As a custom home builder and business owner in the construction industry, you face many tasks and wear many hats on a day-to-day basis to ensure your business runs smoothly. To be successful, you’ve likely implemented construction project management processes that work with your office and the job site.

While the role of construction project manager may be a full-time job title for many, you may also play the role of a full-time business owner, estimator, financial controller, builder and finally project manager.

Construction Management Association of America, states that a construction project manager “provides a project’s owner(s) with effective management of the project’s schedule, cost, quality, safety, scope, and function.” 

Yet, as you know, it’s not as simple as a definition. Because every construction project is unique, your approach as a project manager in construction management is to manage the project scope for the entire project — both at the construction site and back at the office.

What is project management in construction?

According to the Construction Management Association of America construction management “is compatible with all project delivery methods.” In essence, the construction project manager manages the project’s schedule, cost, quality, safety, scope, and function for jobs large and small.

For most small builders, remodelers, and contractors, the owner does all the duties of a project manager and a whole lot more. There are ways to automate many of the critical tasks of a typical construction project manager, achieves. Project management software allows you to save time and become more productive to handle more construction projects and have time for yourself.

A study conducted by McGraw Hill Construction showed that construction project managers saved money, avoided or mitigated problems, and produced higher quality results.

Typical duties or skills needed for a construction project manager might include:

  • Planning and estimating construction projects
  • From the cost estimate, to the bidding process, to the schedule, a project manager is responsible for ensuring construction teams are organized and ready to move forward efficiently.
  • Hiring the right people
  • Based on the project needs, the project construction manager hires and manages staff and subcontractors and ensures they are doing their jobs effectively and efficiently.
  • Resource management – particularly equipment and materials
  • Time Management
  • Staying on time is critical for construction projects. It could make or break the budget. Construction project managers make sure that everything is on time and running smoothly.
  • Budget Management
  • Much like time management, a construction project manager is the money manager and reviews costs on a daily or weekly basis to ensure there are no-cost overruns.
  • Ensure against poor communication and project documentation
  • Managing expectations from the customer down to subcontractors and equipment vendors.

The role of a construction project manager

A construction project manager’s primary role is to lead a project team of one to many, take a construction project blueprint and make it into a finished structure no matter the construction project’s size.

It takes considerable talent, technology and other learned skills to minimize the risk of building or remodeling a home, while achieving your customers’ goals and making it a successful project.

Simplify your tasks with a software solution that automates and connects all parts of the job like takeoffs and cost estimating, working with subcontractors and dealers, scheduling and ongoing communications with everyone involved in the project.

Construction technology will help the entire team stay on the same page from the moment the project begins. Effective construction project management in the construction business requires project owners and project stakeholders to work as team members to avoid project delays.

ways to manage your construction projects efficiently

1. Estimate and quote quickly and accurately

Planning and estimating begins just after you’ve met with your customer and defined the project parameters, and where a large majority of your time takes place. Automating processes will speed up the time it takes from your initial meeting to winning the job.

At Buildxact, we offer estimating software that makes quoting five times faster. Uniquely designed for the small builder and remodelers, you can complete on-screen takeoffs and load local supplier price files from your Excel to produce a professional-looking quote. Not only that, but you can create a template and use it over and over again.

2. Consistent communication

Once your customer agrees to the estimate’s terms, you will begin ordering materials. Communication is critical at this stage of your project management process – be concise, clear, factual, and professional. A large part of keeping subcontractors informed means constant reminders via text, email, or calls. It takes an extraordinary amount of time.

You can enhance your communications with automated project management systems and procedures with construction scheduling software. Adopting technology platforms like Buildxact enables real-time collaboration and communications with your teams and key stakeholders.

3. Keep on top of your financials

Throughout the project, you continually monitor the job costs and schedule to ensure the project runs on time and budget. Using a cloud-based software solution allows you to access and track financials for your project with ease.

And once your project is completed, it’s time to invoice your customer. To reduce your administration time, consider a software solution that integrates with your accounting system, like Quickbooks or Xero.

Benefits of using project management software

Even though the construction industry has been slow to adopt, post-pandemic construction momentum has shifted significantly toward embracing technology as it offers very significant productivity gains.

The McKinsey study noted that software usage would increase and enable cost savings and position companies for growth. Software will also become the primary interface between builders and dealers; traditionally a face-to-face engagement.

According to a recent article in Construction Executive, the more construction technology companies that offer subscription models, like Buildxact, the industry sees significant benefits.

The benefits justify the low barrier of entry, including:

  • Accessibility
  • Access your work from anywhere. Keep track of paperwork and essentials all in one place.
  • Efficiency
  • Automation of several features, all working together, enables you to do your job more efficiently, saving time on the job.
  • Management
  • From time and money to scheduling staff and subcontractors, project management software allows you to keep track of the job from every aspect and integrate with popular accounting software.

Project management software for builders and remodelers

There are several cloud-based construction software solutions offered throughout the construction technology industry. Some are more powerful than others offering a handful of features. Buildxact is uniquely designed for the small builder, remodeler, and contractors, and it provides a single solution from the first takeoff to the final invoice.

Are you tired of working late into the night? Buildxact online software platform helps you spend less time replying to emails, creating quotes and sorting invoices, and other overhead. Our software will help you manage all aspects of each job, such as quoting, scheduling, purchasing, and invoicing, from anywhere, saving you between 50 and 80 percent in time.

The industry is ripe for progress using construction project management tools. As home construction continues to heal the economy, the resistance to adopting technology will wane as the desire to improve efficiency, accuracy, and cost savings shifts, rise in importance.

Stay organized and improve efficiency

If you’re working on several projects at any given time, you have a lot to keep track of— contracts, estimates, change orders, schedules, etc. — for each project. To stay organized and efficient, storing these critical items in one place like a cloud-based software platform simplifies your business.

Buildxact, uniquely designed for the small builder, remodeler, and contractor, provides a single solution from the first takeoff to the final invoice. From companies with one or two operators to small teams, we offer a single platform that has all the features you need and nothing you don’t. Set yourself apart from others in the construction industry.

Construction management software makes construction managers more organized and efficient. It makes managing a construction project very easy. Easily track project milestones to effectively manage project teams and track project progress.

Staying organized will help ensure you complete a successful construction project. Are you ready for a better way to manage your projects? Discover how easy it is to better manage your projects with Buildxact.,