Construction is one of the major industries in Canada, employing up to 7% of the workforce, which is approximately 1.5 million men and women. This massive number is credited to the expanding immigration facilities which has led to a rise in the population and the need for infrastructure and housing. The construction industry was relatively unscathed during the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected to grow immensely in 2021, which will see the completion of most projects.
In today’s time and place, technology plays a key role in increasing productivity and ensuring holistic growth and development. It eases some of the most tedious tasks and ensures meticulous planning. Construction management apps are the go-to here. With a plethora of apps available across multiple devices, there seems to be trouble in identifying the best of them. The apps listed below are the finest and yield a supreme quality of results.
#1. Fieldwire
Fieldwire is an app with robust features best used by contractors, architects, designers, and business owners for project management in the #constructionindustry.
The app facilitates real-time communication and collaboration with all the involved people with easy setup.
It ranks first on the list of:
- precision and
- accuracy
- managing projects and teams of various sizes and scales.
Some of the biggest projects in recent times like the Moscone Centre and the Washington State University have partnered with the Fieldwire app to manage their work efficiently.
Pricing:
The app ensures a transparent pricing system, with plans tailor-made for all kinds of projects.
- Basic: Free plan with a user limit.
- Pro: $29/user/month apt for growing teams.
- Business: $49/user/month for unifying processes for advance teams.
- Premier: $89/user/month for teams connecting the app to their core tech.
#2. DeWalt
The parent company of the DeWalt app is a well-known name as a manufacturer of tools for the construction industry. Going forward, to suit today’s needs, they have developed this professional calculation app which calculates everything like
- number of bricks
- quantity of concrete
- amount of paint
that is required to construct any space from scratch. This ensures ease in material procurement and labor management.
It also includes specific trade-related estimation processes that make it a wholesome app, unlike a normal calculator.
#3. Autodesk BIM 360
Autodesk is one of the most popular companies dealing with the construction industry, from full-on software to cloud-based management. The BIM 360 app helps sync all the project documents, project control workflows, and execution details in one place. Some of the best features in the app come with solid experience in the industry.
- Single app to view all 2D and 3D drawings.
- Provides building information modelling.
- Keeps teams up-to-date across multiple domains.
- Executes safety programs onsite.
- Reduces risk, errors, and rework.
#4. Procore
Procore is a widely used construction and project management software which is easily accessible today with phone and tablet applications. Being a #cloud-based #constructionsoftware, it helps collaboration in real-time with all your teams as though in one common room. It helps to be on track and notified of all the new project details, helps view project schedules, list observations for later and track project timelines to keep the team in the loop.
- Streamlines project communication.
- Mobilizes all documentation.
- Increases project efficiency.
- Increases accountability.
- Manages drawings onsite.
#5. Drone Deploy
Drone Deploy is a mapping and surveying app which is highly useful for real-time measurements and visualization. These tasks are generally labor and time-intensive and technology bridges that effortlessly along with providing more accuracy. The app also allows collaboration among team members.
- It generates contour layouts for sites and is useful for remote work operation.
- Ensures quick data collection from a bird's eye view.
- Makes visualization of the building, even during construction, possible.
#6. Bridgit
Bridgit Closeout is for the meticulous managers of the construction industry. It is an all-in-one planner app which is used for:
- Work assigning
- Report making
- Recording issues onsite
- Taking organized notes
Its cloud-based database ensures all team members to be on the same page with regards to real-time work. The app also grants the creation of multiple teams, which can be unique and tailor-made, but is present on the same screen. This ensures smooth processing of work across multiple sites for managers without tedious manual planning.
#7. Go Canvas
Go Canvas is a simple report making app which can be used to eliminate huge paperwork and organize multiple forms of data effectively. The app has a minimalistic interface and multiple customizable templates which can be easily used to collect and audit data across a team. It allows for easy interaction and empowerment with team-mates via forms which can be analyzed in detail. It serves multiple niche sectors of the construction industry and helps create:
- Estimates
- Checklists
- Work orders
- Invoices
- Reports and Records
- Logs
- Waivers and Releases
#8. Clock Shark
As the name suggests, the app helps in clocking hours as sharp as a shark. This app helps save costs by
- Precise timing
- Recording the amount of work done
- Presence of a particular employee on the job site.
The app clocks exact GPS co-ordinates, in and out time leading to easy management. This is very useful for teams who have separate field service crew and require accurate timesheets to fix the pay. It also has easy integration with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage, and many others.
#9. Plan Grid
PlanGrid is a productivity monitor, which provides easy access to all information about a project like plans, specification, details, and pictures in a simple manner. The app has stand-out features like:
- Scalability with respect to size of teams
- Make and resolve punch lists
- Easy integration with other software
- Mark issues directly on drawings
- Generate reports
- Hyperlink documents where required from drawings
#10. Smart bid
Smart bid is a popular bid management software which is widely used by general contractors all around the world. This is highly useful for the contractors to organize
- bid data,
- documentation,
- Estimations,
- work sub-contracting
during initial phases of a project. It also has provisions to send invitations for bids directly from the app itself and simplifies the whole bidding process. Being available on both web and mobile platforms gives more accessibility and save the streamlined data. It allows for scalability depending on the requirements of the user.
Final Thoughts
Every app listed above has its own strength and weaknesses. The best construction management app that fits one customer is very hard to find. However, certain points of consideration can be:
- Niche-specific
- Ease of use and understandability
- Quality of the interface
- Number of users
- User satisfaction
- Ratings and reviews
- Credibility of the app developer
There are some very specific tools, and others give it all. It is a boon that we are at a time and age where our apps are becoming as unique as our needs. Choose wisely! Contact app development company toronto for your next app project!