Software implementation tips for construction management

A high level of accountability and more work can make change difficult for anyone in an organization. Migrating to a new construction management software is perceived as difficult by many in the construction industry because legacy procedures dominate.

Some companies use construction management software because they are frustrated with existing project delivery systems. It is imperative that their people accept the new software, change their way of working, and finally actually use it after they study the features and benefits of different construction management software.

The transition process can be challenging, but how can you manage the change process and get the team up to speed quickly.

1. The Involvement of Senior management

In order to make significant changes and shifts in how people work, it is critical to ensure that senior management can allocate adequate time and resources to the new platform implementation.

In order for Change Management to be successful, it must be driven by leadership. Senior management plays a key role in the success of Change Management. Lack of senior management involvement will not lead to a change in team behavior.

In an ideal world, commitment runs from top to bottom. It is important for senior management to establish a clear vision for the change management process. How will the company benefit from it? They must be able to clearly define their expectations. Upon implementing the construction management software, what results can we expect? Etc.

2. Get key users involved in the training

If you are training potential key users, you should start with small groups. In order to ensure effective training sessions, choose a small group of people who are capable of understanding the new system and have a thorough understanding of the current operations of the company. First, consultants from the software provider train this first group of users referred to as Key Users.

Trainees to participants should be kept at a high ratio. Training sessions should be conducted with a high ratio of trainers to participants if you want them to be effective. Generally, there should be three to four trainers per session and six to eight participants.

Create a training capability within your organization. Initial consulting is no longer necessary for training, which can be carried out on their own with only occasional assistance.

Once the key users have received the initial training, they can transfer their knowledge into how their own team thinks and works, in order to train the less experienced staff. The user manual you create can reflect the day to day operations of your business by extracting relevant parts of the software platform manuals and structuring them into steps that reflect the regular operations of the business.

Make improvements to future training modules based on feedback from participants. In order for the process to be successful, active questioning and debate are essential. Ask for feedback during training sessions on how to improve future sessions and how to improve the effectiveness of the training.

3. Engage in post training activities to retain knowledge

In order for change to occur, it must take time. It is possible for some participants to feel overwhelmed by the information provided, and some people are unable to grasp every aspect of the training during their session, so you can provide participants with post-training tools and activities to help them retain their knowledge, such as:

• Participants should be encouraged to convert their recent projects into the new software. You should begin with basic daily tasks that can be implemented easily in the new software system. The key users in their own team can help them if they forget certain processes.

• Make sure key milestones are set and the team is encouraged not to miss them.
• Participate in future pieces of training with previous participants. Taking part in training assistant programs also allows them to refresh and retain their knowledge about the new software.
• To facilitate basic tasks in the new software, create a quick reference sheet with shortcuts and icons.

4. Implementation of new software incrementally

Once more staff have been trained on using the new software and have started to become familiar with the new working methods, you can move on to the next stage - software implementation in selected pilot projects.

The following steps can be taken at this stage:

Consider substituting simple tasks from multiple platforms into the new software when deciding on a pilot project. If you are starting a new project on the new platform, start with key modules. There is a risk involved in starting everything right away.

In case any staff member is assigned a new project to do on the new platform, key users should be embedded to support the project. As well as setting up the project properly in accordance with the project specifications, the key users assist with the project setup as well. By working on a live project, users will gain knowledge of the new software and increase productivity.

To get more details, watch the following video tutorial.

Video Source: TechnologyAdvice

In addition to a change in workflow, the adoption of a new software also requires a change in how people think and work. Here are some tips for migrating to a new construction management software as quickly as possible.