5 Tips for efficient project management using tools

Martijn Jongen

Reading time: 3 minutes

As a project manager in construction, you are probably familiar with these tools: Oracle, SAP or CODA for processing invoices, TIM for booking hours, MS Project or Primavera for planning. Relatics to manage the risks and of course good old Excel to close the gaps. Recognizable?

There is a tool available for every process and every project component and meanwhile there is less and less time left to do the real work. In this article we explain 5 ways to help you save time for the real work by using tools in the right way.

1. Use the tool for what it was created for

Many tools add new features that turn out to be much less effective than what the tool was once developed for. It is tempting to use the tool for other purposes because the option is there.

But often this leads to double entry of information without much added value. This costs a lot of extra time, so always use a tool for what it was created for!

2. Ensure knowledge of the tool

Organizations change, people change, tools and functionalities change. Change is a constant in the world, especially in project environments. Therefore, it is essential that these changes go hand in hand to stay productive.

Make sure there are people within the organization who have the right competencies to work optimally with the tools. Keep an open mind and keep learning. Because when people are trained, they have the latest knowledge in the field and you get the most out of tools.

3. Integrate with other tools

As we said, duplicate entry of information is such a waste of time! Therefore, it is worthwhile to see if tools can work together with other tools.

Automatically transferring data between tools not only saves time, it also leads to fewer errors. It also makes reporting a lot easier.

4. Evaluate annually whether tools are still working for you

If you are using new tool, it is wise to take the time to implement the tool and optimize its operation within your organization.

At the same time, it is essential to regularly evaluate the all tools in use within the organization. What is going well, what steering information are you still missing? Can you solve this with the current tools? And maybe there are tools you are using now that no longer have any added value?

5. Keep it simple

The possibilities for entering data into tools in your organization are often endless. Available time, however, is not. Think carefully in advance about what you want to achieve by using a particular tool. What management information do you really need?

Work from coarse to fine and do not immediately start entering all available data. For a one-time action this is often manageable, but often processes repeat themselves periodically (monthly, weekly, daily). Then the time you spend entering data quickly increases. So: keep it simple!

Prefer to manage projects more effectively and efficiently?

Want to save time so you have more time for managing the project team and suppliers, reviewing documents and work and managing stakeholders?

Simjo helps you get basic reporting in order quickly and use your time more efficiently and effectively for the construction project. How? We integrate data from tools from Oracle, SAP, CODA, TIM, MS Project, Primavera and Relatics and structure project information automatically. This saves you time and makes project management very easy. With one click you generate your periodic progress reports and save yourself a lot of frustration!

Would you also like to discover how Simjo supports your construction project?

Sign up here as a beta tester. We will keep you informed about the development of Simjo and you will be one of the first to use new functionalities.

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