Paperwork still dominates many aspects of construction.
The construction industry is among the least digitized in the world, second only to agriculture. Paperwork still dominates many aspects of construction, including contracts, large-format paper drawings, plans, invoices, liens, and other construction documents. But as contractors manage multiple construction projects, many find copying and sharing physical documents highly inefficient, not to mention vulnerable to being lost and damaged.
Almost all of the problems associated with traditional paperwork can be solved by transitioning to digital documents. However, many construction firms hesitate to transition to digitization as it requires a significant investment. If yours is one of these businesses still on the fence, check out some of the ways digitizing documents can benefit your construction firm.
1. Access documents on the fly
Since most construction work is done on the field and project managers travel from the office to a construction site, accessing documents on the fly will drastically improve efficiency and productivity. As long as employees have internet access, they can simply use their mobile devices to refer to plans and other documents that they may need.
2. Minimize or eliminate job errors
Over the course of a construction project, there will be unexpected changes and revisions that veer away from the initial plan. These changes need to be reflected in your documents to avoid mistakes–especially important for critical documents like preliminary notices, contracts, and bills. Digitizing documents makes it easy to make these changes and ensure that all project participants are on the same page.
3. Improve work productivity
Paper folders and physical documents are quite inefficient to work with. For instance, if you need to search for a particular piece of information, combing through multiple files will take a long time. This can cost your business a lot of money in lost work hours. By digitizing your documents, searching for the information you need is reduced to just a few seconds. The time this saves can be used by your employees for more productive tasks.
4. Save construction site and office space
Physical documents can take a lot of construction site and office space—space that can instead be used for supplies, equipment, and team expansions. Transitioning into using digital documents will save you much-needed workspace that you can take advantage of for growth opportunities. Electronic storage is affordable and scalable so there are not a lot of valid reasons why you should choose to use physical space over it.
5. Reduce expenses
Printing is expensive. From acquiring and maintaining equipment to purchasing the paper and ink needed to print documents, printing costs can build up and take away a significant chunk from your firm’s budget. Printing only what is needed and reading documents in your electronic storage let you save money that you can use to fund your growth.
The key to staying competitive in the construction industry is taking advantage of available technologies and techniques. Digitizing documents can boost your business by increasing productivity, improving efficiency, and eliminating the issues that are associated with traditional paperwork.
About the Author:
Patrick Hogan, CEO of Handle.com
Patrick Hogan is the CEO of Handle.com, where they build software that helps contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers with late payments. Handle.com also provides funding for construction businesses in the form of invoice factoring, material supply trade credit, and mechanics lien purchasing.
Have Questions? Micro Records is Here to Help
If you have more questions about document management software, Micro Records is here to help you with all of your needs. We can help your business to transition to a paperless way of life with outstanding e-forms and technology. For more information about how we can help you implement your new document management software, visit us online or give us a call at 877-410-SCAN. For more tips, tricks, and to see what we have been working on, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.