5 ways tech strengthens construction collaboration

Would your team benefit if every crew member had more energy, performed better and paid attention longer? Pretty obvious answer, right? Good news! Collaboration can get you all these amazing results – and more.

Research shows collaboration drives positive workplace performance. Inversely, we know there’s a high cost to low collaboration, too.

We’ve all been on a team where somebody isn’t doing their fair share of work, details get lost in the shuffle or everyone’s working in silos instead of together. It’s not just annoying, it’s ?. All of these scenarios just plain stink.

Let tech be your potpourri. Coming in fresh like daisies, vanilla and freshly mowed grass, construction project management software has the power to keep your team synergized and smelling like success.

Here’s how:

1) Facilitates contract agreements

It’s not selfish to want to protect your own best interests. It’s smart – especially in a business with as much risk and investment as construction. Signed agreements and contracts guarantee just that.

However, these very documents are often thought in the terms of, “What’s in it for me?” instead of, “How can we meet goals together?” Homebuilder apps help your team get closer towards the latter framework. Software like Buildertrend takes the contract process digital.

Collect signatures within the system then store ’em all in one place. Now everyone has a shared consensus, knows what to expect and where to find any document.

2) Creates open lines of communication

Collaboration, at its core, is really just effective work communication. By that logic, better, more frequent communication means better, more frequent collaboration.

Let tech be your go-to communication tool. With the capability to message, comment, give feedback, share daily logs and more, software has everything everyone needs to get looped in, not out.

Break out of the inbox and into a better way of saying anything from anywhere.

3) Coordinates workflows

Who is doing what, when, where and how?

It’s the question plaguing every construction project manager – and everyone else involved with a job. It’s takes a village to build a home, so collaboration skills are needed doubly in this industry.

To see the big picture and the itty-bity details all at once, construction job software comes built with functionalities like scheduling, to-do’s and even time clocks. All of these tools give owners the ability to answer that loaded question with ease.

4) Invites all the key players to the field

You wouldn’t win a game of football without a quarterback or even know where to throw the pigskin without the coach’s lead. That’s just common sense. So, why is it so difficult for some contractors to understand that all parties in a project need to be at play?

We’re talking about project owners, their team members, subs and – yes – even the client, too. Construction project management software isn’t just for business owners or leaders. You can create accounts for your trades or use customer portals that allow clients to track progress right from their phone.

This one is simple. Real collaboration relies on the idea that we’re all better together than when working alone. Inviting everyone to the table is the first step.

5) Provides everything everyone needs in one place

Sharing is caring. That golden rule you learned as toddler? Well, it still applies now that you’ve traded binkies for hard hats and hammers.

This will sound strange to you construction pros … but collaboration is all about breaking down walls, not building them. Shutting yourself off into your own silo and keeping your head down to nail away work may seem productive, but truly collaborative teams do the exact opposite.

They keep all their project information shared in one place – including photos, videos and documents. Regular notifications and updates are sent (and easily traced). The entire team knows where to go to get their questions answered, always. Sound nice, huh? Good because tech can act as that single source of truth you’ve been searching for.

Collaborate the smart way, the tech way

Think about the best teams. The Avengers. The Dillion High School Panthers. The crew from Scooby-Doo.

What do they all have in common? Their collaboration is killer. Tech can do the same for your team.

To really get a cutting-edge, give Buildertrend a try. This is the leading construction software for remodelers, builders and contractors just like you. Using this all-in-one system, you’ll all but guarantee better collaboration and an environment that gets the best out of everyone.

Watch out, Avengers. Your team is soon to be the new super squad everyone’s talking about.