Profile of Effective Construction Software

The current construction management platforms feel like traveling backward in time while other industries are using software that is not only effective to use but provides a beautifully crafted user experience.

In a previous article, “The State of Construction Software” I shared my disappointing experience with the construction industry’s software platforms. I concede it is easy to point out problems, what really matters is what is an achievable solution to the problem(s).

This is exactly what I have been working on the last 6 months, developing an achievable construction software solution that can add value to the construction industry. I started by establishing the platform’s core principles. These core principles would be the foundation I would build upon, and ultimately be infused into every aspect of the platform.

These core principles of Effective Construction Software:

1. Universal Specialization. The platform needs to have a direct impact on all parties of construction and at all phases, not be isolated to a single construction related discipline, yet be very specialized at what the platform offered. Quite a challenge!
2. Intuitive.The platform must operate on a concept that comes naturally to the user. Something every user can relate to or understand quickly, in order to minimize the learning curve pain and decrease the intimidation factor for non-tech-savvy users.
   

   It is important to provide the users of your platform the most positive experience with your technology. Value is not only added to the user through functionality. Powerful value is added when the user can be invigorated and inspired by the experience the platform provides.

3. Beautiful. The platform has to have a design that is pleasing to the eye and have the essence of human touch where appropriate. The countless hours users would be spending on the platform mandates it. Everyone appreciates a pleasant view.
4. Flexible. The platform needs to be able to adjust to the ever changing needs of the user(s). Something the user(s) could mold to changing needs and requirements, basically be a lego-like-platform that can be manipulated and adjusted.
5. Mobile. The platform needs to be mobile i.e. web browser accessible and mobile phone/tablet via a mobile application.
6. Affordable. This platform needs to be reasonably affordable for every company size and at every level of sophistication. The goal is to make it available for the same cost as a smartphone mobile plan.

Universal Specialization and an Intuitive approach were the most challenging aspects of the core principles. The other 3 principles could be achieved easily if the first two principles we carefully crafted.

I have been a huge fan of W. Edwards Deming when I first saw his 14 points of Quality in my Construction Quality course at BYU. I felt that there had to be something in what he worked his whole life on that could help me with my quest.

Eventually, I came across Kanban. Kanban was not directly created by Deming. However, Japan heavily adopted and implemented Deming’s principles of management and quality. Almost all of Japan’s major corporations adopted Deming’s principles including Toyota. Taiichi Ohno a Toyota engineer created Kanban, the card signaling system that helped simplify communication and execution of production in Toyota plants. (Kanban opens a whole new world on how Lean Construction can truly be achieved, a topic that deserves separate articles focusing on it entirely.)

http://gph.is/2cYSlAh

“The video above of a to-do-list is a simple example of how the Kanban concept works and how it is easily related to a whiteboard, with columns, and sticky notes”

I then saw that there were several software platforms that utilized the Kanban concept for team collaboration. The most notable being Trello. However, these platforms were primarily built for teams in the technology development sector i.e. software developers, designers, media etc. and excluded many features that would be valuable to teams working on creating physical products such as construction.

I managed a small construction project on Trello but still had issues with organizing the project effectively to fit the different aspects of construction especially for things such as logging RFI’s, Submittals, MSDS in a way that could be navigated easily.

“The Kanban concept can be explained simply through the analogy to a whiteboard with various columns and sticky notes within the columns. Everyone has experienced at one point or another a whiteboard (or blackboard) in fact, many businesses have this as a staple of how to organize their business efforts.”

What I took out of the Kanban based approach is that the platform would specialize in collaboration with the entire construction team and the various teams within the construction team (Architects, Engineers, Estimators, Accounting, Project Management, Sub Contractors etc).

I also found an overlying intuitive approach that every user could easily comprehend. The Kanban concept can be explained simply through the analogy to a whiteboard with various columns and sticky notes within the columns. Everyone has experienced at one point or another a whiteboard (or blackboard) in fact, many businesses have this as a staple of how to organize their business efforts.

I the Kanban whiteboard example, the columns run from left to right showing the various processes that a work activity is “pulled” through until it is complete. The sticky notes are the work activities that are moved from left to right showing what stage the work activity is currently located. On the sticky notes, you can write the name of the activity, due dates, names of team members overseeing the work etc. Our platform would adopt this same concept but in a digital format. The remaining core platform principles of beauty, flexibility, mobility, and affordability would be achieved by focusing on implementing the Kanban philosophy and ensuring these core principles are zeroed in, every step of the way.

Now with a clear vision of what, why, and how I was going to create this platform I began the process of building our web application and then mobile applications.

Effective Construction Software