It’s almost year-end: the ideal time to reflect on your business and consider what worked, what didn’t, and what deserves a different approach.
As you review your operations, don’t forget to take stock of the construction technology keeping your projects running and your crews connected.
Technology changes constantly. Even if you’re satisfied with your current programs and processes, the annual review may reveal productivity snags and communication bottlenecks that can benefit from program upgrades.
An honest technology audit and the willingness to shift gears can set up your business for a more profitable year ahead. Here are five ways to assess your technology before closing out the year.
1 – Review Your Current Technology Stack
Before you invest in new programs, applications, systems, or hardware, consider what you’re already using and whether it’s effective.
At the end of the year, prepare to rate your construction technology software based on its efficiency and frequency of use. Some programs may have updates available that make others obsolete for your business. Other programs may be preferred by office or field workers, and perhaps an entirely new application is best suited for their communication. Look for technology gaps, delays, redundancies, and any areas of confusion. Notice a missing link in your construction technology? Cassell Consulting offers custom construction software and can step in at any stage of the process, from software selection and training to visualization and technical support.
The ideal software is user-friendly, void of frequent snags or glitches, and works seamlessly with other programs to exchange information. If it’s not needed, remove it from your roster and set aside the saved money for future technology investments.
2 – Identify Tasks That Take Too Long
Do you often feel like you’re spending half the week completing paperwork?
Is your Friday devoted to entering data into a spreadsheet? Or worse, entering the same data into multiple programs?
If you can identify time-suck tasks like these, then it’s time to automate technology to complete them for you.
Manual data entry and processing leaves room for errors and slows down your team. If you have the right construction tech in place, you’ll be able to automate basic tasks like data entry, reports processing, and communication, and free up your time to focus on project management.
Not sure which processes to address first? Talk to your employees about their workload pain points and see where automation can take over.
3 – Assess What’s Happening in the Field
Talk to your crew members about how technology is serving them on job sites. Learn about their likes and dislikes when it comes to software and hardware, including the reliability of smart phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices. Can workers access data in the moment when it’s needed, or are their holdups?
Sometimes management assumes that in-office workers know what employees on the job need regarding project management technology; this simply isn’t true. Again, discuss productivity wins and snags with field workers to learn what might ease their workload.
As you assess your technology, consider the following from the crew’s perspective:
- ease of access for project management information
- speed of communication for job site updates
- efficiency of taking and uploading photos, safety issues, inspections, and other data
- information redundancy: are several crew members uploading the same data to the same program and/or programs?
- areas of communication breakdown or misses
- ease of use on computers and tablets vs. mobile devices
If year-end discussions are too overwhelming, invite employees to submit comments or concerns year-round via email or form submission, and keep a running log for final review. You can also send email reminders to ask employees periodically about their thoughts.
4 – Take Stock of Cybersecurity
Having the proper cybersecurity to protect your data is as important as making sure your software is useful. Perhaps, even more so.
Using software applications means that your information is stored virtually in cloud-based systems. While these tools are incredibly useful in their ability to connect hundreds and even thousands of workers, its accessibility makes it vulnerable to threats and breaches.
Consider the following touch-points to assess your cybersecurity:
- Compromised or weak passwords
- Fraudulent payment requests
- Randomware
- Unsecured, third-party access
- Malware
- Lost or stolen hardware
- Hacked email accounts
Cybersecurity issues can be incredibly costly and devastating to businesses. Investing in strong means of protecting your data is fundamental to success. A year-end review should also invite an evaluation of all cybersecurity issues faced during the year, noting the most concerning, and whether current programs helped prevent or contributed to these issues.
5 – Turn Your Technology Review Into Your 2027 Plan
When you’ve finished your review, read between the lines about your current programs. You’ll be able to see patterns of success, shortcomings, and areas of improvement. You’ll also have feedback from workers about their preferences for current programs.
Now that you’re armed with this information, use it to solve pain points by replacing obsolete or unnecessary technologies with more functional applications. Make a list of technology priorities and secondary improvements. Develop a standard operational review process you can use each year as you assess your company’s tech infrastructure.
Maximizing Your Tech Resources
Remember, taking stock of your technology is only useful if it evokes change. After you gather information, follow through with using the data to make real changes to improve workflow, communication, and task management.
With every change, both major and minor, the goal is for your business to move closer to optimal functioning. Your 2027 plan doesn’t need to include every single technology shift to come. Start with the priorities, mobilize into action, and move forward from there.
If you have a heap of data on-hand from your annual review, but aren’t sure how or where to get started, Cassell Consulting can help. Our business specializes in helping construction companies optimize their workflows and implement business software. Call (971) 777-2407 for a free consultation today.
