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5 Methods to Optimize Your Construction Cost Report Processes

construction cost report

Streamlining your company’s construction cost report processes will save your team headaches, but building efficiency into every part of pre-construction will prepare your entire crew throughout all projects. More effective operations will ultimately improve your commercial construction firm’s bottom line.

Here are five methods of how to optimize your cost estimation processes so your commercial construction company is aligned toward better business.

1. Have Consistent Company Alignment

Construction leaders have learned that in order to grow their company, they need company-wide alignment when it comes to setting goals for team growth. But embracing change, especially when it comes to technology, is easier said than done.

“Encourage others in your organization to follow in your footsteps to create the kind of business culture that embraces change,” recommends Manish Dudharejia with Entrepreneur. Here are a few tips for how to encourage your team:

  • Set goals for communication and professional development with the entire crew so they’re engaged with those goals and eager for the chance to develop new skill sets.
  • Give them ways to use technology on the job, with systems that support more efficient pre-construction and project management processes.
  • Make technology accessible to everyone. “This can be done in several ways, such as offering opportunities to participate in continued education courses on digital practices, or allowing employees to attend relevant conventions on the subject,” says Dudharejia.

2. Support Client Relationships with a CRM

Help your team manage relationships with customers more effectively with a customer management (CRM) system. A CRM keeps your clients’ information and project data in one place so you can serve customers more effectively. “Digital adoption can help companies go even deeper into their customer profiles to create smarter strategies that boost revenue,” explains Dudharejia.

When your pre-construction team understands how to work with a CRM, it can help make the estimation and bidding process smoother for your business and your clients. Remember, “[a] ‘customer first’ approach is what sets the great businesses apart from the good ones,” according to Dudharejia.

3. Do Data Integration

Construction leaders should also ensure that essential data is integrated with any other business tools they use in the pre-construction phase of a project. Construction estimation software like ProEst works with other management systems like Procore, Intuit, and ComputerEase, which makes implementing new technology easier on everyone.

Working with a technology partner like ProEst can help support construction company owners who need solutions for accuracy and efficiency in today’s rapidly changing economy and construction industry.

4. Take Your Takeoffs Seriously

Your material takeoff is an integral part of the construction project. “The foundation for a successful estimate relies upon reliable identification (takeoff) of the quantities of the various materials involved in the project,” according to the Whole Building Design Guide.

When your pre-construction team has a tool that allows for digital takeoffs, that helps reduce time in the process and prevent cost errors and other mistakes. “Computers have played an increasingly larger role in cost estimation for complex calculations as the design and construction industry has become more computerized,” states WBDG.

5. Invest in Cost-Estimating Software

“There is a wide range of building sizes, types, and potential uses,” according to CRXE Commercial Real Estate. “Faced with such variety, commercial building owners must understand the costs surrounding commercial office space improvements.”

Construction managers and leaders can reduce the risk of error by eliminating the use of any paper methods or multiple databases in operations. Using the right software helps estimators prevent costly mistakes and makes construction cost reports more accurate. Tools like ProEst include access to the RSMeans database, so estimators never have to guess when it comes to cost.

Staying Ahead in Construction

Construction company owners can manage a better business when they invest in software like ProEst. Staying accountable with technology can ensure that your company stays ahead of certain concerns in today’s construction industry, like fraud or “illegal activity directed toward construction workers,” according to Construction Dive. Removing manual processes and keeping teams on track with technology keeps your processes transparent.

ProEst provides your construction firm with tools for alignment and team visibility to help you avoid costly mistakes and optimize your construction cost report processes. We have:

  • A user-friendly interface to make tech adoption easier on your team
  • One database for all estimate data
  • At-a-glance summaries and access to RSMeans for better budgeting
  • Estimating and takeoffs in one platform

Tour our suite of cost estimation tools today! Are you not sure what solutions your commercial construction firm needs? Take a look at how these other businesses used ProEst to streamline pre-construction and build a foundation for company growth.

ProEst is a cloud-based pre-construction estimating platform that helps you create accurate estimates and digital takeoffs directly from blueprints quickly, allowing you to determine the most favorable rates for your company within the estimation process. There’s no guesswork involved. ProEst makes quality project estimation assurance in commercial construction companies effortless. You won’t have to engage your entire team to be sure your numbers are accurate.

To learn more about how your commercial construction company can increase its profits through company-wide alignment that drastically improves business performance, reach out today and schedule a 1-on-1 walkthrough with one of our specialists!