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Accounting Accounting Software Construction Features Industry Insight Tips & Advice Trends & Technology

Improving Safety on the Job Site with Construction Software

It’s a long-standing motto that safety is everyone’s responsibility on a construction project. Projects require inspections, reports, safety gear, training, and protocols to keep everyone safe and heading home to their families at the end of the day. However, accidents do still happen, and while they may be difficult to avoid completely, the industry should do its best to hedge its bets.

And now it can. Rather than leaving the safety of a job site up to just the folks who work on it, what if the industry added another layer of protection by implementing construction software that also takes safety seriously? With management software, each job site can become safer, more efficient, and run smoother by preventing injuries and accidents. The following are just some of the ways that construction software can improve job site safety.

Hazard Tracking

What if everyone, from the subcontractor to the executive board member, had the ability to report and track hazards on a construction site through construction software? Not only would everyone feel like their voice is being heard, but the level of accountability could truly change the safety on a project site, the home shop, and more. Folks would be able to report a hazard and track its progress.

Many of the best software programs allow users to set up custom workflows. This ensures that everyone on the project who needs to be aware of the hazard receives the report, and also allows them to update the status as it moves through the chain of responsible parties. Safety managers and project managers can then work together to rectify the situation before it causes an injury, delay, or code failure. 

Compliance Management

One of the best ways to solve an injury-causing accident’s impact is to prevent it in the first place, and the best way to do that is through education. But, most contractors have a hard enough time tracking their own employees’ training, certifications, and licensing that tracking subs can go by the wayside. But, the best construction management software can help through compliance tracking. 

Compliance tracking should be utilized to monitor subcontractors’ and suppliers’ credentials, such as licensing, insurance policies, and more. When these entities’ certifications are near expiry, the management software can send an alert to the parties who need to see it, ensuring that they have enough time to alert the subcontractor to the potential issues. 

So how can this prevent accidents and injuries? Consider this: A subcontractor’s insurance docs are about to expire. Since the system alerts clerical staff, they’re able to request renewal documents. But the subcontractor isn’t able to obtain renewal documents because they’ve had too many accidents or safety violations. The contractor is then able to avoid a potential accident just because they were tracking compliance docs. 

Inspection Management

Inspection management is one of the most important proactive approaches that construction companies can adopt. Ensuring that inspections are performed, tracked, and then utilized to create a safer environment for everyone involved is key. This includes the job site itself, the tools and vehicles used, and simply ensuring that certain standards are being followed and adhered to by all parties on the project.

Not only are the inspections themselves important, performed by trained safety managers and inspectors, but equally as important are the reports and the follow-up activities the inspections should spur. When unsafe conditions or items are located, they’ll be documented, often categorized by priority, and then assigned to someone to fix the issue. Without inspection management software, items can fall by the wayside and lead to injuries or accidents that could’ve been avoided.

Real-Time Communication

Hazards and unsafe conditions need to be handled in a timely manner. Every day that goes by while the condition exists has the potential to injure someone, delay the project, or cost the contractor significant financial losses. Waiting for a report to cross the right desk, a voicemail to be listened to, and for an employee to run into the safety manager to inform them doesn’t ensure a timely response to a serious safety problem.

Rather than waiting, construction management software gives users the ability to send and receive updates, reports, notes, and changes in real time. This allows for better communication and collaboration, helping get to the bottom of these issues before someone gets hurt or the company experiences a serious loss. 

It’s also worth noting that many construction software programs use cloud-based storage for documents and drawings. This allows users to gain access to all of the important documents they need from wherever they have internet access, even via phone. So, if the plans changed due to a safety concern or there is a viable solution that everyone needs to see, these documents can be accessed through the cloud, ensuring everyone is able to see the latest updates.

Daily Documentation

On top of the different inspection, reporting, and compliance support that construction software can offer, contractors can also implement daily logs. Employees can fill these logs out on their mobile devices at the end of each day, allowing them to report their progress and what was done, as well as any looming issues or accidents that might’ve occurred. 

While these logs are not to replace safety hazard reports or accident reports, they can serve as a helpful tool for determining the cause of an issue or how long a particular condition has existed. They can also ensure that those safety issues are handled correctly, as project managers reviewing daily logs can follow up with employees to make sure they file the correct reports. 

Construction Management Software Creates Safer Job Sites

Construction companies can improve their safety practices by implementing construction management software. These programs can supercharge the amount of time it takes to not only report a problem, but also have it assigned and solved. And, with modern documentation processes, these companies will be able to improve hazard tracking and increase accountability, creating a safer workplace for everyone involved. 

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Accounting Accounting Software Construction Job Costing Trends & Technology

Time is Money: How Premier Construction Software Can Save You Both

While a project can take months or years to complete, the reality is that construction moves fast. A company that knows time is money and knows how to make the most of both is on the path to success.  Premier Construction Software can help with time and money, and in this guide, we’ll discuss how it can save your company both. 

How Premier Can Save Time and Money

Would you put trust in a software program that can save your business both time and money? It seems like a no-brainer. That’s what our construction ERP solution was designed to do, and the following features or abilities are just some of the ways that Premier can impact your company.

Automated Processes

All of the data entry, report creation, and updating required to keep a construction business on track requires a lot of time. One of the most significant benefits of using Premier Construction Software is its ability to automate processes. 

When a user inputs or changes a value in the system, the software knows to update every related value affected by the change without a person having to track down the specific pay app, change order, or report.

One-click updates might seem the big time and money saver here, but consider this: Updating reports and budgets manually introduces multiple opportunities for human error. The time it takes to realize there is a mistake, track it down, and change it can be tremendous. And, should that mistake affect the project, it may translate to real money wasted. 

Customizable Workflows

The amount of time it takes to get a document, budget transfer, or change order in front of all the people that need to see it is often time wasted. With customizable workflows, users can design a free-flowing system that automatically moves important documents from person to person.

Ultimately, these custom-designed workflows ensure that important documents or changes make it through all of the required stops faster. Whether these documents need approvals, modifications, or updates, the company will receive feedback in less time using automated workflows.

Cloud-Based Storage

Upgrading document and drawing storage is a great way to save time and money. While most construction companies have evolved away from running to the shop every day for the latest revisions, their access to these documents is still antiquated and slow. 

For example, loading drawings onto a drive and then having to access those drawings with a computer is slow. Or, attempting to send large files through email only to have it take forever. And what if that drawing wasn’t the most updated version? Or just the older version the other party was looking for?

With cloud-based storage, contractors can move past those old, slow document management solutions. Premier Construction Software allows users to access the cloud for documents, drawings, photos, pay applications, and more from any internet-enabled device. It’s one of the fastest ways to share information with a team, and it can save time and money right away.

Report Generation

No one wants to blow that meeting in front of the investors or stakeholders, but time spent compiling data for a custom report may be a waste. Premier has the ability to automatically generate important reports with the very latest updates, as well. 

Not only are these reports easy to generate, but they take into account all of the most up-to-date information. Rather than stressing out about that report all week, it’s possible to simply click a button to create a report that’s not only instantaneous but also more accurate than anything you could compile.

Electronic Signatures

The construction world runs on agreements and signatures. Waiting to get those signatures on a paper agreement takes lifetimes (or at least it feels that way). The documents either need to be sent via courier or downloaded, printed, and sent back. Or, the agreement has to wait until a meeting can be scheduled for everyone to review the documents together before anyone can sign anything.

With electronic signatures, this entire process can take a fraction of the time. Documents can be sent electronically, which recipients can open from any internet-enabled device. Once they’ve reviewed the contract, change order, proposal, RFI, pay application, or any of the many compatible docs, they can sign electronically. This instantly updates the status in the system, cutting down on data entry or errors, and saving time and money.

Subcontractor Management

Minimizing the amount of time spent collecting lien waivers, monitoring compliance, calculating payment retainage, and ensuring everyone gets paid costs contractors and project managers lots of valuable time. But with a construction ERP like Premier, which is designed to make subcontractor management easier, users can save time and money.

For instance, Premier can track licensing and insurance compliance documents and alert the users and sub to possible expiration. It can also automatically generate subcontractor agreements and change orders instantly and ensure that those documents make it to the sub for an electronic signature. It’s also easy to set up automatic retainage for each payment, as well as distribute payments automatically (and accurately) by setting up pay-when-paid AP. 

Premier is All About Strengthening Your Business

Premier Construction Software’s goal is to strengthen your business using simplicity and automation. This means less time spent doing the remedial tasks that are always prone to error. When you’re not paying them to handle these tasks, you’re saving money and freeing them up to be creative and focus on projects that create more revenue for your business—and that’s a recipe for success. 

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Accounting Industry Insight

Understanding Change Orders in Construction

Every company sees change orders slightly differently. Some see them as a time and resource vacuum, while others see them as opportunities to make more money. And the fact that there are many different outlooks on the subject makes truly understanding change orders in construction and the impacts they have a challenge. In this guide, we’ll take a look at these important documents, what they are, and how to manage them.

What is a Change Order?

A change order is a document used to modify the original contract on a construction project. These documents detail changes in the scope of work for the contractor as well as any adjustments to the amount of money the contractor will make on a project. They’re essentially miniature contracts (sometimes with not-so-miniature impacts) that steer the project after the original contract is awarded.

For example, let’s say a contractor won a bid to build an apartment building with eight identical apartments inside. At some point during the project, the project owner realizes that the bathrooms could benefit from half-walls alongside the toilets. The project owner will approach the contractor, they’ll discuss the details, and the contractor (or project owner) will draw up a change order that states the contractor will build half-walls in the bathroom for an agreed-upon price. It’s simply a contract within a contract that denotes a change in plan, materials, or pricing. 

Change Orders for Additional Work

Change orders for additional work require more time and resources. For that reason, these change orders will increase the total cost of the project, as well as extend the timeline. Impacted contractors must ensure that the change order reflects these changes to avoid issues when dealing with these types of change orders.

Change Order for Subtractions

Change orders that omit certain aspects of the agreed-upon original contract have the opposite impact on the cost and timeline. Under these change orders, project owners and GCs may expect the price and timeline to decrease. 

What Causes Change Orders?

Change orders can be caused by project owners, designers, inspectors, contractors, material suppliers, and many other possibilities. 

  • Project owners can change their minds about the budget. 
  • Designers can add design elements or colour changes. Inspectors may notice code issues that require the designer to go back to the drawing board. 
  • Contractors might not be able to do the job for the agreed-upon due to unforeseen circumstances or site conditions. 
  • Suppliers might not be able to get the chosen material.

Any one of these situations would alter the original plan. They could impact the budget or the timeline, and these changes need to be documented and agreed upon with the parties responsible for the changes. How these changes impact the project depends on what they involve.

Change Order Protect Contract Parties

Change orders can be a headache to manage, but they protect contracted parties. These documents take modifications in the course of the project and turn them into clearly-understood directives with legal backing.  

Contractors know that once they have a change order, they can move forward with the project without fear that they’ll be breaching the contract. They also know that if the project owner or designer adds something, they can adjust the timeline or project price and that they’ll have lien rights if they don’t get paid. 

Project owners know that they can alter the contract to subtract an item or design element. This will likely lower the amount of money the contractor was expecting, but the document keeps the contractor from suing or placing a lien on the project for non-payment. 

How to Manage Change Orders

Managing change orders is the most difficult aspect of these documents. Knowing how they’ll impact the budget and timeline, getting the correct signatures, communicating changes to stakeholders, and changing everything in the system at one time are all difficult tasks to coordinate. 

Budget Impacts

Change orders can cause ripple effects on a project budget. For example, if a particular material isn’t available, but a more expensive item is, it’s important to know how much that will impact the project budget before moving forward.

With construction ERP software, many of the best programs offer customers a chance to see how the change would impact the budget in real time. These systems allow users to lock original estimates or shift budgets without permanent changes. This also makes communicating the change’s impact much easier. 

Timeline Overruns

Change orders are often to blame for the project running off track and behind schedule—whether it’s true or not. But, changes typically impact the timeline a little, as they usually mean more or less work. It’s knowing how much it will throw the timeline off track that makes a difference, and the change order should reflect it. 

A construction ERP can help determine how much of an impact the change order will have on scheduling and the project delivery date. This can help the project owner decide if changing the timeline is worth the cost.

Getting Approvals

Getting approvals and signatures is always a challenging aspect of construction, and change orders are no different. Ensuring that the right eyes are seeing the change order and then get their signature can seem impossible.

A construction ERP can simplify this issue. By setting up automated workflow and capturing electronic signatures, the change order process moves along faster, saving time and money. Users can access the system from any internet-enabled device in the world.

Automated Changes

Once all of the approvals and signatures are secured it’s time to make the actual changes. Entering the change orders into whatever accounting software program the company uses is all the opportunity that’s required for multiple data entry-related issues like human error, accuracy, and a lack of thoroughness.

The right construction ERP software can handle this challenge, making automatic changes to every line item affected by the change order. With the click of a button, the changes will ripple through the entire system, automatically updating budgets, billing amounts and timelines, and more. 

All without manual data entry.

Communicating Changes

Communicating changes to the contract to company stakeholders requires data and reports. They want to know what’s changing, how it’s affecting the project delivery, and how much it’s going to cost the company.

Construction ERP software can handle those questions and more. With the ability to generate reports in real-time, project managers can provide stakeholders with the latest, most accurate information regarding these changes. 

Change Orders are Necessary, But They Require Management

Change orders are necessary, as almost all projects go through one change or another after signing the contract. But knowing how to manage these documents is important. By relying on the right program, like Premier Construction Software, contractors can minimize the negative impacts these documents have on their projects. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

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Tips & Advice Trends & Technology

Inefficiency Costs in Construction

It doesn’t matter which industry you work in, inefficiency is a profit killer. Doing things twice, taking too long to accomplish a goal, or paying too much to get something done are all sure ways to beat up a company’s wallet. For that reason, most companies aim to streamline their processes and improve efficiency. Unfortunately, that’s a tall order for the inefficiency costs in construction. 

What causes inefficiencies in construction?

Inefficiencies typically start with a lack of information, but they can take many forms. The following are some of the largest contributors to inefficiency costs in construction.

Poor Planning

There are many moving parts on a construction project: project owners, general contractors, subs, suppliers, designers, engineers, inspectors, financing lenders, and more. Getting all of those parties to play nicely and on time with each other is truly an art, especially when it comes to scheduling. 

One scheduling snafu can cause massive issues, especially if it involves a materials delivery or a specialty sub that can’t make it back to the site in the near future.

Poor Communication

One of the most significant issues causing inefficiencies in construction is poor communication. Job site confusion, questions about certain aspects of the project, unclear scopes of work, and even changes in designs aren’t always handled quickly and efficiently. Instead, questions compile and delays build, costing the contractor, subs, and project owners precious time and money.

Let’s look at a likely situation: A specified type of flooring isn’t available, and the flooring sub needs to know what to do. Instead of taking the efficient route and sending an RFI to the designer, he tells the GC he needs an answer before ordering. The GC is juggling 15 things at one time and gets distracted by something on the job. He never delivers the message. 

By the time the subcontractor needs to be on-site and laying floors, he’s already behind schedule because he was waiting on an answer and couldn’t order the floor. 

Lack of Skilled Labor and Training 

The construction industry’s need for skilled labor is well documented, but understanding how much this lack costs the industry isn’t so cut and dry. Without a crew of men and women that a company can rely on, projects take longer than necessary. Also, these crews’ inexperience means they might not recognize when they’re working inefficiently.

A lack of training can contribute to the issue. Whether it’s a new system or technique, or even just basic safety, not training staff in how to do a particular aspect of the job will cost a business. In the best case, they learn by trial and error. In the worst cases, injuries can occur. In either case, things are running inefficiently.

And, consider the amount of time and resources it takes to recruit the folks to help run the business as smoothly as possible. What could the company do with those resources, otherwise?

Aversion to Technology

One aspect that separates the construction industry from just about every other business is its unwillingness to adopt new technology. While most industries have moved toward automation and streamlined processes thanks to the latest technology, construction holds fast to its old ways. 

Take drawing management, for example. If a company is still using paper plans, they need to be sure they’re using the latest, most updated set of drawings. Someone needs to print the plans and get them to the job site, costing money in supplies (paper and ink) as well as travel time and vehicle cost (gas, wear and tear).

Instead, a drawing management system allows GCs and project managers to check for the latest plans via a mobile device from the job site. And, anyone else who needs to see those plans will also have instant access, allowing them to make decisions or change course whenever necessary. 

What Inefficiencies Can Cost a Construction Company

When you consider the wide range of inefficiencies that exist and what can cause them, it doesn’t take much to imagine they make a huge impact on the bottom line. 

While some situations are unavoidable, issues caused by poor communication are estimated to cost construction workers almost two full days of work each week. Multiply those two hours by everyone on the project, and it becomes painfully obvious that time is money. 

And, if you consider how much time call-backs cost, as well as time spent on fixing avoidable errors caused by miscommunication, the numbers get worse. It’s estimated that all of these inefficiencies are costing the construction industry around $177 billion each year. 

There is a Solution

Most of the issues that cause inefficiencies are the result of poor communication or missing information. The good news is there is a simple way to improve communication and collect data in one spot—utilizing and ERP-based construction management software.

Automation

ERP software can streamline a business’s day-to-day tasks. By automating some of the more mundane and error-prone manual tasks, the team can focus their attention on creative solutions to unique problems. Whether it be tracking revisions, ensuring everyone’s compliances are up to date or giving everyone on the job an easier way to pay or get paid, automation can be the answer.

Better Decisions

It’s tough to make a good decision without all the information available, and construction management software can help. By centralizing all the data collection with an ERP, decision-makers will have the latest data and information available. This allows them to make smarter, more informed decisions to limit inefficiencies and keep the company and project on track. 

Drawing Management

Drawing management is also critical to ensure everyone is literally on the same page. Revisions and changes are instantly available to everyone on the job. If there are any questions or an RFI is necessary, creating and managing those documents using the ERP software is easy. Automated workflows ensure everyone who needs to receive these documents does, improving communication.

Cloud-based Access

Finally, construction management software can ensure that all of the important data, reports, drawings, invoices, and other documents are available at the users’ fingertips. Cloud-based software allows access from anywhere and on any device with access to the internet. Coupled with real-time updates, cloud storage ensures everyone is working with the same data at all times. 

Better Reporting

Last but not least, ERP-based construction management software helps businesses look at their past practices and forecast their futures. With automatically updated reports like job costing and budgets, and key performance indicators, the company will have an easier time hunting down inefficiencies and improving its practices.

Check out Premier Construction Software to see if it fits your company’s strategies and goals.  Our construction management and accounting software provide teams with the tools they need to take advantage of these technologies. Schedule a demo by contacting us today.

We’re more than just construction financial software. We’re built to help your business. 

Author Biography:

Dawn Killough is a construction writer with over 20 years of experience with construction payments, from the perspectives of subcontractors and general contractors. Dawn has held roles such as a staff accountant, green building advisor, project assistant, and contract administrator.  Her work for general contractors, design firms, and subcontractors has even led to the publication of blogs on several construction tech websites and her book, Green Building Design 101

 

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Features Industry Insight Tips & Advice

Construction Forecasting: Developing and Maintaining a Project Budget

In 2015, KPMG reported that 31% of construction projects come within 10% of the budget. And it seems the bigger the project, the worse the financial uncertainty. In 2016, McKinsey reported that 80% of large projects go over budget. The research shows that contractors and owners are struggling to maintain their budgets throughout their projects. Forecasting costs has only become even more difficult in the last couple of years, due to the global pandemic and supply chain issues. 

Knowing how to build a project budget and manage it over the life of a project is a skill that can be learned.

Here are some tips we have gathered to help.  

Developing a project budget 

Developing a project budget begins with a clear and complete scope of work. You must have a clear picture of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done before you can price the work. Talk to the owner about their project and get as many details as possible about the work and their schedule. 

Using the description gathered from the project owner, develop a breakdown of the work that needs to be completed, also called a work breakdown structure or WBS. A WBS breaks the work down into small, manageable, quantifiable scopes of work. For example, installing drywall. A WBS helps in both budgeting and scheduling work because each task and can be quantified for cost and time. 

Based on your conversations with the project owner, you should be able to establish milestones in the schedule that have to be met. These may include equipment delivery dates or occupancy. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that let you know if you are meeting both the owner’s and your own milestones. For example, you may have profit goals or productivity targets that you must meet for the project to be successful. Defining these ahead of time will help you assess the project’s success as it progresses, not just at the end. 

When developing the project schedule and budget, provide an optimistic view, a pessimistic view, and a most likely scenario. Leave some room for changes and added work. By analyzing these three schedules and budgets, you can assess the probability that you will meet your goals ahead of time and start to plan for potential issues before they come up. 

Maintaining the project budget 

A project budget should be a living document that changes as the project progresses. Added work, scope changes, and schedule delays often affect the schedule as a project moves on. Project managers can use several methods to forecast costs to complete the work. They include using a work breakdown structure, using Excel formats, third-party templates, and construction software. 

Some contractors use the list or work breakdown structure method to estimate their projects and forecast future costs. This technique involves listing all the work that needs to be performed and breaking it down into manageable tasks, like WBS. Then each of these tasks is budgeted, scheduled, and tracked throughout the project. While this technique may work for smaller simpler projects, it can easily get unmanageable on larger construction projects. 

The next step up from a written list is using Excel templates to manage costs, schedules, and other information. Excel spreadsheets have been used to track costs, schedules, daily reports, budgets, and much more. If you have not developed your own forms, many are available on the internet. The problem with excel spreadsheets is that they are not connected, and not tailored to construction. 

Some companies rely on templates and use them to track all correspondence and data for their projects. These templates are created by third-party companies and not customized for a specific project or scope. Again, they are not connected, and the data is not centrally located. 

The most modern way to track and maintain a project budget is using construction software. Today’s software is available in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and all-in-one solutions that combine project management, actual costs, commitments, unanticipated costs, budgets, and communication together, where everything is in one place. They tie together estimating, job costing, timekeeping, communication, and financials. Using this information, project managers can more effectively forecast productivity and costs, providing a more accurate picture of where they will finish on the job and ensuring they are not caught with any surprises. They can review historical information and easily dive into the month-to-month variances to better understand the current budget and estimate at completion. 

Keys to better forecasting

  1. Get real-time data

When project managers try to forecast monthly, they often make mistakes if the accounting and job costing is not integrated into one software solution. Working with multiple software applications makes it difficult to compile the data taking several days or even weeks, leaving the Project Manager no choice but to base their forecasts on lagging information. Worst of all, they cannot trust the data to make accurate and informed decisions.  

Today’s financial construction software offers real-time data that automatically calculates the estimate at completion. This way you can easily compare your original estimate, current estimate, and estimate at completion. Software solutions offer great lock features allowing you to freeze the original estimate and forecasting period, forcing your team to properly enter any change orders in the correct period to record any movement on the job. This way, each month you can easily review the variances and see why the budget has moved.  

  1. Communicate

There is no substitute for continuous communication between contractors, owners, and design team members. When everyone is on the same page there are fewer hidden costs. Software solutions offer simple, integrated ways for team members to communicate in real-time about issues, change orders, and any concerns. With software introducing new and faster ways to approve and electronically sign off on commitments, ap invoices, and change orders, it ensures the estimate at completion is up to date and accurate. Members can easily approve, mark-up, decline, or reject key documents instantly. The ability to see what is outstanding and ensure you have your internal processes optimized to provide open, instant feedback, makes forecasting much simpler and more accurate. 

  1. Integrate systems

It’s time to say goodbye to disconnected excel spreadsheets. With real-time data, it makes it easy for a project manager to easily adjust the EAC using anticipated costs and make more informed decisions as to where the budget will end up. 

When systems are separated from each other due to the lack of software integration, time can be lost spent pulling information from multiple sources and compiling it into comprehensive reports. Teams need integrated data at their fingertips so they can act proactively view actual costs, commitments, change orders, pending items, etc. Using an ERP or all-in-one software financial construction solution provides project managers a macro and micro-overview of the budget as they can easily drill down into all the details waiting for other departments to provide information or for spreadsheets to be updated. 

  1. Automate

Saving time saves money. The more teams can automate daily data-entry tasks, the more time they can spend actively managing the work and proactively reviewing the high-risk itemsSo much time is being wasted on chasing down subcontractors, manually approving AP invoices, trying to collect signatures, and rekeying data from emails. An inefficient system makes it difficult for PMs to find the time to properly forecast. With proper construction financial software, the most time-consuming and complex tasks can be automated to save you valuable time and ensure you can scale the business without having to add more overhead. Best of all, you can start trusting your data and gain better financial control of your jobs and business.  

If you are ready to step up your forecasting game, look no further than Premier Construction Software. We have an easy-to-use financial construction software solution that will help manage your project from beginning to completion.  Get in touch with our team to schedule a demo today!Author Biography:

Dawn Killough is a construction writer with over 20 years of experience with construction payments, from the perspectives of subcontractors and general contractors. Dawn has held roles such as a staff accountant, green building advisor, project assistant, and contract administrator.  Her work for general contractors, design firms, and subcontractors has even led to the publication of blogs on several construction tech websites and her book, Green Building Design 101.