UDA Technologies Blog

Many of the most successful companies I have worked with can quickly identify the selections process as one of the most crucial – and chaotic – parts of any project. With input from clients, designers, contractors, and vendors, there can be a lot of communication swirling in different directions. Selecting options, gaining approvals, ordering products – although individually small tasks, they all add up to a large factor in bringing your project in on budget and on schedule.

As a Success Coordinator, I’ve seen many, many companies triumph – and naturally, I have also seem some companies falter. The most successful companies are led by individuals who empower the team as a whole. My experience has allowed me to identify some of the most common characteristics that can be attributed to your success: drive, decisiveness, and dedication.

Many challenges faced in project management could be avoided if the roofer didn’t have to depend on the framer or the carpenter on the plumber, however, we know that’s not the case – what’s the roof to do without the frame? Most tasks in your project schedule have relationships to one another, which is why coordination and visibility is vital. Developing an effective method for communicating, managing, and evaluating the current state of interconnected tasks allows you to see the ripple effects before they occur and work to minimize impact incurred from schedule offsets.

Last week, UDA Technologies hosted a live, interactive webinar to highlight Socket, ConstructionOnline’s new desktop assistant tool, which allows for ConstructionOnline integration with QuickBooks Desktop and PlanSwift, as well as other desktop programs in the future. In last week’s webinar, Taylor Pruitt, ConstructionOnline Product Lead, demonstrated in detail the ease getting started with Socket.

Your goal for each project is to bring that project in on time and under budget. You wouldn’t want to simply outline the tasks that need to be completed within a project schedule and hope for the best. You would want to highlight points throughout the project that mark progress achieved and keep you focused on the task at hand. The use of integral management devices such as milestones allow for you to keep a close measure on the progress of your project and ensure that you are on the path to successful completion.

In a perfect world, Project Schedules follow the original approved timeline from start to finish. But, any experienced construction manager can tell you, in reality, the final Project Schedule will be vastly different from the initial Project Schedule. As the project progresses, it’s important to evaluate changes and understand the contributing factors. Implementing business intelligence methods like Schedule Baseline reviews gives you the ability to analyze cause-and-effect within the project and adjust accordingly – now and in the future – to ensure success for your company.

Webster’s Dictionary says that success is “a favorable or desired outcome.” This means that to develop your definition of success, you will need to first identify the measurable outcomes you are hoping to achieve with your endeavor – allowing you to recognize the milestones of your success as they are reached.

Did you ever think you would be able to completely manage your construction business from a single app on your phone? Now, you can – with the addition of ConstructionOnline Mobile, UDA Technologies’ brand-new, all-in-one mobile application.

The goal of a tool like ConstructionOnline is to make your life easier and your business more successful. But you can’t reap all the benefits of the system if you’re only taking advantage of a small percentage of what it has to offer. Follow these 5 easy steps to become a ConstructionOnline Power User – and make the most of your subscription – everyday:

Some construction professionals have dismissed the importance of customer service in the construction industry, not worrying if the customer experience is good, as long as the project result meets expectations. Don’t make this mistake - your company is not a single-dimensional company. Yes, you are a construction company, so you must provide quality construction services. However, the customer is the reason for your work, and so the entirety of their experience matters, not just the result. Extraordinary customer experiences create happy customers, and happy customers generate new business.