Our industry is hyper focused on tools and technology. We’re searching for the perfect tool, blaming our existing systems for inefficiencies in our operations.
- In Procore, if we could delete items at the project level from corporate inspection templates, our checklists would be easier to manage.
- If Newforma only had a better user interface, we would save time during construction administration.
- If we had xyz software, we could fix our collaboration problems.
This is not to say I’m not an advocate for technology or for better tools. (I can tag an RFI on a drawing in seconds, compared to what we used to do with hard copy sets in the trailer). My point is we can’t wait for “the perfect tool” or software to improve our organizations or solve all our problems. Instead, we should be rethinking our processes and philosophies. Processes can be continuously improved where software is rigid. Philosophies can adapt where tools are more static. Once our processes are scalable and effective, then we can use tools and technology to take our organizations one step further. For example, a software’s checklist functionality is not the reason our checklists are ineffective. The problem instead is the core checklist philosophy: Why do we use checklists? No technology has the perfect integration between meetings, attachments, and RFIs. The documentation is instead the result of a cumbersome process.
There is never going to be a perfect app or software leading to higher productivity in design and construction. We need to simplify our processes and enhance our philosophies first.
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