The construction industry is built on tangible results: concrete poured, walls framed, and finishes installed. By contrast, “Software” is abstract. For many General Contractors and their teams, adopting new technology feels like a distraction from the “real work” of building.
However, as projects grow in complexity, “working harder” is no longer a viable strategy for managing data. The firms that scale are those that adopt technology—but only technology that respects the industry’s need for speed and simplicity.
If your team is “tech-averse,” you cannot force them to use a complex system. You must choose technology that prioritizes Time-to-Value.
Time-to-Value (TTV) is the amount of time it takes a new user to realize a tangible benefit from the software.
For a tech-averse team, the TTV must be almost instantaneous. If the software makes their job harder on Day 1, they will never use it on Day 10.
When evaluating a new tool for your firm, apply these three clinical tests:
The best software doesn’t ask you to change how you build; it asks you to change how you store what you build. If your team currently uses email and Excel, the software should feel like a more organized version of those tools, not a completely different language.
If your subcontractors or team members have to download an app or create a password to interact with the software, it will fail. The software must allow users to engage through familiar channels, like email.
Technology should never add steps to a process. It should automate existing ones. If you have to type a bid into the software and into your spreadsheet, the software is a failure. It should parse the data and update the budget in one action.
For a “tech-averse” superintendent or project manager, the computer in the office is a chore. The real work happens in the field, standing in the dirt or on a slab. Therefore, the ultimate test for any construction software is the iPad Test.
If a team member can’t pull up a budget, check a bid exclusion, or approve a change order while standing in front of a subcontractor on-site, they will revert to their old ways (writing notes on scrap lumber). The software must be mobile-first and incredibly responsive. It shouldn’t require high-speed office Wi-Fi to load a basic PDF. When information is available at their fingertips in the field, old-school PMs start to see the software as a tool—like a level or a tape measure—rather than an administrative burden.
At Bid Bench, we believe that “Simplicity” is the most important feature for a General Contractor. We built our platform to be used by people who would rather be on a job site than behind a screen.
Technology should work as hard as you do.
Choose a system designed for the reality of the construction site. Start your free trial at app.bidbench.com/signup.