Today’s contracting environment is characterized by tools that enable productivity. This includes technology solutions (such as project management software) that enable building operators and contractors to monitor and measure project completion.


A mobile workforce with cloud-­connected smartphones and tablets makes the equation more challenging. Contractors on a job site can remotely access extensive databases to obtain parts information, drawings, specifications and design data. In addition, managers can assimilate large amounts of data to keep projects on track and profitable.


People, process and technology


In selecting and using project management software, best practices should be implemented to gain the most utility from the investment. 


“Selecting any project management solution can be hard,” said Garrett Harley, director, engineering and construction strategy for Oracle Corp., Redwood Shores, Calif. “While capabilities certainly matter, the ability to thoroughly understand the business needs, map those needs to objectives and ultimately implement and support an organization that is looking to transform requires a focus on partnership and experience brought to bear.”


Harley said people, process and technology are the foundational tenets of choosing the best project management solutions. All three elements must be approached together, and the combination brings the greatest value and benefits to an organization because tools alone aren’t enough. 


For electrical contractors (ECs), keeping an eye on those tenets means staying abreast of technology developments. Falling behind on such trends could mean missing out on technology solutions that help create efficient timelines, which make companies more profitable. Following the trends informs ECs about the types of available project management. If you don’t know this, your competition likely does. 


“There is a confluence of several technologies and capability trends that—irrespective of where in the globe the work is—are paramount to project delivery,” Harley said. “Certainly, the continued proliferation of mobile and social platforms is a steadily advancing requirement for today’s field technician. Visualization, augmented reality, location awareness, sensor technology and the Internet of Things are also impacting all aspects of a project’s delivery cycle.”


Cloud computing is a game-changer for managing projects with technology solutions.


“The cloud is continuing to be favored as a delivery model versus traditional on-premises technology deployments,” Harley said. “A focus on data should be a key initiative within the supply chain, and the cloud offers a consolidation framework more accessible to multiple parties than traditional methods, not just around operational efficiency but with lower risk and greater financial returns.”


Changing dynamics


The cloud is changing the dynamics of teams disperesed on job sites—often with mobile technology. With software operating and data existing in the cloud, they are available anywhere there is an internet connection. A smartphone or device can be a valuable tool in managing a project. 


Aviram Hinenzon, senior vice president of Verisae, a Minneapolis-based firm that specializes in mobile technology for industries such as utilities, manufacturing and service management, said that several trends influence today’s ­workforce—particularly a mobile workforce management system that uses cloud computing to accomplish 
project goals.


“First, the cloud drove prices of systems that, in the past, were considered to be available only for very big workforces such as utility and telecommunications companies,” Hinenzon said. “The pressures on prices brought capabilities into the hands of electrical contractors of any size. Second, the move to the cloud is driving the cycle of innovation, making the cycle much quicker. In the past, people used to install and customize the system to their needs, losing the capability to upgrade on a continuous basis.”


From the back-office perspective, a steady stream of information from the field enables the service operation to make decisions in real time. Having a centralized view of technician locations, activity and performance provides opportunities to better manage the service organization as a whole.


Project management is an important component to staying competitive and developing a cost-effective track record while ensuring quality. Be aware of the latest technology, and maintain a competitive edge in project management by embracing solutions from home base, mobile devices and in the cloud.