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Navigating the Construction Tech Landscape: Choosing Between Construction Management Software and Field Service Solutions for Your Construction Business

TECHNOLOGY.  In 2024, this can be an intimidating word.  Sure the endless opportunities for efficiencies that exist because of technology are fun to think about, but implementing technology within your business is daunting.  Even so, as a construction business owner looking to head to the next level, you must develop your technology stack as soon as possible so you don’t find yourself passed by your competitors.  


But wait, what is a technology stack? A technology stack, more commonly referred to as a “tech stack” or “software stack”, is the softwares and cloud-based applications that a company uses within its operations to ensure maximum efficiencies across the various functions of the business.  


With this in mind, there is no more important piece of your tech stack, than the software or application that you use to streamline your estimating, invoicing, project take-off, and project management function.  But there are limitless options when it comes to choosing a software that fits the bill for one or all of these needs so where do you start?!?!


Well, you start with understanding the difference between Construction Management Software and Field Service Software.



Let’s discuss Construction Management Software first.  Construction management software is used for managing building projects, whether residential, commercial, or industrial.  These projects are going to be long-term in nature.  Oftentimes, customer contact during these projects will be significant and continuous, so having software with a customer portal is a must.


The significant features of Construction Management Software include; project scheduling, budget tracking, document management, collaboration tools, and project analytics.  Some Construction Management Softwares, like ProCore, will have project take-off modules included with the software. In contrast, others, such as BuilderTrend, will integrate with stand-alone project take-off software like Stack.  For this reason, this type of software is ideal for general contractors, project managers, architects, and any other professional involved in planning and executing long-term construction projects.


Some of the major players in this space are; BuilderTrend, ProCore, AutoDresk Construction Cloud, ViewPoint Vista, Sage, e-Builder, & Acculynx.  But even among these software, there is a wide range of capabilities and price points.  When determining which is right for your business you should consider the following;


  1. What type of projects does your business specialize in?  Are you doing smaller residential renovations or large commercial projects that span many years?

  2. How much do you collaborate with your customers and how much involvement do they want to have in the project?

  3. Does the software play nice (integrate with) your current accounting platform, or will you want the software to replace your current accounting platform?

  4. What is your budget?  On the lower end of the price range, you will find BuilderTrend which can be as little as a few hundred dollars per month or software like ProCore, which can cost upwards of $50,000 or more per year depending on what level of functionality you are looking for in the software.



Next up is Field Service Software.  Field Service Softwares are geared towards managing and optimizing field service operations. These software are commonly used by companies providing services such as maintenance, repairs, installations, and inspections. Field Service Softwares help schedule and dispatch field technicians, manage work orders, track inventory, and streamline communication between the office and field teams.  Unlike Construction Management Software, these software are better suited for companies that perform short-term projects where there will be a significant amount of field crew coordination as crews may need to move between several jobs in a single day.


The significant features of Field Services Software include scheduling and dispatching, work order management, mobile workforce support, route optimization, inventory management, and customer relationship management.


As with Construction Management Software, there is a plethora of field service software to choose from.  Among the key players in the industry are Service Titan, Jobber, Fieldwire, & simPro, to name a few.


All the considerations that were outlined for Construction Management Software are applicable with these software with the following differences;


  • The average volume of projects in a day or week will play a deciding factor in the Field Service Software you choose.  Some Field Service Software are equipped to handle a much higher volume of jobs than others. You will need to know your job volume before you choose which Field Service Software is right for your business.


  • Customer participation portals will not be as important as they are for longer-term projects better suited for Construction Management Software.


  • Ease of use is especially critical given that field crews will be spending a significant amount of time in the software daily.



Knowing whether your business requires Field Management Software or Construction Management Software comes down to knowing your construction business.  Think about your revenue streams.  What types of projects do you do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?


If your projects are longer-term in nature, begin your search in the Construction Management Services arena.  If you are deploying many crews across many projects in a given day or week, Field Service Software are likely going to be the better solution.


Regardless of what software you choose, you should understand that no software, no matter how powerful and fancy its functionality is, will succeed without well-designed processes.  Technologies are meant to be embedded within a process, they are not meant to BE the process.  If you understand this, your likelihood of a successful implementation will increase tenfold!


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