{"id":2299,"date":"2017-08-09T11:37:08","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T15:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=2299"},"modified":"2026-02-06T10:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:11:13","slug":"considering-project-management-software-questions-need-ask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/considering-project-management-software-questions-need-ask\/","title":{"rendered":"Considering project management software? 4 questions you need to ask"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tConsidering project management software? 4 questions you need to ask\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2017-08-09T11:37:08-04:00\">August 9, 2017<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Considering project management software? 4 questions you need to ask\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/considering-project-management-software-questions-need-ask\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/debcarpenterbeck\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/04\/CRE-Deb-Carpenter-Beck.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"CRE Deb Carpenter-Beck\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Deb Carpenter-Beck<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction project management isn\u2019t getting any easier. Projects are more complex, skilled labor is limited, and your customers are demanding more. Quality, schedules, and budgets are constantly on the minds of your project managers as they juggle seemingly endless tasks and details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these challenges, project management still remains a highly manual process for many construction companies. According to the 2016 Construction Technology Report, 21.6% of construction professionals use manual methods for managing projects, while 12.7% use only spreadsheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in automating your project management for the first time, or are thinking about changing your system, you have many options to consider. So, how do you know which project management technology will be best for your company? Here are four main questions to answer when evaluating project management solutions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-does-the-software-have-what-you-need\">Does the software have what you need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As with any technology purchase, the first thing you should do is determine what improvements you\u2019d like to see from your investment in project management software. Do you want to streamline approvals, get a handle on change orders, or make it easier for those in the field to access project-related information?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best project management is not just about solving problems; it\u2019s about preventing them. Consequently, look for software that, at a minimum, lets you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Easily access and drill into the most up-to-date job cost numbers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep track of details related to contracts, RFIs, submittals and other construction documents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Track change orders\u2014from initial request to final approval.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage subcontractor compliance, such as insurance expiration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alert you to issues you need to quickly address, such as costs exceeding a specified limit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-are-there-mobile-capabilities\">Are there mobile capabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to imagine a time when smartphones and tablets weren\u2019t commonplace on the job site. Make sure the software lets your superintendents and project managers use their mobile devices to file daily field reports, manage RFIs, and handle other tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-the-project-management-system-integrate-with-your-back-office-accounting\">Can the project management system integrate with your back-office accounting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a fair number of construction project management systems available today. The problem is that many of them won\u2019t tightly integrate with your accounting system. Look for project management systems that take the burden off your office staff as well as your field staff. For example, some systems can automatically transfer percentage complete numbers from a superintendent\u2019s mobile daily field report into your job cost accounting system. Tight integration means there\u2019s no exporting and importing of files from one system to the next\u2014and no delayed syncing of data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-the-software-rank-with-credible-third-party-sources\">How does the software rank with credible third-party sources?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, it\u2019s always smart to talk with other contractors about the project management systems they use. In addition, there are other reliable sources. Software Advice, for instance, plots various construction project management systems based on their value and capabilities. Software Advice\u2019s frontrunner <a href=\"http:\/\/www.softwareadvice.com\/construction\/project-management-software-comparison\/#top-products\">product chart<\/a> is a good way to understand which software systems are considered project management industry leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-summary\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-300-construction-and-real-estate\/\">Project management software<\/a> is one of the most requested construction software applications, according to Software Advice. By taking the time to determine the best system for your company, you should see the payback in terms of proactive project decision making and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate management software<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The market leader in end-to-end construction and property management software.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-300-construction-and-real-estate\/#gate-a31f3ed2-53bb-4dce-953c-6b6be1709e7f\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-4208\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Watch a demo<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1064\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/crane-above-city-1064x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"crane above city\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/crane-above-city-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction project management isn\u2019t getting any easier. Projects are more complex, skilled labor is limited, and your customers are demanding more. Quality, schedules, and budgets are constantly on the minds of your project managers as they juggle seemingly endless tasks and details. Despite these challenges, project management still remains a highly manual process for many [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":22373,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[192,381,173],"business_type":[],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[50],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[246],"coauthors":[522],"class_list":["post-2299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-construction","tag-project-management","tag-construction-risk-management","industry-construction-and-real-estate"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Deb Carpenter-Beck","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Sage_BrandShootNC_Feb2024_Construction_3081.jpg","imagine_tags":{"246":"Construction"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/22373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=2299"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}