When you speak of construction scheduling software, most of the people who are involved in construction scheduling like project managers, desk schedules and dedicated schedulers turn to cloud-based SaaS ( Subscription as a Service) model software. This is not surprising since cloud-based solution gives users the ability to access schedules either from the office or from their mobile devices when they are on the field. Cloud based construction scheduling software solutions are also able to support multiple users which can make coordination and collaboration easier. In terms of price web-based construction scheduling software are cheaper compared to having an in-house server because you don’t need a dedicated IT team to maintain and update it. Data is also secure since cloud server providers focus is data security, and data is encrypted to make sure it is safe from prying eyes.
With all these benefits, there is no wonder why companies are turning into this type of software solution for their scheduling needs.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SCHEDULING SOFTWARE: A DEFINITION
A construction project management scheduling software is a collective term used to describe various programs made that construction professionals used to assign, organize and forecast work on construction projects. This type of software started around the 1960s when researchers made use of algorithms and applications to streamline and improve the scheduling process.
This software ranges from the basic construction scheduling software for SMB’s to the more complicated ones used for bigger construction. Construction project management software nowadays can be a dedicated stand-alone program or can be included as one of the modules for bigger construction management solutions Moon Lamp.
PICKING THE BEST ONLINE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING SOFTWARE
Regardless of which web-based construction scheduling software you choose; it must at least have at the least these three base features present in addition to other modules that might be included.
Has The Ability To Create, Manage, Change, And Track Milestones
Your chosen software should have the ability to create, manage, change and track milestones, and the best way it can do this is for it to have an Online Gantt Chart. A Gantt Chart was named after its designer – Henry Gantt and is a type of bar chart that shows a project schedule as well as the dependency of relationships between activities and current schedule status.
A Gantt chart is an excellent way to get an idea on where you are currently in a certain project compared to your planned progress with just a peek. Below are some features that an online Gantt Chart might have:
- Milestones
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Customizable columns and colors
- Task attachments
- Printable and Shareable
- Contains task links and dependencies
Resource Scheduling and Allotment
A successful construction schedule is not based solely on scheduling tasks, but its also about scheduling resources. In construction, there are a few resources that you need to allocate properly – equipment, your team, vendors, contractors, as well as the building materials that you need. Those are a lot of balls to juggle, and you need to keep track and schedule these things together with your jobs.
A good resource scheduling and allotment schedule should have the following features:
- Reports
- Work Schedules and calendars
- Workload balancing and management
- Online timesheets
- Availability tracking
Ability To Update Status Online
The best web-based construction software gives your team the ability to update their schedule once it has been made and approved. Once your team member updates their status, it should automatically be reflected in real time.
The software should enable you and your team member to create questions at the task level, as well as the ability to attach files, images, and links if needed. You want the software to allow you to have an open dialogue with your team and provide a place where everybody can collaborate to get the tasks done. After all, construction is a team effort. click here for more detail
