For years, the construction industry had limited software options, forcing teams to rely on outdated, last-generation tools that only addressed a sliver of their needs. However, in recent years, the construction landscape has changed drastically. The rise of modern, cloud-based, data-driven solutions has led to many new software offerings that promise to solve construction problems.
Today, preconstruction is being recognized as one of the most important phases of a project’s lifecycle, yet it is the least served by modern software. While a handful of the 40 precon workflows have solutions, they are often addressed with disjointed point solutions, ad hoc spreadsheets, PDFs and Word documents.
Although we encourage the move away from traditional, manual processes, many emerging software point solutions focus on one simple workflow, ignoring the comprehensive nature of the preconstruction ecosystem, which will result in the industry missing the huge efficiency and cost advantages. Many of these tools are being built by people outside of the construction industry who don’t fully comprehend the intricacies of the preconstruction phase, leading to a fragmented tech stack where data silos, inefficiencies and rising overhead costs are the result. Instead of making life easier for preconstruction professionals, the long-term impact of solving preconstruction with too many disconnected tools in the future, will result in MORE work, MORE confusion and MORE risk.
The key is to streamline processes without sacrificing functionality. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the challenges with point solutions, the hidden costs of juggling too many tools, and how an integrated approach helps teams work smarter, not harder.
The Challenge with Point Solutions & The Hidden Costs of Too Many Tools
To modernize their preconstruction processes, many contractors are assembling a tech stack of software solutions—one for estimating, another for bid management, another for takeoff, etc. Additionally, these only represent a small fraction of the types of planning efforts involved in doing preconstruction the right way, the balance of which are ad hoc spreadsheets and manual efforts. While many of these point solutions can effectively solve specific problems independently, working with them poses new challenges that add cost, complexity and inefficiencies to the workflow.
One major issue with these solutions is the need for multiple integrations or solutions to work together. Since these point solutions do not necessarily all communicate, teams are beginning to spend more time and resources maintaining, integrating, or jumping from one solution to the next. In the end, these solutions are only creating data silos where information gets trapped in different systems, leading to more errors, miscommunication and duplicated efforts.
We know that the true cost of managing too many point solutions goes beyond subscription fees. The financial burden of inefficiencies, wasted time and data management headaches can quickly outweigh any benefits. The biggest costs associated with too many point solutions include:
1. Financial Overhead
As mentioned above, the accumulated subscription fees are the most obvious cost of multiple software point solutions. But the spending doesn’t end there. Contractors then must pay for their team’s time to train and onboard, as every new solution requires time and resources to get teams up to speed. Additionally, ongoing support and maintenance fees could add another layer of expense.
2. Productivity Drain
The real productivity drain then comes from inefficiencies created by too many disconnected point solutions which exacerbates the current significant cost of manual work measured in both cost and wasted people hours. When solutions don’t work together, data silos emerge, forcing teams to transfer information from one solution to the next manually. This increases the risk of errors, leading to teams working with outdated information, causing costly miscalculations and miscommunications, not to mention the time it takes to switch between multiple platforms and learn and relearn new solutions, increasing frustration and reducing productivity.
3. Collaboration Bottlenecks
One of the most critical downfalls of too many point solutions is its impact on collaboration. When different departments or teams work with different tools, it can create communication bottlenecks and slow down the decision-making process. When multiple solutions are being used simultaneously in fragmented solutions, there is no opportunity for real-time collaboration, leading to missed opportunities and a lack of visibility into up-to-date project data. And when team members are not on the same page, it further increases the risk of misalignment, rework, and costly mistakes.
When it comes down to it, the hidden costs of too many point solutions will add up to a frustrating and expensive reality. The solution is a more integrated approach that reduces complexity, consolidates data in one area and eliminates unnecessary overhead.
What a Preconstruction Management Platform Can Do For You
Software information overload is real. Contractors need to seek a unified, collaborative platform that does it all. Unlike disjointed solutions, ConCntric provides a single source of truth, streamlining all workflows in the preconstruction ecosystem, reducing risk and making collaboration easy. The benefits of using a platform over a point solution tool include:
1. A Consistent User Experience
One of the biggest problems with having too many tools to work between is the learning curve of onboarding each new solution. ConCntric’s interface makes it easy for teams to adopt the platform and reduces the amount of training required over time. Instead of jumping back and forth between solutions, ConCntric allows teams to work in one real-time, intuitive environment, enhancing productivity.
2. Centralized Data
Disconnected solutions = disconnected data. ConCntric solves this issue by providing a central location for all preconstruction data—estimating, bid management, takeoff, you name it. This makes project information much more accessible for current projects and ensures data is properly stored for future projects, creating long-term value for your company.
3. Fewer Integrations = More Efficiency
Integration and workarounds can be extremely time-consuming. ConCntric reduces the need for these integrations by housing key preconstruction workflows in one place. Imagine your data running smoothly from one workflow to the next, minimizing the risk of manual errors and eliminating inefficiencies.
4. A Single Source of Truth
If you don’t have accuracy in preconstruction, what do you have? ConCntric’s platform is a comprehensive system of record for all of your preconstruction projects, past, present and future—no more issues with version control or worrying about miscommunications. Using ConCntric, teams can work together to make smarter and faster decisions.
5. Future Proofing Digital Workflows
As the demand for AI in construction solutions increases, the opportunities to leverage more informed insights with a platform become much stronger. ConCntric’s digitized workflows make it easier for your team to adopt AI-driven analytics, predictive modeling, and automation tools to make data-backed decisions.
The Simplicity of Switching From Multiple Point Solutions to a Platform
If you are reading this and currently have or are planning on solving your preconstruction needs and are hesitant to make the change or adopt new software yet again, let us reassure you. Our onboarding process is as simple as it gets with:
✔️A user-friendly interface that reduces training time
✔️A more structured approach to data management for long-term accessibility and success
✔️Seamless integration of key workflows with no time-consuming third-party add-on overhauls
✔️Real-time data sharing that keeps teams aligned
By consolidating your essential preconstruction functions into one platform, you set the foundation for future growth and innovation within your company. The need for a connected, structured, intelligent platform has never been greater.
If you are still unsure, visit our blog post on “Onboarding with ConCntric: Q&A with Head of Product, Andy Leek” to learn more about how ConCntric provides the scalability, efficiency and collaboration that precon teams demand.
