Questions You Must Ask When Selecting Construction ERP Software

You are running a business in the construction industry. Your company is expanding with more employees, and thus, you are thinking of bidding on bigger and more profitable operations. You might be considering installing an efficient control system and coming across enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a good tool.

But how can you choose the suitable ERP for Construction Company with many available options? Selecting a new ERP system for the company is a significant undertaking. This article enlists some critical questions that you must ask the construction ERP vendor to avoid common pitfalls and choose the best system.

How Integrated is Integrated?

When ERP vendors talk about integration, what do they mean? Is it implies a bunch of integrated systems that are high maintenance, fragile, and rely on few trained, knowledgeable workers to maintain them? Or is it a seamlessly integrated system that can be easily upgraded?

Talk to the vendor to understand if the integration is truly seamless. An ERP platform that can integrate finance, commercial, and procurement systems is ideal for construction companies.

What will be the Benefits?

Do the vendor and the ERP software offer proven solutions to a construction company’s challenges? Will it aid in improving process or business information quality, support growth, and provide benefits from economies of scale? Is the ERP platform efficient enough to support your construction business growth ambitions while managing and controlling operating costs?

Ensure that your selected ERP vendor can identify quick wins in terms of better process and procurement management, cost control, validation, analysis, and reporting.

Can ERP software Coordinate Work with Other Contractors on the Site?

It’s crucial for the construction manager to schedule work for all contractors, sub-contractors, and workers. Can Construction ERP Software help plan the work at the site? You might be looking for a single data source with drawings, schedules, and other documents attached to the ERP. Ask if the shortlisted vendors provide a platform allowing coordinating work with other contractors on the site.

Can the ERP System Offer True Economies?

Consult the vendor about ERP systems offering true economies in terms of workflows, standardized processes, eCommerce, and visibility of what’s happening on the construction site. In addition, know whether the software provider can demonstrate it using one of your construction projects. It will remove the need for imagination during the evaluation process while demonstrating how ERP software can help achieve true economies. Furthermore, ensure that the chosen ERP solution can allow easy access to the correct data at the right time.

How can Construction ERP help Make Improvements?

It’s always better to choose the ERP system, the perks of which can be felt by not only your construction business but also your contractors, supply chain partners, and customers. Review how construction ERP systems can help improve quality, timeliness, accuracy, and buying experience.

It will additionally benefit if the ERP platform can cover end-to-end processes. For instance, constructors can look for systems that cover everything from land appraisal, construction process, and finance to sales and customer support.

Can the ERP Help Comply with Government Requirements?

Do your construction company work with government contracts? If yes, every government department will want some control over the construction project. Ask the vendor if his ERP system can help you comply with government requirements. For example, review if ERP software can help with local tax or environmental reporting.

How Well Can ERP System Work Wirelessly?

A construction company will always have its servers back at the office, with workers and all transactions on the construction site. Management at both the office and job site needs real-time information. So, research if the shortlisted ERP systems can work efficiently wirelessly and provide access to real-time data on a job site.

Closing Remarks

If you strive for impeccable improvements in the construction process and productivity, consider working with a construction-specific ERP partner. Such partners are well aware of the construction industry’s best practices and, thus, help companies benefit from diverse experience and knowledge.

Moreover, these vendors provide end-to-end ERP software for constructors to help them manage their business process from receiving the contract to project completion. Asking the above-discussed questions for the shortlisted vendors can help you choose the ERP platform meeting your business’s unique needs, requirements, and industry standards.