Why the top 5 apps for builders? Well, mobile apps have changed the way we live forever. They might seem like they’ve always been in our lives. But would you believe that the beginning of the app economy is only a little over 10 years ago? Now there are over 2 million! We use apps to navigate the little problems on a daily basis from getting restaurant food delivered to your door to planning a route to a job site… and even meeting the potential love of your life. But apps haven’t just changed the way we live. They are also changing the way we do business.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes are finding ways to incorporate new apps into their operations to drive efficiency, reduce overheads and operate more safely. Of course, you don’t need to be tethered to a desk to enjoy the benefits of using apps. In fact, mobile apps have been a driving force in moving workers of all kinds away from their desks. Those of you who work in the construction industry and have your own building firms can also benefit when you find the right apps. Here we’ll look at the top 5 apps for builders which can help you various aspects of you operations…
Here they are, the top 5 apps for builders…
Time Tracking app – Powered Now
Do you ever feel like your project is a constant battle against the clock? Do completion dates start out seeming perfectly reasonable yet become more and more implausible the deeper into your project you get? Time management is a concern for all kinds of contractors. Fortunately, there are many construction apps that offer time tracking features.
Powered Now is a useful app that’s built around the specific needs of tradesmen. It has a robust suite of scheduling features to make time management easier and more efficient but the real draw here is the Live Team Tracking Function. This lets you know where your employees should be in line with your scheduled completion date and where they’re actually up to in real-time. This is great for busy site supervisors and bosses who struggle to keep track of their teams.
It also has a chat option that allows you to communicate with your team wherever they are and all of the important information you store in it is kept securely in the cloud. Powered Now is a good all-rounder, but particularly laudable for its time tracking functionalities. What’s more, with a subscription cost of just £31 a month for full teams and £12.99 a month for sole traders, it’s really cost effective too.
Calculations and Estimates app – Joist
Contractors need to be able to carry out comprehensive and reliable calculations for estimates all the time. This can be a time consuming and laborious process. Rushing it could lead to estimation and invoicing errors which can be embarrassing and profit-sapping. Fortunately, apps can help you out here too, making calculations and estimates faster, easier and more accurate.
Joist is an app designed to create quick and easy estimates which can easily be converted into invoices, drastically cutting down time spent on admin. Estimates and invoices are fully customisable and incorporate your logo, company info etc. You can even accept payments through the app.
The app also allows you to keep track of payments incoming and outstanding, set your tax rates and export everything to your accounting software. All for less than a hundred quid a year!
Health and Safety app – Ohutu
The health and safety of your team is of paramount importance to all building companies and professionals. Good old fashioned diligence will always be an important factor. Although Health and Safety apps are also invaluable in keeping your workforce safe and complying with the necessary regulations.
Ohutu is a health and safety app that is built specifically for site safety. Compliance can be a potential headache for builders but Ohutu makes it absolutely effortless. In fact, users can get CDM 2015 compliant in just 5 minutes. It automatically creates a customised Construction Phase Plan for you which forms the backbone of your Health & Safety file. Having trouble drafting your health and safety policy? This app can create one for you from scratch. It even has your back if the worst should happen. It gives you instant access to emergency information with a single tap. With a per-project cost of just £29 it’s a cost-effective way to protect your workforce and keep you compliant. It also offers a trial so you can give it a go for free on one project.
Project Management app – Buildertrend
While there are lots of apps that help you with individual aspects of your operations, all have at least some basic project management functionality. If you’re looking for a more generalised app that assists in all aspects of project management you need a good all-rounder with a robust suite of functions.
We like Buildertrend because it’s one of the most comprehensive apps on the market and offers full construction management capability in one suite. As well as assisting in all aspects of project management it has CRM functionality to help you to keep in touch with customers and meet their needs based on historical data. You even get your very own account manager for training and support. At £75 a month, it isn’t the cheapest project management app on the market but it’s quite possibly the most comprehensive.
Blueprints and Plans app – Plangrid
Finally, getting quick and easy access to blueprints, plans and reports is an integral part of efficient operations for many firms. Fortunately, apps have your back here too. And if you’re after the fastest blueprint viewer on Android, you need PlanGrid.
It allows for quick and easy viewing and sharing of blueprints, plans, photos and reports. It can be used either online or offline. Costing less than £30 a month it can lend speed and convenience to your operation at an eminently reasonable price.
With these top 5 apps for builders you can usher in a new era of increased efficiency and greater profitability. You can also leverage health and safety apps to make compliance a breeze!