How can construction software be used profitably?

CAD software, drones, measurement apps and laser scans are the measure of all things in the “digital construction site” sector. The entire industry is talking about Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things and digitalization. The number of innovative construction software for a wide range of applications has also continued to rise in recent years. However, the various technologies are anything but mere gimmicks - many construction companies have recognized the benefits of construction software or construction site apps and used them profitably for themselves.

The “Digitalization Barometer” study, a research concept of the recommendation and evaluation platform “Wirsindhandwerk.de” in collaboration with Lab4Innovations and with the support of the Baden-Württembergischer Handwerkstag (BWHT), the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing as well as Deutsche Bank and Signal Iduna, proves this thesis. The use and mastery of various digital tools with the centralization of data in a construction software or construction site app is a clear quality criterion and determines the long-term success of the company. But in order to manage the various systems centrally, data integration must be seamless. Why is data integration on the digital construction site such a key factor?

Data dominates innovation - and must be controlled

The larger the construction project, the more players, planning processes and potential sources of error there are. Behind all of this is a vast amount of data that needs to be managed efficiently. Merging and evaluating this data in a central location (e.g. a construction software or construction site app) is called data integration. Specifically, this involves recording and cleansing information, which is then transformed and interpreted in a standardized way. This enables data-based decisions to be made that have a profitable impact and strengthen the company’s position on the market. Data integration is necessary because construction companies use a variety of solutions - be it machine-specific software, their own construction site documentation and project overview via Excel, scheduling via Outlook or communication via WhatsApp.

Solid data integration with construction software brings numerous benefits in practice:

• Data integration saves time — Easy access to all the necessary data simply saves a lot of time. Analyses and evaluations of the available information can also be automated, which puts the focus on interpretation and decision-making.
• Errors are avoided on a large scale — Without centralized data enrichment, so-called data silos can arise in large projects, as data is lost between different systems and tools. This often leads to project failure and financial loss. Standardized data structures ensure a smooth exchange of information and ensure that all information ends up where it should be.
• Collected data can be better evaluated and used — A continuously growing, high-quality amount of data in a centralized system leads to a better and more meaningful evaluation. Quality problems are identified more easily and quickly. The more detailed and up-to-date the data evaluation is, the more everyone involved in the project benefits, no matter what phase the project is in.
• Collaboration is improved — Project participants from different departments, planning and construction phases need quick access to data. Good data integration within construction software enables the entire team to access data easily.

Anyone who ensures holistic control and utilization of data and integrates it seamlessly into their company environment with construction software or a construction site app will save time and money. And that’s not all: automated processes are completed faster, which frees up more time for important administrative tasks and new orders. It also benefits the company’s image - with a well-functioning digitalization strategy, you position yourself as a role model in the industry and thereby carve your good image in stone.

How can holistic data integration be implemented?

The digital environment is large and initially unmanageable. There are too many providers, too many concepts and too many opinions. So where to start? It sounds simple, because it can be reduced to three words: Standardize and simplify. Instead of using just as many different tools for many areas of application and running the risk of suddenly having to manage a large number of individual data integrations, it makes sense to rely on a central platform to unite all system and device-specific programs.

Cloud-based construction software or construction site apps, for example, offer the major advantage over traditional stand-alone solutions of flexible usability with consistently secure and comprehensive data storage. Usable on any operating system and on any device as a web application or app, everyone involved in the project has equal access to the latest project information. This means that cumbersome paperwork is not only virtually eliminated, but time and resources are used much more efficiently. Manageable billing models, a wide range of individual extensions and a comparatively simple introduction to the construction software thus allow ideal data integration in the construction company.

With a central construction software or construction site app such as KENEXOS®, which records, interprets and stores all data in one place and makes it available for further use, you can cover a wide range of intelligent functions within your digitalization strategy with just one tool. The standardized interface management allows the connection of external software, the internal data and document management offers automatable processes and the data can also be evaluated within an ecosystem - quickly and reliably. But your team also benefits from this. This is because communication with all stakeholders, whether they are team members, trades, partner companies, subcontractors or other key persons, is designed smoothly with the construction software and takes place consistently without media disruptions.

Take advantage of the many benefits of holistic data integration using construction software or a construction site app and successfully build on digitalization. We would be happy to advise you free of charge and without obligation and show you the architecture and features of KENEXOS® in practice in a joint webinar.

About KENEXOS®

With Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH (KBS for short), Kreutzpointner is setting a significant milestone in the technical development of the entire group of companies. Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH focuses on the special requirements and digital needs of industrial customers with an independent business model. The operational launch took place in October 2020.

With KENEXOS®, KBS offers corporate customers an individually expandable application platform with its own software products and focuses on the implementation of industrial applications. KENEXOS® offers modern web technology for access via a wide range of end devices and enables integration with existing systems via an API interface. The standard modules include, for example, construction site documentation, task and ticket recording, plant management and maintenance and many more. The application platform is available for in-house installation (on-premise) or as a cloud solution (SaaS).

The ideas and the technical basis for Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH have been successfully developed in recent years as part of the company-wide “Research & Development” process. In addition to the IT systems division, the new digital unit ideally rounds off Kreutzpointner’s large portfolio.