Benefits of Using Restoration Project Management Software

Technology has become increasingly important for project managers involved in the construction industry. This is just as true, if not more so, for those who work in disaster restoration. Project management software offers a means to manage multiple tasks, communicate easily with stakeholders through various channels, and share relevant information. Yet projects within the restoration industry are as diverse as the disasters that project managers seek to remediate. Project management software offers a wide range of features catering to the industry’s diversity of businesses.

For example, a restoration company marketing in a new area may find reports tracking new customers’ demographics worthwhile. For other frequently handling water-damaged structures, the benefit may come from software applications supporting moisture mapping to evaluate the areas needing the most remedial attention. For all those involved in restoration project management, software streamlining workflows can optimize processes, helping project managers do a better job.

Streamlining Restoration: How Project Management Software Can Help

Regardless of a restoration company’s size, a project manager needs to organize every aspect of their team’s work. This involves assigning duties, hiring subcontractors, ordering materials, and ensuring all resources are available when and where they’re needed. Getting things done also takes collaboration, so project managers must listen while asking and answering pertinent questions from all stakeholders. When it comes to disaster restoration, project management software supports collaborative efforts between and within teams, which is made easier through the seamless sharing of information.

For restoration project management, software can help:

• Augment planning and scheduling through tools that facilitate the prioritization of certain tasks, enabling better resource allocation that, in turn, assists project managers in meeting deadlines. 
• Boost productivity by streamlining workflows so decisions are based on data rather than gut instinct.
• With tools that help project managers delegate specific duties to team members while providing easy access to all the information they need to complete these tasks.
• Mitigate risk by helping project managers recognize bottlenecks to implement effective countermeasures to avoid delays.
• Standardize processes to ensure everyone involved in a project understands the goals and works toward these goals together.

Perhaps the most essential aspect of a project manager’s job is the need to effectively communicate. For restoration project management, software helps funnel information to the people who need it. This works internally, as per communications between the office and field teams, and externally, as per those between a restoration contractor and insurer. Clarity in interactions enables greater transparency, which in turn leads to greater trust between all stakeholders.

Tracking Projects & Staying Within Budget

The biggest issue with any construction project is going over budget, and this is just as true for contractors doing restoration. Project management software provides tools that help estimate the anticipated cost of the resources needed to do a job, along with how much the contractor will profit from it. These platforms also help track how much is spent over time, allowing project managers to make course corrections should expenses exceed the initial cost assessment on a certain aspect of the job.

As an example, perhaps a specific phase of a project takes much longer than anticipated. This translates to higher labor costs, a problem which if only realized towards the end will put the entire project over budget. By keeping track of these expenses, a project manager can instead try to offset these additional costs during an upcoming stage of the project. Budgeting is one of the tougher aspects of restoration project management. Software makes this part of a project manager’s job easier.

Project management software can help restorers better administer budgets by helping identify potential issues before they become real problems. It’s easier to fix a cost overrun for a specific stage of the work rather than deal with total costs that have risen to over 30 percent of the entire initial estimate. When team members understand that their work is being closely monitored, they’ll also be more likely to work to lessen expenses in other parts of the project.

For contractors working on a restoration, project management software helps prevent scope creep by keeping an accurate record of work that must be done. Additionally, it keeps spending closer to estimates by ensuring resources are available when needed. A project manager’s work often entails making sure a project doesn’t experience unexpected cost increases while work is ongoing and ensuring that estimates are as accurate as possible.  

Getting the Most Out of Project Management Software for Restorations

Having a firm strategy on how to handle a specific undertaking helps project managers retain control over a restoration. Project management software should support these efforts, allowing them to deliver results on time and on budget. But a software platform isn’t a magic wand. It still takes a competent project manager to ensure a job is successfully completed. However, an investment in these tools will make a good project manager’s job simpler.

Project managers should consider the following to get the most out of restoration software: 

• Captured data should be shareable between different apps.
• Have a respected manager or employee take the lead on championing a new project management platform to facilitate adoption by all team members.
• If a project manager has a question, they should ask the software platform’s vendor; that should be part of the service they provide.
• Integration with apps already used by a company helps make adoption easier, while also enabling expanded capabilities when new software tools come out.
• Make certain that all team members use the new software rather than other systems so as to keep all stakeholders properly informed.
• Mobile-friendly platforms allow teams to be more productive and efficient, as they allow them to work from anywhere with Internet access.
• Roll outs done incrementally often better ensure people are properly trained, especially if the new software platform’s complex; it’s not good to overburden employees with too much new information in a short space of time.
• Set up workflows when first implementing new restoration project management software, as it saves time when done earlier in the adoption process.
• Utilizing real-time data and reporting tools helps boost productivity by keeping track of expenditures.

For those just starting out with a new platform to help with a restoration, project management software can be difficult to implement. It’s best to get some tips on how to use it from the vendor. The best restoration software providers will have excellent support for their products, with teams dedicated to ensuring a contractor and their team use the software to its fullest potential. Often, this might include initial training by the provider, who can also help set it up so that it’s ready to use.

Avoiding Common Mistakes When Implementing Project Management Software

Any seasoned project manager will be able to pontificate on the most common mistakes they (or their peers) have made when doing a restoration. Project management software is ideally designed to ensure these mistakes don’t happen or, if they do, that the resulting trouble can be easily overcome. One way project management software can aid restoration projects is with planning. By helping to create a detailed strategy, project managers can usually prevent any unexpected hiccups that can cause delay and conceivably lead to higher costs.

Project management software is great for organizing. It provides a platform for all stakeholders to access the details needed to complete a job, including explanations of overall objectives, project timelines, and the resources required. It also helps project managers make changes amid the restoration project. Management software assists with tracking progress and identifying any issues while also ensuring decisions are based on accurate data. Often, these management tools also automate data collection and reporting so project managers can determine improvement areas or identify performance-related trends.

Another mistake restorers sometimes make, especially if they’re newer to the industry, is failing to document thoroughly enough. Any restoration contractor who’s helped remediate a water-damaged structure knows how important documentation is to get paid fully by an insurance company, usually the primary funder for restoration jobs. Project management software makes documenting damage much easier while sharing it becomes a breeze. As many insurers have offered a means to file claims remotely online, sending damage documentation is even easier.

Not effectively communicating is perhaps the most egregious error that can be made in restoration contract management. Software platforms facilitate stakeholder communication, helping project managers keep everyone involved properly informed. Project management software records who said what and when while keeping everyone up-to-date on a job’s progression. This transparency is what builds trust, which in turn leads to repeat business and referrals.

Tips on Improving Workflow with Project Management Software for Restorers

Project management software helps document, organize, optimize, and track every assignment when working on a disaster restoration. This ensures the job goes as smoothly as possible for every restoration project. Management software helps project managers perform more effectively, helping them delegate work. This includes when work must be performed, how it ought to be carried out, and who’s tasked to do it. This involves software tools on the centralized software platform to aid in tracking a project’s progress.

Some tips on how project managers can improve workflow using software tools include: 

• Automating repetitive and routine duties like sending out emails or texts to keep customers informed on a job’s progress frees up employee time that can be better spent on more complex tasks.
• By using data to track workflow, a project manager can understand where improvements can be made.
• Encouraging team feedback will lead to improved processes.
• Ensure that everyone involved understands their responsibilities in writing to reduce the chance of doubling up responsibilities.
• Using a cloud-based project management platform allows key players to organize and track a job’s progress and enables everyone involved in the project to stay updated on duties and deadlines.

When it comes to restoration project management, software like Albi can be a game changer. It streamlines workflows to make a project manager’s job much easier.  To learn more about Albi and how it can help with your project management needs, book a free demo today.