Architecture has embraced technological advancement and has emerged as a field itself. Within architecture, digital tools – from machine learning to fabrication technologies – are becoming more and more ubiquitous and pervasive.
Hence, it is important to know how architecture conforms to the digitalization of the world we live in today. Before we head over to the top project management tools used in architecture, it’s important to go over the features that the tools have to offer.
We have compiled a list of six popular project management tools designed for architects. So, let’s find out more about these programs and learn about their features.
What are must-have features of architecture project management software?
Almost every project management tool you’ll find here can be customized in a way that suits your needs. Some of the most common features every tool should have are:
- Project Planning: Project management tools allow you to plan and delegate work all in one place with tasks, subtasks, folders, templates, workflows, and calendars. It uses the likes of Gantt charts which is a great way to schedule your tasks and record your progress.
- Estimation and budgeting: Using models, templates and calculators, budgeting tools and techniques to create financial data that ensure a project is funded adequately and can be completed within the allotted budget.
- Collaboration: these tools eliminate the need of going over your emails and responding to every client one by one. We’re way past that. With PM tools here, you can assign tasks, organize your dashboards and add comments for employees to go over.
- Activity logging: Activity log helps to track the daily activities of a project. It helps you to communicate the status of all tasks to your manager or client. Timesheet is a feature offered by the tools which give you the opportunity to record the amount of a worker’s time spent on each job which proves to be an effective way to distribute work among your employees.
- Resource management: These applications help manage your various resources effectively. Those resources can be intangible – people and time – and tangible – equipment, materials, and finances.
- Reporting and progress monitoring: You will have the progress report of the entire project task by task in your dashboard. This way, you can progress according to your given schedule and keep yourself on track.
6 Popular Architecture Project Management Tools
These are salient features offered by a project management software when it comes to architecture here are the top picks of project management software which are widely used in architecture offices and the construction industry in general:
Monograph
Monograph is project management and time tracking software for small architecture firms and serves as a project management solution for architects and engineers. It is a startup working on cloud-based software that makes project and cost management easier for architects.
Monograph highlights intuitive Gantt outlines, dashboards, and reports that permit building and design firms to deal with their activities and representatives through each progression of the task. Because this solution is made by architects for architects, it’s a very straightforward application that is easy-to-navigate and very user-friendly.
In the past, there has been an uproar that most applications built for architects has lacked the professionalism and design that a modern firm requires. Monograph is the brainchild of 3 architects and it does pay heed to the underlined issues and is looking to expand its sphere in the architecture world.
Synergy
Synergy is another great project management software and cloud business. It is designed specifically for the project management needs of architectural, engineering, and construction design people, projects, and businesses. It tends to build projects around a central point of project information.
Tasks and time periods are set and assets are allocated using a work breakdown structure. Reports are put away in focal organizers. Contacts are connected to the task. Synergy’s project planning board is a sophisticated one. It forecasts revenue and plans resources with a drag and drop functionality that makes it quicker, easier, and more accurate for architects and engineers to plan project delivery.
Its work breakdown is web-enabled devices such as desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphones etc. meaning projects or project tasks can be accessed whenever, wherever.
BQE Core
CORE includes many features specifically designed to solve everyday problems for architects and engineers. It is a comprehensive software that offers instruments for always keeping in touch with business operations, automating steps in the workflow, and for taking work to any place.
With BQE Core, firms have the means to effortlessly keep track of people, monitor projects at all times, and to have tighter control over their budgets. The solution also aids them by pinpointing which projects are profitable or not, so decision-makers are always equipped with information for quick, decisive, and intelligent action.
Furthermore, BQE Core can be counted upon to provide stellar service from the implementation and training to continuous, friendly customer support. The support team is prompt in their responses and does its best to speedily resolve issues.
Rapport3
Rapport3 has been specifically configured to work efficiently alongside architecture firms and practices. It is another great architecture project management software for engineering & construction firms all of the sizes. With features ranging from leave booking and budget planning to timesheet and expense management, it is certainly one of the best PM tools available.
Rapport3 provides a comprehensive and powerful set of modular project management tools to help you plan and manage your projects, your team, and your business development activity. It is a growing cloud-based software, it is designed to support firms with navigating, designing and allocating its resources.
Its features include project planning, resource management, time & expense tracking, traditional methodologies, agile methodologies, Gantt charts, idea management, cost-to-completion tracking, customizable templates, client portal, and collaboration tools.
Deltek Ajera
Ajera is another top PM software for architects like you. It can help you increase project profitability, improve utilization rates and streamline back-office accounting processes. Perfect for developing design and building firms hoping to smooth out back-office forms, oversee ventures easily and get to constant revealing.
Deltek Ajera assists firms with expanding venture gainfulness, improve use rates and improve permeability across ventures. The software eliminates the need for multiple reports and data mining with a role-based project management dashboard.
Moreover, Ajera’s dashboards can be utilized anytime and anywhere from any web browser or mobile device. Create invoices tailored to your customers’ needs in a proficient, paperless billing process, it also improves your accounting errands with simple to accounting devices custom-fitted explicitly to architecture firms.
Newforma
The Newforma software allows architects to be more productive now that the data they deal with all day is organized in one single platform. It manages tasks from the start point to the date of the project delivery. The Newforma Project Center coordinates data wherever you need it; on your services, on the cloud, or mobile devices.
Other software products force you to give up familiar applications and ingest all your existing data into their solution. In contrast, Newforma Project Center integrates with your existing infrastructure and with applications, such as your network file system, email tool and document management systems. More importantly, this is the only tool that organizes all your disparate project data, providing a single view of all your project information.
The tool will allow you to focus more on the actual project rather than wasting time and energy on simple administrative tasks. With a focused mind, you’ll be able to deliver the project timely and exceed your client’s expectations.
Summary
Now, after going through all six applications, it’s important to know that no software is the best solution. Instead, the objective of all applications is to bring digitalization into the architecture field. The software programs are used as a tool to discipline all resource involved in the project to achieve the goals of the project. The tools have been developed according to the need of the industry and carry the necessary features that are to be used in a project. It’s certainly up to you to decide which tool suits your needs best. With every tool providing you with certain unique features, we understand picking just one can be a hard task.
It is worth mentioning that even though all tools in this post are cost-effective, they do have the tendency to lean towards premium payout’. This is where you’ll gain access to certain premium features only if you decide to pay a specific amount. In the bigger picture, the introduction of project management applications in the architecture field has proven to be revolutionary. It has steered architectures away from the traditional pen and paper and has opened a new world of digitized workplace, giving you the accessibility to anything work-related in the palm of your hand.
So, check out the tools discussed in this post and see if they suit your project management requirements. In fact, it is highly recommended to give one of these a try if you want to be productive as an architect and grow a team of professionals. These tools are meant to help you take your business to the next level, serve to save a lot of time, and boost efficiency. All the best!
Read also: Evaluation criteria for project management software