Searching for a development management app that will minimise stress and keep your business humming? Whether you’re in charge of onsite construction, fleet deployment, project oversight or all of the above, odds are there is an app which can make this process more efficient and save you money. We’ve taken a look at eight of the top industry solutions and analysed them to save you time deciding which one to use.
Vertical Matters
As the name implies, this app handles all matters vertical for organisations that spread themselves out over several aspects of development. Designed with an eye toward “flicking the paperwork” and moving the business world from paper to glass, the SaaS model, cloud-based app boasts a support team that specialises in a variety of vertical industries and their respective ISO standards. Each facet of every project is well and truly covered with features that include platforms for sale, time, safety and asset management…and much more. An added bonus? There’s also an eForms module that lets users digitize all essential business forms to promote complete customer transparency and industry compliance.
Website: http://verticalmatters.com.au/
Homesky
Uniquely tailored to the needs of Australia’s building contractors, Homesky is a streamlined software that includes a comprehensive (but easy-to-use) CRM interface. Builders can seamlessly communicate with customers by sharing photos and other project-specific data and can likewise manage purchasing and invoicing, keep a “site diary” of day-to-day operations and configure in-house notifications for deliveries or other on-the-job happenings. Users can also maintain constant contact with their team members in real time via tablet or smartphone and uphold safety standards for workers using the Homesky Health and Safety portal. This special feature comes outfitted with a host of SWMS templates to help your business meet any and all industry requirements in virtually no time whatsoever.
Website: http://www.homesky.com.au/
Procore
Touted by CEO Tooey Courtemanche as “the most used construction software application on the planet,” the Procore software solution caters directly to clients’ needs with its trademark “intuitive” and collaborative design. The platform also integrates with a seemingly endlessly array of existing applications, which makes data stored in other locations much more easily accessible. Built to adapt to all manner of projects across a variety of industries (from government to education to healthcare and beyond), Procore offers unlimited user licenses to allow for more efficient teamwork. And while features like scheduling, email tracking, vendor bidding management and RFI management come standard with many Procore packages, the SaaS model’s drawing and spec management tools are a true highlight. These solutions enable contractors and administrators to view digitised plans at every point of development and oversee product spec information—both of which can save time and cost overages.
Website: https://www.procore.com/
Aconex
With a project history that includes contracting and renovations for Heathrow Airport, the Panama Canal and the Savoy, Aconex’s cloud and mobile platform currently attracts over five million users worldwide. A leading tool for owners, developers, EPC/M professionals and energy and infrastructure designers, this app prides itself on delivering consistent, quality service to each division within a specific project. In layman’s terms, this means every single member of every single organisation (internal or external) involved in a development venture uses the exact same system interface with the same audit trail. This ostensibly limits any margins of error and keeps the lines of communication clear. Field and office workers using the app can also enjoy secured access to tools for document management, project control, quality and safety oversight and more. There’s even an interactive RFI feature that links directly to BIM workflows so project workers in any department can ask questions and stay informed every step of the way.
Website: https://www.aconex.com/
Aroflo
This Victoria-based software company offers an end-to-end platform whose features can be added and subtracted according to your business needs. Operating on all cylinders, the affordable Aroflo app can oversee all aspects of construction and infrastructure developments, help maintain complete control over your ever-growing inventory, simplify OH&S procedures, allow employees to submit digital timesheets…and the list goes on. Some extras that might appeal to developers include the ability to schedule routine maintenance tasks and a feature that lets you import emails of work order requests from clients directly into the Aroflo job management system. In addition, Aroflo (like many other companies on this list) is constantly improving and expanding its capabilities, and the app has been constructed to integrate with other business solutions like Xero and MYOB among others.
Website: http://aroflo.com/
Fleetmatics
Conducting most of your business on the road? This GPS-based tracking provider may be the app for you. A service that advertises primarily to fleet owners, this SaaS solution facilitates hands-on control of company-wide driver and vehicle activities. Benefits include route and location verification, a mobile driver identification tool and an exclusive panoramic reporting feature that allows executives to compare returns over a protracted period of time. The app likewise promises to save your organisation time, money and fuel by enabling you to keep your finger on the pulse of business metrics such as drivers’ performance, hours logged and miles traveled. With this type of monitoring power, you’ll no doubt be able to pinpoint (and phase out) any wasteful practices and ultimately gain optimal efficiency out in the field.
Website: https://www.fleetmatics.com.au/
PlanGrid
We’ve looked at an app for the fleet owners—how about one for the architects? Though not created solely for designers and engineers, the PlanGrid tool brings the focus back to the drawing board and transforms blueprints into highly responsive “smart sheets.” These digitised images can be marked up with notes and photos, hyperlinked to project documents and instantly disseminated to team members’ mobile devices with point-and-click simplicity. In addition, the PlanGrid app affords licensees the opportunity to upload various blueprint revisions, collate them and compare them side by side. Directors of construction, project managers and other administrators may also find the solution handy for managing day-to-day procedures and for creating customer reports and as-builts. To date, the app has aided in the construction of over 500,000 projects, including developments for Levi’s Stadium and Yelp headquarters, both in San Francisco. Don’t worry, though: PlanGrid may have roots in the US, but their reach is international.
Website: https://www.plangrid.com/
GeoOp
Users in 4,900 cities across the globe are taking advantage of this all-in-one solution for digitised development. Built from the ground up to accommodate each new customer, this mobile device app is available without a down payment and for a flat monthly fee (which will increase depending on the number of licenses you wish to activate). Deliver photo and audio files to team members, schedule recurring jobs, send in-app text messages, sonstruct detailed profitability reports, navigate site visits (with the help of app integration with Google Maps, Navman and TomTom, among others) and more—all via one 256-bit SSL encrypted system. Developers may also enjoy GeoOp’s penchant for the professional touch; the app features a document template tool that allows users to create sleek, customised price quotes and/or invoices that can be edited to include company logos and client-specific information.
Website: http://geoop.com/
