MS Project, ProjectLibre, Etc.. Construction Management

[Ryan Riedy]

Does anyone have a tool they use for construction management. We considered using MS Project, but found ProjectLibre (free). Every project is different, but it would be nice to have a chart that we could lay out. It would include the process in chronological order and estimated time per job (demo, rough ins, drywall, paint). A visual way to map out the flow of the rehab projects.

http://masterpiece-dbr.com/uploads/Remodeling_Schedule.pdf

This link is one that a home-builder created. Obviously something much more simple would work.

If you have used MS Project or something similar you will know what I am referring to.

What accountability tools do you use to keep a project moving along systematically that makes it easy to replicate? This tool could also help set expectations with contractors and keep everyone on the same page.

Thanks in advance.

[Aaron McGinnis]

We run builder trend. expensive, but fantastic if you have a large team and multiple projects going at once.

[Karen Margrave]

We are switching to Builder Trend also. We do new construction of single family and small commercial, BT seems like it will allow us to do all we need for the job, plus post pics for construction lenders and clients to see progress, deal with change orders, etc.

@Aaron McGinnis We've been waiting because we wanted to wait until QuickBooks was integrated into Buildertrend, which it is now. Do you use it with QuickBooks? If so, what if you quit using Builder Trend, would you easily be able to separate your QuickBooks or have to set it all up again?

[Michael Woodward]

@Ryan Riedy , I've been using an excel spreadsheet for a while to track my projects but kept running into problems with it's lack of scheduling/tracking capabilities. I'm in the early stages now of switching to MS Project. So far I'm pretty happy with it. My excel spreadsheet had a lot of hyperlinks to other Microsoft files (including email) so I wanted something that could handle that. I've come to realize that Project is built on a similar framework as excel so things transfer back and forth very easily. This is particularly helpful for me because my most used file (project evaluator) is also an excel spreadsheet. Most of my computer work is done with Microsoft products so this was a natural choice for me. I've been researching this for a while and so far haven't found anything that works better (for me). Good luck!

[Aaron McGinnis]

Originally posted by Karen Margrave:

We are switching to Builder Trend also. We do new construction of single family and small commercial, BT seems like it will allow us to do all we need for the job, plus post pics for construction lenders and clients to see progress, deal with change orders, etc.
@Aaron McGinnis We've been waiting because we wanted to wait until QuickBooks was integrated into Buildertrend, which it is now. Do you use it with QuickBooks? If so, what if you quit using Builder Trend, would you easily be able to separate your QuickBooks or have to set it all up again?

@Karen Margrave - We do run Quickbooks. To tell you the truth, we haven't done much with integration of BT into Quickbooks. My impression is that it mostly will just run change orders into QB as an invoice.

For us, the big advantage of BT is the schedule integration and the ability to handle selections and change orders in one place with limited physical paperwork. We run enough jobs that trying to do the schedules by hand is a nightmare...

[Steve K]

Currently evaluating co-constuct. If I don't like it will switch over to builder trend. I'm not completely sold on any of these software packages when a client is never involved, but will see how the test house plays out.

[Aaron McGinnis]

Our evaluation between BT and CC was that CC was more targeted at low-volume, new construction builders. Slicker interface and lower learning curve that seemed to speak really well to "standard homebuyers" (Admittedly, this was last year so things could have changed)

BT seemed to have more 'back end power" and had much better handling of multiple projects... and so far, that's been the case. Biggest issue? A bit of a steep learning curve, especially for the not-so-computer-savvy customers.

[Steve K]

@Aaron McGinnis Are you finding builder trend to be most beneficial for handling customer communication / selections or is the biggest benefit on the builder side for handling scheduling and communicating with subs?

I fit more in the low volume new construction type of category with only about 5 specs going on at any one time. Sounds like based on your experience co-construct will end up being a good fit.

Only complaint i've had with any of these companies so far is the overly complicated pricing structures.

[Aaron McGinnis]

The pricing is certainly intentionally obfuscated. We've found that to be the case across the board when dealing with vendors of 'administrative' construction products. It's frustrating and hugely expensive to get real solutions in this industry.

Honestly, we're so dependent on BT by now that I couldn't imagine dealing with either the back end or the front end of the business without it.

HOWEVER... This is largely because we run a fairly sizable office team and several project managers. If it was just me, I'd probably trend more towards running a less expensive solution. The big value is the ability to collaborate and put everything in one place.

It's very good for dealing with subs... if you're disciplined about keeping the calendar updated and if your subs are email savvy. Someone still working with a fax line will find the system to be pretty useless.

All those good things being said - the system is only as good as the time you're willing to invest in it. One of our office manager's jobs is to put in updates 3x/weekly and make sure the calendar stays updated based on the input from the project managers. It's easy to let it slip and then it becomes a detriment.

[Steve K]

Thanks for your review, very helpful. I've downsized to the point of only needing one PM and no office staff so it will be interesting to see how helpful these solutions are in a small environment. My goal is to get all vendors and subs on board but as you pointed out, there are still a lot of fax line guys out there who have yet to understand the inner working of email.

[Karen Margrave]

@Aaron McGinnis Thank you, that's very helpful to know.

[Jason Munck]

@Aaron McGinnis Do you use BT for fix and flips? How many deals at a time do you need to have in order for BT to make sense?

[Aaron McGinnis]

We run fix and flips and also projects for other investors, homeowners, etc... 2012 we ran 70+ projects.

I'd say that beyond 2-3 concurrent projects having some kind of organization software is a giant help. However, if you're not trying to collaborate with a team or if you're running very 'lightweight' projects BT is going to be a majorly overbuilt solution for the price you'll be paying. (It isn't cheap)

[Travis Lauchman]

Hi All,

This has been a very interesting discussion and I appreciate all of the good information and evaluation.

Has anyone ever attempted to use Podio for construction management tasks? It is a free, cloud-based software that was purchased by Citrix a couple years ago. Its main advantage is that it enables real time updating from the field to the back office and contains customizable 'apps' that may be tailored to fit the need of your specific business.

I have built a few apps on Podio thus far for lead management and CRM but have run into a few challenges on the construction management process. We do about 30 rehabs/yr in Baltimore City (can be 5-10 running concurrently at any given time) so looking for best way to scale business for growth and adhere to increasingly rigid processes.

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Travis

[Justin B.]

I wonder what @J.Scott uses...

[Adam Roberts]

@Travis Lauchman have you built your own project/contruction management app in Podio or are you using one that was already in their marketplace?

[Travis Lauchman]

Hey Adam,

I actually ended up going with BuilderTrend. We were able to justify the spend with all of the features as we juggle up to 10 houses a time with a relatively small team.

I have been using Podio for CRM, tracking lead statuses, and as a general contact database. For these applications it has worked quite well.

Let me know if I can help you with Podio at all. I love that program!

[Adam Roberts]

Appreciate that - yes I can definitely see the potential with Podio... it is very open-ended so it will take some time to get it working for me efficiently. THX!

[Justin S.]

I've used both Podio and Asana. We use podio to track our offers for flips and asana for tracking remodels. I plan to figure out a way to just use Podio because I like the app build in it. I would not recommend these though for large construction jobs. Both are very good, it just depends on what you are looking for.