Cloud technology is becoming more important in almost every industry. Global companies are projected to spend over $947 billion on cloud computing services by 2026. More industries are scaling their investment in cloud services as they realize its many benefits. The construction sector is no exception.
There are many reasons the cloud is disrupting the construction sector. Cloud services like AWS make it easier for contractors to keep in touch with employees, perform sophisticated analytics tasks and improve efficiency. However, it is most important in the realm of project management.
The Cloud is Changing the State of the Project Management for the Construction Industry Forever
Construction project management is an extremely exciting profession. However, it is also very challenging and stressful field.
Project managers have always been looking for ways to streamline their tasks, minimize errors, bolster employee engagement and more effectively meet timetables. Cloud technology has made this a lot easier.
The appeal of cloud computing in the construction sector is obvious when you are familiar with the benefits it provides. There’s no doubt that you will have experienced many successes and a similar number of failures throughout your career. It’s all part of the ever-evolving construction process and even the top construction companies in the world will have been through a series of failed projects. However, you will have an easier time succeeding if you invest in the right technology. Cloud computing is making it a lot easier for contractors.
Research from Elsevier shows that cloud technology is helping construction project managers in many ways. The research was a meta-analysis of 92 case studies on the use of cloud technology in the construction sector. Researcher Sururah A.Bello and his co-authors highlighted the following benefits of the cloud:
- Waste minimization
- Safety optimization
- Supply-chain management
- Energy management
- Construction informatics
Although some of the studies still have not drawn any real conclusions on the long-term benefits, most have shown cloud technology offers both long-term and intermediate-term advantages for the construction sector. More project managers are going to invest in it accordingly.
As a construction project manager, you can’t afford to ignore the growing body of evidence showing the cloud is invaluable to your profession. You already possess the key qualities that are required to succeed but there’s always a risk of errors or unexpected obstacles cropping up in the middle of a project. You will need to leverage newer technology to help mitigate these issues.
Despite failures being inevitable, there are things that you can do to reduce the risk of things going wrong in your construction projects. It’s all about finding a step-by-step process that will lead you to success in every project that you complete. Cloud technology is able to help with these things.
Sharpening your time management, leadership, and communication skills are part of the road to success in construction. Why not find cloud-based project management services that can help with this? Being able to plan ahead and adjust your business operations when necessary is also vital to being a great project manager in the construction world.
What ways can cloud computing help? Below are some top project management tips to improve and streamline your construction projects through the use of cloud technology.
Adapt and Adjust
Once your projects are well on their way, things are bound to crop up that are unexpected. Being able to adapt and adjust your processes accordingly is vital to ensuring you don’t miss any deadlines.
Any great construction project manager is able to stick to their schedules while also being as adaptable as possible. Maintaining some level of flexibility ensures your projects can continue moving forward without delay.
This is possibly the most important benefit of the cloud. You will be much more responsive to changes if you use the cloud to facilitate your project management functions. You will have immediate access to relevant data on projects, get timely information on upcoming inspections and quickly find out if there are inventory shortfalls when all of this information is available on the cloud.
Budget Effectively
Effective budgeting is essential when you are working in construction. You have multiple different team members to pay as well as materials and equipment to purchase.
As a construction project manager, part of your role involves managing finances and ensuring that the company doesn’t overspend. Monitoring expenses and tracking transactions will enable you to adjust your budgets to avoid any disruptions or delays to your projects.
The cloud can help you indirectly improve your budgeting strategy. One of the main reasons is that you will have access to cloud-based budgeting tools that allow you to access all of your financial documents at once, so you can make budgeting decisions anywhere you are.
You can use cloud-computing accounting software to help you organize and monitor your project budgets. This software will provide a central space to track all of your income and outgoing costs and compare the budgets of multiple projects at once.
Maintain Great Relationships with Clients and Employees
Construction project managers act as the middleman between clients and employees. You will need to maintain great relationships with everybody who is involved in your projects, from contractors to suppliers to stakeholders.
One of the best ways to maintain great relationships with your customers is to keep them informed and updated on the progress of the projects. Maintain an open line of communication that enables them to raise queries or concerns with your team.
Similarly, your role as a project manager involves building rapport with your construction team members. When all employees feel comfortable and confident in your presence, they will work harder and more efficiently. They will also feel more able to report any issues that arise in the workplace.
This is another very important benefit of cloud technology for project managers in the construction sector. More project managers are using cloud-based VoIP platforms like Skype to keep in touch with clients and employees. This allows them to quickly communicate about any issues that might arise.