You’ve probably heard the term “better project management workflow” many times in the past few years. It’s the latest thing to make you feel like you’re not doing a good enough job already. The reality is, you’re very likely doing your best, but job sites these days are so complex, it’s hard to keep up with the RFIs, approvals, design changes, team conflicts, and on and on it goes. Not only is the construction project manager expected to juggle all of these moving parts, but it’s expected to be accomplished with tighter budgets, more demanding owners and shorter schedules. Calgon, take me away.
Fortunately, project managers have options in the form of steadily improving technology that can not only help him/her cope, it can actually help improve information sharing and reduce errors.
As pointed out in the August 2018 Connect&Construct article “How to Achieve a Better Construction Project Management Workflow,” Autodesk BIM 360 Build is the perfect tool for project management.
It’s all about collaboration these days, and that’s the first sign of a better managed construction project.
- Collaboration – Contractual documents, design documents, markups, design and field issues, and RFIs all need to be visible to the project teams. Responses from the design team need to be coordinated. BIM 360 Build does that and more. As a side note, if your firm is one of the trades on a construction project, you really should take a look at eVolve MEP. Developed with electrical and mechanical contractors, eVolve MEP simplifies Revit project collaboration and makes teams more productive while reducing costs and risk.
- Single source of truth – The ideal situation for the project is having one platform for the RFI process where all project teams can manage data. At the same time, adequate data controls need to exist for the GC and project manager. With its flexible common data platform, this is one scenario where BIM 360 Build shines.
- Critical information for the right people at the right time – Better management comes when everyone is on the same page with availability of information when they need it. BIM 360 Build allows team members to actually visualize RFIs on the project drawings, even in the field, without flipping between non-BIM 360 mobile apps.
- Changes updated real-time – A seamless workflow reduces rework. It helps the project stay within budget and stick to the established timeline. BIM 360 Build enables daily reports and analytics.
- Accountability – With designated responsibilities, there should be no guesswork and no excuses. Customizable templates and checklists allow the manager to track quality and measure performance.
- Contract compliance – RFIs, submittals and responses are legal documents, and handling them requires adhering to a stipulated process. BIM 360 Build provides this trail of critical control, tracking communications without losing data and streamlining interactions. The Build process also allows a compliant handoff.
Despite the complexities and increased demands of today’s projects, you can have better project management workflow using BIM 360 Build. Keep everyone up to date with the RFIs and changes, eliminate the conflicts, and hand off a completed project you can be confident in and proud of.
Interested in BIM 360 Build? Contact Applied Software for a discovery call to learn how you can put this powerful tool to work on your next construction project.
Interested in eVolve Mechanical or eVolve Electrical? Contact eVolve MEP today for a demo of how a project can come together with one cohesive team from design to construction.
A better project management workflow can be yours.