{"id":2843,"date":"2017-10-23T10:19:30","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T14:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=2843"},"modified":"2026-02-12T05:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:35:35","slug":"technology-checkup-just-doctor-ordered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/technology-checkup-just-doctor-ordered\/","title":{"rendered":"A technology checkup: Just what the doctor ordered"},"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\tA technology checkup: Just what the doctor ordered\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=\"2017-10-23T10:19:30-04:00\">October 23, 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=\"A technology checkup: Just what the doctor ordered\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/technology-checkup-just-doctor-ordered\/\"\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>The health of your construction company depends on keeping your finger on the pulse of your business. And just like with people, warning signs can tell you when and what you need to change to keep your business in tip-top shape. So, when it comes to making sure you have the right technology in place, an annual \u201ccheckup\u201d seems like a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where do you start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-watch-for-symptoms\"><strong>Watch for symptoms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, I\u2019ve worked with a lot of construction companies, all in different stages of maturity. It seems that the same symptoms often signal a need to take technology to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Blurred view into job cost numbers<\/strong>. This is a common ailment as construction companies grow and can no longer manually keep track of critical project details such as current job cost. If you don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve made or lost money until after project closeout, consider changing to software that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-construction\/job-costing\/\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">automatically tracks jobs costs<\/a> as part of your accounting process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low productivity<\/strong>. Is your team bogged down with time wasters that keep them from more productive work? A process walk-through can help you spot inefficiencies that may have become your company norm. Some common time wasters include taking off dimensions and quantities from paper plans, tracking subcontractor insurance and lien waivers by hand, and handling government reporting and union requirements manually. All of these can be automated with the latest software tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Finger stress from too much data reentry.<\/strong> Not only does redundant data entry increase your team\u2019s workload, it is a leading cause of errors. Identify weak areas in your process where the same information has to be entered more than once? Integrating your software systems is the remedy here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of mobility<\/strong>. Your team is on the move\u2014whether workers are walking the job site, driving to service calls, or boarding a plane for an out-of-town conference. If they can\u2019t get or submit information wherever they\u2019re at, your company could be at a disadvantage. Mobile devices and software apps can provide that flexibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paperitis<\/strong>. Okay, that\u2019s not a real word, but you get my meaning. Tons of paper plague construction firms every day\u2014from contracts, to invoices, to work orders, and more. You can rid yourself of paper\u2014and improve efficiency\u2014with the today\u2019s document management systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-evaluate-it-vital-signs\"><strong>Evaluate IT vital signs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/business-type\/construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">audit of your IT system<\/a> should also be a part of your annual checkup. \u201cA review makes sure your IT applications and infrastructure continually support your business goals and allow your team to be as efficient as possible,\u201d said Steve Handly, of Aktion Associates, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/business-type\/construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">previous Sage Advice blog post<\/a>. Not only can an audit make sure you have a more cohesive IT system, it can also uncover software capabilities you may not know that you have. \u201cMany times, companies install software upgrades without realizing the enhancements that are included,\u201d Handly explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-make-changes\"><strong>Make changes <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your IT checkup should reveal a number of improvements. Set priorities based on which changes will provide the biggest benefit to your business. And don\u2019t feel that you have to implement all the changes at once. As in life, sometimes the best way to achieve your goals is to improve things a step at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\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>The health of your construction company depends on keeping your finger on the pulse of your business. And just like with people, warning signs can tell you when and what you need to change to keep your business in tip-top shape. So, when it comes to making sure you have the right technology in place, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":2845,"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":[192,179,184],"business_type":[],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[50],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[246],"coauthors":[522],"class_list":["post-2843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-construction","tag-construction-reporting","tag-construction-it","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\/2017\/10\/iStock-501818498.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\/2843","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=2843"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35393,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2843\/revisions\/35393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/2845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=2843"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}