Keeping a tight leash on costs is one of the pillars of running a successful construction company. One way to do this is by eliminating the guesswork from your cost projections with cost estimation software.
Built on data accrued over several years, this software will provide you with more accurate estimates for every aspect of your project, enabling you to manage your costs more effectively. You may shudder at the idea of purchasing software due to the expense involved, or the time required to put together a bespoke system, but the advantages are worth the associated cost.
Lower Costs
Opting for cloud-based construction cost estimation software is one way of reining in your software investment cost. You do not have to invest in a server to run the system with cloud-based systems. Having your own server can be expensive in terms of both the initial and maintenance costs. You will also need to budget for network infrastructure to link your server to workstations and an IT professional to keep an eye on the system.
With your system in the cloud, you only need to have a reliable internet connection for the workstations. There even may be no need to install a client on those workstations.
Better Estimates
Poor estimates result in higher costs, and this translates into slimmer margins for your company. You also stand to water down the trust your clients have in you if you have to tell them that you miscalculated. It could be worse if you opt for lower quality materials to make up for the shortfall.
Either way, you stand to damage your chances of getting another job or referral from that client. A cloud-based construction job estimation cost software system works on hard data collected over decades in the industry. This means your estimates will be more or less validated when you receive actual quotes from subcontractors or suppliers.
Standardized Processes
You can rely on the results you get from these cost estimation systems as they work on industry-standard data. In addition to this, the estimation process itself will follow standardized procedures. This will make the onboarding process for new staff easier as there will be no reinventing the wheel, merely learning to follow preset steps.
Your clients will also benefit from this standardization as they will be able to get the data they need to make quick decisions. There will be less back-and-forth when a question is raised as all you will need to do is log in, lodge a query, and relay the information to the client.
Flexibility
One of the greatest advantages of having a cloud-based estimation solution is that it can be accessed anywhere and at any time, provided you have an Internet connection. If you need to get an estimate on any aspect of your project on the go, you can easily log into the software from your phone or tablet and retrieve the data. You no longer have to be tethered to a desk to be able to get estimation data or historical cost figures.
You can even make changes to your project estimates on the go, thanks to cloud-based estimation software. Changes can be captured and fed into your plan then updated in real-time.
Another advantage of accessing the system from the cloud is that it becomes platform-independent. You will be able to log in whether you're using a Mac or Windows-based tablet.
Building on the Cloud
Cloud-based construction cost estimation software will enable you to take your construction business to the next level. It will improve your turnaround time in communication with your clients as well as the level of confidence both you and they have when beginning the project.
Your internal operations will be improved, as well. Your team will be able to coordinate faster on information that is updated in real-time. Onboarding your staff to the cloud-based cost estimation software will be much less time consuming as the learning curve for the system will be less steep than if they had to be trained on a bespoke system. You should also look into Sheppard software to assist with building on the cloud.
Most importantly, you will be able to glean more from your hard work as more accurate estimates will allow you to get it right the first time and eliminate waste. Completing the job on time will make your clients happy, and what's to stop satisfied clients from coming back to you, or recommending your services to others?
