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Asset management software for your construction business

Key things to consider when selecting your solution

Construction asset management

Construction asset management software enables you to track assets throughout warehouses, vehicles and job sites, providing you with their exact location at all times, as well as their compliance status and service maintenance schedules, while ensuring your projects are delivered on time and on budget.

Knowing what features or benefits you should prioritise when choosing the best solution for your business can be a challenge since there is a wide range of options out there that all claim to be the best on the market and offer different functionalities.

There are some common pitfalls construction managers tend to fall into when choosing tool or asset management software:

  • “The software wasn’t compatible with all our equipment, so we were limited on what tools we could track”
  • “The asset tags were unsuitable for the type of work we carry out”
  • "We switched to a new provider because we didn't have on site support"
     

That’s why in this blog, we highlight the four key characteristics of the best asset management software, so that you can easily compare the market and make the right decision for your business.

This blog article is one in a series developed to share knowledge and equip you to get even more out of your tools and staff. Read the other articles here. 

IS ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR ME?

1. Robustness

Construction workers typically experience harsh weather conditions and are all too familiar with dust and mud on a daily basis. For this reason, paper-based tags used to track your assets will be unsuitable as they will be unreadable and likely to fall off.

We recommend hardware that can be applied to physical assets - ideally this would be a robust barcode that can withstand rough handling and tough weather conditions.

2. Flexibility

Construction managers and their workers are always on the move, from one job site to another, so it’s important that the software you choose isn’t constrained by a desktop or limited to one mobile device.

The software you use needs to be portable, so it can be used on site and on the move, and on any device. As an added bonus, if it can be used on devices such as iOS and Android smartphones, the hardware costs will be lower and you won’t be dependent on expensive proprietary devices.

Alongside device flexibility, look for a solution that uses the latest cloud technology. If it is cloud-based, it will provide each user with real time information and you’ll no longer have to rely on manual, time-consuming and inaccurate spreadsheets or paperwork.

3. Reliability

Is the software well established? Is there a risk it could let you down? To get a good indication of this, look at the supplier’s track record - what do their existing customers say?

Expert support from a supplier could include uploading data, asset tagging, on site training and should have a helpline as a bare minimum.

Ask yourself, how much support are you going to get on the phone or on site? While it might seem great on day one, what about ongoing support or staff training? Some asset management software suppliers may have great customer service, but no on site support. Having a responsive vendor means that should an error occur, you’ll know you’re in good hands and the problem can be solved quickly, minimising any downtime on site.

Reliability is absolutely vital to keeping your operations running smooth. If you’re unsure, take a look at our article that provides advice on how to choose a good asset management software supplier! 

4. Customisation

One of the most important questions you should ask yourself is whether the system is flexible enough to meet the needs of your business or is it plugged as a one-size-fits-all solution?

Some asset management software can be customised to suit your existing processes, such as the way the data is structured. Is the application able to organise assets into categories or sublocations? Can it be tailored to your internal systems for added security, for example, to give limited access to certain employees?

Once you identify the key areas you want improve on in your business, you’ll be best placed to decide which solution is suited to you.



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