Using the right tool for the job & why it’s crucial for any construction project

“Using the right tool for the job & why it’s crucial for any construction project” – Ian Hauptflesich, GM for CCS Gulf’s contribution to this month’s Big Projects magazine.

Accuracy, safety and efficiency of resources on a construction project is considered paramount to contractors and without using the right tools, equipment, systems and processes the quality, speed and safety will be compromised.

So why don’t we apply the same notion to the IT solutions we choose to implement in contracting organisations?

The purpose of IT is to streamline business processes, increase accuracy and efficiency, provide auditable and accurate information as and when is needed, reduce cumbersome and error ridden manual capture(s), collation and analysis and most importantly save you time and money. Can this be said of the IT solutions you have in place right now?

Considerations when reviewing an IT solution for the construction environment:

• Be cautious of the: “we’ll customise it for you” pitch. If the software fits the purpose, no or minimal customisation should be required.
• Don’t be sold on “dreamware”. See the software work and arrange to meet existing users
• Be wary of funding the IT vendor’s research and development costs. If the system is fit for purpose no further research and development should be necessary
• Does the IT vendor understand your business intimately?
• The quality and locality of support – get existing user’s impartial opinion about their support and service experience
• Access to development staff not just salesman or technicians
• Expect to pay – if a system is worth it and has the credentials to prove it, the savings made and reduction of losses will easily and quickly offset the cost.

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