adopt this mindset in the construction industry. But this approach to business will create a steady-as-you-go atmosphere. It can also hinder real performance improvement. Want to skyrocket your growth? Want to lead instead of follow? Want to stand out from the crowd?

Communicate Better, Not More

Communication is key...we’ve heard it before! But with pending project deadlines and overlapping schedules, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Make communication a proactive process that aligns expectations and minimizes misunderstandings. After all, a project management team that can efficiently and effectively communicate will increase your company’s project success, help with client satisfaction, and ensure no one spends time on repetitive tasks or conversations.

Consider utilizing any or all of these tools to create better conversations and save time.

• Trello - Toss that legal pad and start managing your personal and team to-do lists here. Assign items to team members and so much more—the possibilities are endless.

• Slack - Stop dropping everything into a general email inbox and discover a new way to communicate with your team. Keep in touch on the project level and send instant messages to individuals or groups.

• Evernote -  It’s like carrying a file cabinet around with you at all times! Save important things (like web pages, emails, texts, etc.), take detailed notes, and create lists.

• G Suite by Google - We know you are all Microsoft people but Google’s integration with other applications is off the charts. From documents to cloud storage and email to calendars—it’s worth considering.

• Insightly - Believe it or not this app truly simplifies CRM and sales processes. Plus it’s easy to learn and there’s a robust free version.

• Zoom - Web conferencing can be difficult, confusing, and oftentimes not worth the hassle. Not anymore plus you’ll save travel time and expenses with this easy and effective tool.

• RivetWire - Create client engagement through proactive progress communications then leverage that engagement to monitor your clients’ satisfaction. Best of all, it saves you, your project teams, and your clients valuable time.

By implementing tools to better communicate and collaborate, you’ll also be able to delegate tasks to other individuals at the organization. Let others at your organization contribute to tasks that are their expertise. Assign tasks to the right individuals, set deadlines and expectations, and empower the right people with decision-making authority. With communication at the forefront and engaged team members contributing their piece to the puzzle, your project will come together more efficiently than planned.

Think Ahead, Stay Ahead

Equal parts planning and doing, that’s what a successful project is made of. But finding the right balance is easier said than done. It’s important in project management to take a step back and proactively think through a project and its details before getting started. Tap into your communication and task managements tools (the ones we mentioned above) to sort out the moving parts.

Don’t let your projects manage you and your valuable time. Be proactive by finding ways to better manage your projects so you can dictate what you do with the time in your day. Strategize your project plans and preemptively plan how you’ll execute them, then create task lists and schedule your priorities. This simple action will start your team off on the right foot and save you time in the long run.

Remember a project management team is more than a group of individual people, it’s also about communication and collaboration of those individuals to create a cohesive and successful team. And the effectiveness of your project management team can make all the difference in project execution, timeliness, and success.