Before the pandemic, industries of all sorts were exploring and instituting digital transformation of their processes. They were looking for ways of improving operational efficiency, increasing collaboration, and allowing greater output with smaller workforces. Then the pandemic hit, and we all saw how valuable the switch to digital operations would be. Overnight, digital transformation with integrated services became a necessity. The field of construction management is no exception.
In fact, most investment in the construction sector has been concentrated in categories that have grown because of the pandemic. Now, three years in, the trend continues, especially in the areas of collaboration, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and design.
According to the , over 50% of construction management software developers seek specific niches to differentiate themselves in a saturated marketplace. And with the proliferation of hardware and software comes the need to integrate their technology stack.
Construction companies may choose either of two approaches to the design and employment of a technology stack. The best-of-breed approach combines various applications considered the best choice in their respective fields. The alternative is a single-vendor approach, with multiple applications supplied by the same provider. Admittedly, the second approach sounds easier. But we’ve identified three reasons why your construction business should consider adopting the best-of-breed approach instead.
Best-of-breed technology
1. Competition inspires quality solutions
Single-vendor solutions may rest on their reputation as existing players. When niche products and services emerge, they must compete based on quality and a heightened level of support. A saturated marketplace may prove to be a benefit. With so many options, the best are sure to rise to the top
Best-of-breed products will continually improve their application or service to drive their advantage. And they often aim to solve operational challenges specific to the construction industry as they arise.
2. Innovative design is assured
Independent companies can design the best technology stack for customers’ unique requirements. According to a report, many organizations have abandoned integrated suites in favor of customized best-of-breed solutions. Single-vendor integrated solutions force users into a locked ecosystem of products or services. This can be highly inefficient for businesses seeking to digitize processes that their provider of choice does not service. In the construction industry, organizations often have particular requirements that may differ among projects. In that instance, a modular approach to digital transformation will be more advantageous.
3. Best-of-breed stacks can be more agile
With the pandemic, many industries, construction included, learned to importance of agility and the ability to scale up or down as needed. An advantage of a technology stack of best-of-breed products is that the components within the stack can be customized as required. Multiple projects of various sizes and parameters call for flexibility in your project management software. The flexibility of best-or-breed solutions will help you maintain high operational efficiency.
Integration of best-of-breed construction management technology is crucial
Disparate applications lead to data and process silos. The construction industry is notorious for siloed operations. As companies digitally transform their processes, they may find that the siloing continues if they use more applications without integrating them.
A goal of digital transformation is enabling collaboration and data sharing, but that can be a challenge without the integration of your best-of-breed solutions.
Information access is crucial to coordination and communication across business divisions and silos. When applications are isolated, information has to be transferred from application to application manually via spreadsheets or multiple email chains. That will affect cohesion and quality control. Successful system integration will lead to greater collaboration, reduced risk, and increased operational efficiency.
Increase productivity by automating low-value tasks
Unintegrated productivity tools and applications can result in the loss of operational data. Further, they require the manual transfer of data and can pose a challenge for employees charged with keeping track of everything. As a result, many hours are spent on low-value tasks.
When best-of-breed construction technology workflow engines are fully integrated, management can be confident that the software will care for repetitive tasks such as data management. Your teams can be better employed in high-value work such as customer engagement.
Best-of-breed technology combined with the right integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) provider will help your construction company build a cohesive, interoperable technology stack. Find the balance of the right technology for your unique requirements and the convenience of having those technologies work together seamlessly.
To learn more about IPM Construction Management or schedule an online demo, our experts at IPM Global.
By IPM Global,
