Most construction software provides the basics, so the purpose of this article is not to discuss the more common modules or business processes.  Rest assured, software would never make it to the market if it did not address the most basic needs of a company.  However, there are some major factors that need to be addressed that some companies overlook.  The purpose of this article is to discuss those. 

For example, many software packages might come with innovative and useful modules or components which promise to help streamline some processes; but sometimes the streamlining might be a bit too straight-forward for the particular business model at hand.  When that happens, some processes or procedures already in place might need to be re-designed, in order to work effectively within the software parameters.  While process improvements are typically a welcome adjunct to any business, such efforts can bog employees down significantly.

It goes without saying that this kind of evaluation can be time consuming.  However, if it is not done, the time spent trying to gain compatibility between incompatible software and company procedures, as well as the time and money spent searching for new software when it is finally realized that the new software won’t work, will be hugely frustrating and costly.

Another thing to be aware of during your evaluation is that it is absolutely necessary to solicit input from all levels of the organization.  Although everyone will still have their “everyday duties” to complete, you need to take the time to get opinions from all employees that will be impacted by the new software.  If not, you run the risk of overlooking key factors that would have otherwise come to your attention. 

In order to ensure a smooth, comfortable, meaningful and successful construction accounting software selection, it is imperative that upper management within the company be behind the effort fully.  Without management sponsorship, the selection process will drag on and on, and the outcome might be far less than what is needed or desired.  If upper management fully supports and backs the software selection team or individuals engaged in that, things will go much smoother; and the outcome will be far more agreeable.

It can be equally frustrating choosing the right vendor or supplier of the software that your company wants.  The amount of training and on-going support must be evaluated for each vendor but the software selection team.  Although this can be extremely time consuming, it is completely worth it.  Taking the time to do research up front will save time and headaches in the long run if your company is always able to get the answers they need from the vendor in a timely manner.  Otherwise, you run the risk of losing productivity while trying to troubleshoot on your own. 

In other words, a formal vendor evaluation should be included in the software evaluation process.  Take the time to brainstorm ideas for what qualities you need your vendor to have and then seek out vendors who meet these requirements.  You can consult construction software reviews for information about vendor performance and reputations. 

The old adage “don’t put the cart before the horse” is probably a good one to remember when trying to select which software package is best suited for your particular company.  It is often very difficult, however, to know whether you should focus on fitting the business to the software, or the other way around.  For the most part, it is probably easier and more effective to study existing processes, procedures, and other internal controls as the software selection process is under way.  If you try to re-design those controls ahead of time, you might not fully understand enough about how the software works to fit the controls to its functionality. 

In the same manner, companies that wait to look at internal controls until after they have selected new software and understand it’s functionality run a risk.  The ideal solution is to be able to see the software’s functionality in action during the selection process to get an idea of what current processes will need to be updated and which ones are fine as is.

David Kraft is a freelance author that writes about numerous subjects. He is very knowledgeable about construction software and writes tips for business owners looking for advice in selecting their next construction accounting software package.

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