Scheduling Archives | Buildxact AU https://www.buildxact.com/au/tag/scheduling/ Estimating & Job Management Software Wed, 18 Jun 2025 16:39:49 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.buildxact.com/au/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/01/fav.png Scheduling Archives | Buildxact AU https://www.buildxact.com/au/tag/scheduling/ 32 32 How to Boost Site Communication https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/site-communication/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/site-communication/#respond Thu, 05 Jun 2025 18:40:25 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/us/?p=28658 For builders and contractors, maintaining alignment between the home office and the job site is essential. Learn to make your site efficient and effective.

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In construction, the tools rarely trip you up; it’s the breakdowns in communication that do, and it has a trickle-down effect. 

You know how it goes: 

The framing crew thought the site was ready, but the drywall was delayed because a purchase order had not been fulfilled. The electrician arrived, yet the inspection hadn’t been cleared. 

These small disconnects can accumulate into one big, rolling frustration, delaying projects and undermining your profits, relationships and reputation.

For builders, renovators and contractors in today’s environment, maintaining alignment between the home office and the job site is no longer optional—it’s essential. Alignment doesn’t have to be complicated, but it must be efficient and effective.

The Cost of Miscommunication

Poor communication on a job site isn’t always easily spotted, and it can cost you. According to industry research conducted by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), rework accounts for approximately 28% of total job costs, primarily due to miscommunication and inadequate project data. That’s time, labour and materials lost—not to mention your team’s morale.

For small construction businesses where teams are already stretched thin and multitasking is the norm, keeping track of schedule changes, job assignments, and material delivery windows can feel overwhelming. A missed message can mean a wasted trip. A forgotten update can cause the entire schedule to slide.

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Clarity Is What the Site Team Needs

Your project timeline might be on a whiteboard in the office, but your crew is staring at a slab of concrete 15 miles away. Without clear access to the latest plans, documents and instructions, they are left to guess or constantly call the office for updates, meaning the clock is ticking, and not in your favor.

Enter field-to-office communication, such as the Buildxact Onsite app, which makes a connection that is easier, quicker, and more efficient than ever, providing a significant competitive advantage. With Buildxact’s Onsite mobile app, all job-related documents are stored in a centralised, cloud-based system, allowing crews to access updated drawings, change orders, scope notes, and photos directly from their phones.

Scheduling Without the Guesswork

A construction schedule isn’t static—it shifts constantly. However, unless your team has real-time access to these changes, the calendar becomes a liability instead of an asset. Buildxact’s job site scheduling features ensure that field crews and office staff remain aligned, even as things change rapidly.

Enjoy seamless communication from the job site to your home office—adjust timelines, update task deadlines, and modify delivery windows directly from the desktop, with those updates flowing straight to the Onsite app. 

Your field team can view relevant jobs and always stay informed, ensuring jobs run smoothly. Real-time project updates are crucial, especially when juggling multiple projects. It reduces your call volume, minimises confusion, and helps you maintain a tighter, more efficient schedule.

A conceptual image showing how a site crew uses Buildxact and Buildxact Onsite to communicate about a project schedule
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Task Assignment that Works

Assigning a task is easy. Ensuring the task is completed on time and to specification is the challenge.

Buildxact’s Onsite app gives you visibility into daily activities, crew responsibilities, and outstanding tasks. You can check off completed items, add notes, or flag issues without needing to return to the office. It’s a straightforward way to ensure site coordination happens naturally without overloading your team with another admin process.

And because task data feeds directly into your project management dashboard, you get a clear picture of what’s done, what’s next, and where potential bottlenecks are forming.

Why Mobile Tools Matter More Than Ever

As a builder, you’re not just sitting behind a desk—you’re moving between job sites, supplier yards and client meetings. That’s why having a mobile construction app that aligns with your workflow is so important.

The Buildxact Onsite app is designed to meet the needs of small builders and contractors. It is intuitive and easy to use—even for field crews who aren’t “tech people.” Whether you’re taking a photo of a framing issue, checking tomorrow’s delivery schedule, or reviewing an assigned task list, the app puts the power of construction project management software in your pocket.

Communication Drives Productivity

Good communication isn’t just about staying in touch—it’s about staying on schedule, on budget, and in control of every project you run. Whether you’re managing three sites or 30, the right tools can turn chaos into coordination.

Buildxact Onsite mobile app is more than a communication tool—it’s a complete site coordination solution that syncs your office and field teams. With easy access to schedules, documents, and real-time updates, you can eliminate guesswork, boost efficiency, and keep your builds moving forward.

Ready to tighten up your job site communication? 

Learn how Buildxact and the Buildxact Onsite app can help you take control, right from your phone.

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/site-communication/feed/ 0 Seamless Project Management with Buildxact Scheduling! https://www.buildxact.com/au/feature-videos/manage-your-jobs-seamlessly/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/feature-videos/manage-your-jobs-seamlessly/#respond Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:45:13 +0000 https://bxglobal.wpengine.com/au/?p=8603 Using Buildxact's scheduling features, you'll be apply to manage jobs effectively and seamlessly all in one platform.

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Managing multiple projects as a residential builder can be challenging, but with Buildxact, you can streamline your scheduling effortlessly. Buildxact’s powerful scheduling features allow you to oversee every aspect of your job with ease, empowering you to lead your team and subcontractors with confidence. Create your schedule directly from your estimate or use a template to ensure nothing is overlooked and eliminate double-handling. Adapt your schedule as the project progresses and access it from anywhere with Buildxact’s cloud-based software. Experience seamless project management with Buildxact!

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/feature-videos/manage-your-jobs-seamlessly/feed/ 0 An intro to construction reporting for home builders  https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/construction-reporting/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/construction-reporting/#respond Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:30:50 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=21918 Explore how software speeds construction reporting making it more accurate.

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Enhancing efficiency at the construction site

Construction reporting is more than an administrative task; it connects the field and the office, offering detailed accounts of project progress, challenges and achievements. For home builders, reliable and detailed reports ensure that work is done accurately and efficiently.  

Let’s explore how using software speeds reporting while making it more accurate, which ultimately leads to more successful projects. 

What is construction reporting? 

Construction reporting documents and communicates all aspects of a construction project to project stakeholders. This includes collecting, analyzing and presenting data related to project progress, costs, resources, safety and other key performance indicators.  

Consistent tracking of these elements leads to improved efficiency and safety in future projects. 

Importance of accurate reporting in construction 

Home construction projects are complex sets of tasks requiring coordination. Providing real-time insights empowers informed decision-making on the sequencing of work, mitigates risks and facilitates financial control. Construction reports also foster better collaboration among team members, ensure compliance with safety regulations, drive effective communication and ultimately lead to more consistent results from project-to-project. 

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Construction reporting in action

Construction reports offer essential insights into a project’s progress, challenges and why they are successful. They come in various formats, each with its unique purpose and focus. 

Let’s explore some common types of construction reports and their contributions to a project’s overall success. 

Site diaries 

Daily construction reports measure the pulse of a construction project, providing a snapshot of each day’s activities, including weather conditions, labor, equipment, materials, task progress, site safety and visitor logs. 

Work-In-Progress reports (WIP) 

Work-in-progress (WIP) construction reports offer a critical overview of a construction project’s status, highlighting the percentage of work completed for each task or phase. 

Incident reports 

Incident reports are crucial in the construction industry. They record accidents, injuries, near misses, or property damage on a job site. This type of construction report is vital for promoting safety and preventing future incidents. 

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Essential components of construction reporting 

Details and data integrity matter when analyzing the processes involved with home construction projects. How these details are recorded is crucial when filing construction reports. 

These include a concise summary of the work completed, a detailed breakdown of progress on individual tasks or phases, any challenges or delays encountered, and a proactive outlook on upcoming work. 

Project details 

Comprehensive details are critical for context and clarity for every construction project. This typically includes the project name, location, the relevant dates covered by the report (e.g., week ending, month) and a brief summary of project information. 

Work completed 

Tangible progress during a reporting period includes a breakdown of tasks or phases completed—specific measurements, quantities or milestones achieved—often referencing the original project schedule. 

Quality control

A transparent construction reporting platform addresses challenges head-on, such as material delays, weather setbacks, or unforeseen site conditions. Equally important is outlining the steps taken or planned to resolve these issues. 

Best practices for effective construction reporting 

Effective construction reporting goes beyond merely documenting activities. It includes using standardized templates and formats to ensure consistency and easy comprehension. Job management software or digital tools can streamline the reporting process, ensuring accurate data. 

Standardizing construction reporting

Standardizing report formats in construction reporting ensures consistency, clarity and efficiency. Using predefined templates and structures for different report types (site diaries, weekly summaries, etc.) eliminates confusion, reduces the time spent interpreting data and eases comparisons across different projects or periods. 

Reporting construction projects with tech

Digital tools can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy—streamline data collection, automate report generation and facilitate real-time information sharing—by embracing technology in construction reporting. 

Using the reporting process for timeliness

Establishing clear deadlines and expectations for construction reporting helps maintain a consistent flow of information and helps prompt decision-making. A robust review process to verify data accuracy and completeness before sharing reports minimizes errors and promotes transparency.  

Leveraging technology tools to automate data collection and report generation can significantly reduce manual effort and improve overall efficiency, ensuring critical information is delivered in a timely and reliable manner. 

How Buildxact simplifies construction reporting 

Buildxact, a comprehensive construction management software platform, simplifies the cumbersome process of construction reporting. It offers a centralized platform to seamlessly collect and organize project data, from estimates and budgets to schedules and site diaries.  

With customizable templates and automated report generation, Buildxact empowers teams to create professional-looking reports effortlessly. The platform’s real-time data synchronization ensures that all stakeholders have access to the most up-to-date information, fostering transparency and collaboration. Buildxact saves time, reduces errors and enables construction professionals to focus on what truly matters – building successful projects. 

Success with Buildxact 

Keith Perez, TXN Remodeling N Construction 

From wrestling with scattered spreadsheets to effortlessly managing projects, TXN Remodeling N Construction experienced a complete turnaround. Buildxact’s precision estimating tools empowered Keith and Stephanie to deliver accurate bids, boosting profitability and client confidence. 

Jaime Hommerding, XPRES Kitchen & Bath 

XPRES Kitchen & Bath ditched its patchwork of software solutions and embraced the all-in-one power of Buildxact. Say goodbye to juggling multiple platforms and hello to a streamlined workflow that zips along from takeoff to final invoice. 

Start with Buildxact today 

Tired of juggling spreadsheets, struggling with estimates and feeling overwhelmed by project management? It’s time to embrace a more innovative way to build. Buildxact is your all-in-one solution for streamlined construction management, empowering you to take control, boost profitability and achieve greater success. 

Free trial and subscription plans 

At Buildxact, we understand that trying out new software is essential. That’s why we offer a risk-free, 14-day free trial or schedule a demo. Explore all the features and functionality and experience firsthand how Buildxact can streamline your construction processes and boost your bottom line. 

Support and training resources 

We’re committed to empowering our users and recognize that successful software adoption requires comprehensive support and training. 

To get the most out of our platform, we offer a range of resources, including our Help Center and training videos. You can also schedule one-on-one training sessions with Buildxact’s dedicated customer success team for more personalized assistance.

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/construction-reporting/feed/ 0 A look at innovative renovating with Xpres Kitchen and Bath  https://www.buildxact.com/au/case-study/innovative-remodeling-express-kitchen/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/case-study/innovative-remodeling-express-kitchen/#respond Thu, 05 Sep 2024 17:05:05 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=21720 Learn how the pros at Xpres Kitchen & Bath went from juggling multiple software tools to using the leading software in home construction management.

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XPRES Kitchen and Bath, based in Plymouth, Minnesota, specializes in kitchen and bathroom renovating. Under the leadership of Jaime Hommerding, the Vice President of Production, the company has established a reputation as a small business with excellent service. 

An introduction to XPRES Kitchen and Bath 

Jaime has been with XPRES Kitchen and Bath since its inception in 2016 and oversees day-to-day operations, which include working a variety of home construction projects, ranging from traditional kitchen and bath renovating to comprehensive design work. All of this is setup to cater to the evolving needs of their clients. 

Origins and growth 

Customer discusses Buildxact with his laptop perched on a ladderThe company’s journey began with the collaboration between Jaime and Dennis Guptill, who met through a mutual bookkeeper. Initially focused on bathroom renovating, the company quickly expanded services to include kitchen renovating and main floor renovations. Today, they even offer deck renovating, highlighting their versatility in a changing marketplace. 

Adopting construction estimating software 

For Jaime, using Buildxact construction management software is about more than just enhancing efficiency—it’s about revolutionizing their construction job management. Prior to Buildxact, using construction software was time intensive and expensive mainly because it involved learning new administrative techniques, often in the evenings and other off-hours. 

 “My life before Buildxact involved juggling multiple software tools, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs,” Jaime shared. “Now, with Buildxact, everything is in one location, and managing projects has become significantly easier.” 

Jaime found the setup easy because Buildxact offers subscribers different levels of support, including online videos, emails and phone calls.  As Jaime became more familiar with Buildxact, he was pleasantly surprised by the unique features that formed a platform of digital construction tools. 

“We actually ended up finding that Buildxact did a lot more pieces of our business than what we originally thought we were getting into,” he said.  

Accurate quoting and job costing 

One of the standout features for Jaime has been the precision provided by Buildxact’s online quoting and estimating tool, which includes digital takeoffs for accurate material counts and pricing. Having the right pricing is critical, Jaime said. Express Kitchen and Bath remodeler works on a bathroom

“If you aren’t tight with your numbers in a construction company, you are going to probably not last very long,” he said. “With Buildxact, I like the fact that you can control the material costs and the labor costs to the detail that you want.  

“There’s also a box when you’re building your estimate for your markup percentage, which I find particularly nice because you can’t in the construction industry put the same markup on all materials, or you just won’t be competitive,” he said. 

Intuitive job management 

Buildxact is about more than winning more work and pricing it correctly, it’s about managing the job, on time and on budget. For instance, Buildxact’s scheduling feature, which assigns tasks in specific orders using Gantt charts, also has proven valuable for XPRES Kitchen and Bath.  

“There’s a lot of different software out there, and very few of them focus on the production side and the ability to manage your workers … so when we filter our production calendar now, we can filter it by the job name that they’re on, or we can filter it by the employee, or the subcontractor that’s on the job. And it gives us the flexibility to have a better idea of what’s going on, on a day-to-day basis, with the people in the field.” 

A well-organized construction company can deliver a phenomenal customer experience and can deliver a lot of profit for its owners. But it all starts with being organized on how the job is going to be put together and what the steps in the stages are, he said. 

Tracking actual costs against the estimate 

Before adopting Buildxact, Jaime and his team faced challenges with using multiple software tools, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs. By consolidating their administrative tasks into Buildxact, they improved their job management capabilities significantly.  

This has allowed them to more closely track actual expenditures against estimated costs, even when it comes to the small things. 

“Buildxact has given us the ability to identify some of those areas that are a little bit more expensive, that we were just kind of, you know, writing them off as not a big deal. And now it’s given us the ability to track some of those smaller pieces to better manage our profit margin,” Jaime said. 

Want to try Buildxact?

Schedule a live demo, or if you are ready to get started today, sign up for a risk-free trial.

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/case-study/innovative-remodeling-express-kitchen/feed/ 0 Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders https://www.buildxact.com/au/facebook/mastering-scheduling-fb/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/facebook/mastering-scheduling-fb/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 01:21:26 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=21701 Looking to become a residential builder? Check out our latest eBook to learn how to get started and established in the industry.

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Share:

Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders

In the intricate world of home construction, timing is everything.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the industry or a seasoned builder, understanding how to effectively schedule people, materials, and equipment can make or break a project.

In this eBook, we’ll show you how you can master your estimating and scheduling, giving you more time and greater control of your business. 

You’ll learn:

  • How being preparation is key to a successful project;
  • The ripple effect a quality schedule has on all aspects of a project;
  • How you can use software to take complete control of your estimating and scheduling. 
Download

Related content

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Let's show you
how it works

  • Meet with us today for a one-on-one conversation: We'll email all the details
  • Learn how some simple planning and prep protects your profits
  • Start cutting 80% of the time it takes to complete takeoffs and quote customers 5x faster
  • Win the jobs you deserve
Schedule a demo

The post Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders appeared first on Buildxact AU.

]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/facebook/mastering-scheduling-fb/feed/ 0 Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders https://www.buildxact.com/au/ebook/mastering-estimating-scheduling-guide/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/ebook/mastering-estimating-scheduling-guide/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:48:12 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=21691 Looking to become a residential builder? Check out our latest eBook to learn how to get started and established in the industry.

The post Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders appeared first on Buildxact AU.

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Share:

Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders

In the intricate world of home construction, timing is everything.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the industry or a seasoned builder, understanding how to effectively schedule people, materials, and equipment can make or break a project.

In this eBook, we’ll show you how you can master your estimating and scheduling, giving you more time and greater control of your business. 

You’ll learn:

  • How being preparation is key to a successful project;
  • The ripple effect a quality schedule has on all aspects of a project;
  • How you can use software to take complete control of your estimating and scheduling. 

Related content

An arrow pointing left in red
A coral arrow pointing right

Let's show you
how it works

  • Meet with us today for a one-on-one conversation: We'll email all the details
  • Learn how some simple planning and prep protects your profits
  • Start cutting 80% of the time it takes to complete takeoffs and quote customers 5x faster
  • Win the jobs you deserve
Schedule a demo

The post Mastering Construction Estimating and Scheduling: A Guide for Home Builders appeared first on Buildxact AU.

]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/ebook/mastering-estimating-scheduling-guide/feed/ 0 Estimate your job schedule for winning project bids https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/estimate-project-schedule-win-work/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/estimate-project-schedule-win-work/#respond Thu, 15 Aug 2024 17:04:08 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=21331 Buildxact’s estimate scheduling feature is a powerful tool for any construction business looking to improve job management and efficiency.

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No one has to tell a builder timing is everything. 

In the complicated world of home construction, properly timing people, materials, equipment into the distinct phases of home construction forms the backbone of every successful home construction project.  

Successful builders know they often must have a schedule in hand just to close a customer. Customers want to know when projects can begin and how long they’ll run, balancing the estimated schedule against the estimated cost.  

For the builder, knowing the schedule ahead of time also proves beneficial. For example, unforeseen supply chain disruptions can impact material purchases. An estimated schedule gives more lead time and more flexibility when ordering materials. 

Of course, when a home construction schedule outright fails, it can lead to a cascade of issues that disrupt the entire project. For instance, if delivery of critical materials, like rebar, is delayed, it halts the pouring of the foundation, causing a domino effect that impacts dependent tasks like framing and roofing. 

Cascading delays like this not only extend the overall project timeline, lowering customer satisfaction, but also increase costs.  

How scheduling proves essential 

Subcontractor coordination

An accurate schedule ensures that materials, labor and equipment are available exactly when needed.  By having a detailed schedule, you align deliveries and labor to ensure a smooth workflow and prevent costly rescheduling of labor teams. Managing multiple subcontractors can be challenging. Each subcontractor may have their own schedule and priorities, which can conflict with the overall project timeline. Coordinating their activities ahead of time and ensuring they adhere to the schedule requires careful planning well in advance of a project’s actual start date. 

Hidden material costs

If materials arrive too early, they may need to be stored, which results in additional expenses and risk damage or theft. Materials arriving too late can mean subcontracting teams have left a job site with key work unfinished. By synchronizing labor schedules with material deliveries, builders maximize productivity and minimize downtime. 

Budget control

Construction projects notoriously go over budget. A well-planned schedule helps manage costs by reducing the likelihood of unexpected expenses. Seeing task progression in advance, you can anticipate costs more accurately and avoid premium material pricing from last-minute orders or rush jobs. 

Client satisfaction

Meeting deadlines and staying within budget builds customer trust because the schedule sets realistic expectations and keeps them informed about how progress will take place. This transparency reduces the likelihood of future customer disputes, and happy clients recommend your services to new clients and return for future business. 

Risk management

Every construction project comes with its own set of risks, from weather delays to material and labor shortages. When properly estimated, schedules identify potential risks like these early, allowing builders to prepare. For instance, if you know that a particular task is weather-dependent, you can schedule it during a more beneficial season of the year.

Project milestones

Breaking down the project into phases with specific categories of tasks keeps everyone on track and ensures timely completion. Setting dependencies and critical paths of work serve as checkpoints that provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation for the team as they see tangible progress being made. Regularly hitting scheduled milestones boosts morale of your team and customers  

Legal and regulatory compliance

Many construction projects are subject to strict regulatory requirements and inspections. A detailed schedule helps ensure that all necessary permits are obtained and inspections are scheduled at the appropriate times. This not only avoids legal issues but also ensures that the project meets all safety and quality standards. 

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How technology helps scheduling 

While scheduling is essential, good scheduling takes time — time better spent at the job site. That’s why it’s important to incorporate good estimating software to make the work go quicker.

However, integrating new tools and systems into existing workflows can be a bottleneck all its own. Training staff and ensuring that everyone is comfortable with the new technology can take time and effort. That’s why it’s important to choose the right construction management software that includes powerful, yet simple, scheduling tools. 

Buildxact, a leading construction management software, offers robust scheduling features designed to keep your projects on track and within budget.

Let’s dive into how Buildxact’s scheduling tools can transform your construction business. Buildxact provides two primary ways to create schedules: the estimate and job management. 

From the estimate

Buildxact allows users to rough-in a schedule while still working on the estimate. With this, customers see a first draft of a project schedule at the earliest possible moment.  

It includes project categories, tasks and subtasks in the order you expect to complete them along with rough beginning and ending dates.  

Because Buildxact is tightly integrated, the tasks used to create your estimate of materials and labor flow directly into your estimated schedule to ensure consistency and that you don’t accidentally leave tasks off the schedule. Color-coding of categories and tasks also helps to keep everything organized and clearly shows how work would progress. 

From job management

Once a job is won, the estimate and estimated schedule flow into an actual job management workflow. Here, the tasks a user created in their estimated schedule can be built out with additional details. Importantly, tasks and due dates can be assigned to team members or contractors. From here, follow up reminders via email can be set up.

As a builder’s team works, the Buildxact schedule shows progress toward completion by category, and if work is overdue, point-and-click mouse commands can easily update dependent schedules so that critical paths are always up to date. 

Color-coded tasks make it easy for customers to see your proposed project progression

Further benefits of Buildxact scheduling

  • Drag-and-Drop Interface Easily adjust tasks and timelines with a user-friendly drag-and-drop mouse interface. 
  • Gantt Chart View Visualize your project timeline with color-coded Gantt charts, making it easier to track progress and identify potential bottlenecks. 
  • Resource Allocation Assign contractor teams to specific tasks, ensuring that you have the right people and materials at the right time. 
  • Notifications and Reminders Stay on top of deadlines with automated notifications and reminders for upcoming tasks. 
  • Improved Efficiency By integrating scheduling with your estimates and job management, you reduce time spent on administrative tasks and focus more on actual onsite construction work. 
  • Enhanced Communication Keep all stakeholders informed with real-time updates and shared schedules by email and pdf documents 

Buildxact’s scheduling feature is a powerful tool for any construction business looking to improve project management and efficiency. By leveraging its intuitive interface and robust capabilities, you ensure that your projects are on time, within budget, and to the highest standards. 

Ready to take your construction scheduling to the next level? Explore Buildxact today with a free trial, or if you have more questions, schedule a demo with a Buildxact representative today! 

Book a Demo
14 Day Free Trial

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/estimate-project-schedule-win-work/feed/ 0 Benefits of the construction calendar evolution https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/benefits-construction-calendar-evolution/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/benefits-construction-calendar-evolution/#respond Sat, 18 May 2024 19:16:31 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=20016 Find out how home builders have made a leap forward in construction scheduling using digital technology.

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The technology shifts of the past decade have created many useful innovations in the hardware and software tools used by successful home builders.

Included among these is advanced scheduling software and construction calendar platforms designed to streamline construction management communications, optimize project resources, and provide real-time visibility into the many phases of a construction project.

For most home builders, gone are the days of cumbersome manual or paper calendars, error-prone spreadsheets, and playing phone tag with clients and builder teams. Scheduling software has revolutionized how home builders plan, execute and monitor the milestones and events of home construction projects. 

Let’s explore what drives successful home builders to make the technological shift to construction calendar software in today’s competitive marketplace. 

The traditional construction calendar template

It wasn’t that long ago that traditional construction calendars used generic spreadsheets and, in some cases, handwritten charts. While the choice for past times, these basic planning tools often led to inefficiencies, miscommunication, and lack of real-time control—particularly for complex construction projects that involve the coordination of many subcontractors.

Traditional construction calendar templates are commonly organized in a simple structure—lists or Gantt chart formats—featuring a linear progression of tasks relying on manual input and updates. As one might expect, keeping these current and accurate was a very time-consuming effort and prone to errors. The templates lacked real-time collaboration or made cross-team updates difficult, limiting visibility for all stakeholders. In essence, manual adjustments made it challenging to be proactive or take corrective action quickly.

Benefits of digital transformation

The emergence of construction scheduling software marked a significant digital transformation for home builders. While the home construction industry is not quick to embrace new technology, increased tech awareness coupled with user-friendly solutions, like Buildxact, have helped bring efficiency and success to home construction. Consider the key features and advantages:

Complete construction job management

The best scheduling software platforms do more than streamline the construction timeline. Buildxact, for example, offers digital takeoffs, integrated supplier pricing, professional proposal generation, visual project scheduling, real-time cost tracking, purchase order management, a client communication portal, and integrations with popular accounting software. 

Buildxact ensures accuracy in estimating and budgeting, seamless collaboration across your team and customers, and improved project profitability and customer satisfaction, enabling you to spend less time guessing the cost and status of your project. 

All of this is possible using the same basic computer skills that many of us already know from the use of email and word processing software.

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Time savings

If you spend countless hours on manual scheduling, construction scheduling software platforms will make your life much easier. How? They have an intuitive interface for setting up and tracking the many tasks that comprise a project schedule. Let’s take a closer look. Below you can see how Buildxact allows for tasks to be grouped into clusters of parent-child dependencies that allow for easy editing and updating of the overall schedule.

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Streamlining project timelines and the project task list 

Scheduling software revolutionizes construction efficiency in several ways, including automating tedious scheduling of dependent tasks and subtasks. Real-time time tracking helps optimize labor, equipment and materials, minimizing idle time and wasted resources.

Software platforms like Buildxact foster improved construction management collaboration, facilitating quick decision-making when changes or challenges arise. Tracking progress against detailed information in real time allows project managers to address potential delays proactively. When you tally up the benefits, they translate directly into time savings, reduced costs and improved project efficiency.

Consider Buildxact customers who took the technology leap of faith. Before Buildxact, business owners waited until the evening, after dinner and the kids were in bed, to work on manual spreadsheets—for each project or customer—late into the evening, day in and day out.

Today, Buildxact customers like Builder Josh BradleyJosh Bradley, owner of BradWay Construction & Restoration, are getting more done during the work day, saying that the use of Buildxact is “almost like hiring a couple of people at a much lower cost.”

Impact on the construction project

Construction scheduling software profoundly impacts a construction project’s success by providing a centralized platform for greater project efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and increased profitability. We’re focusing on three essential areas of impact:

Improved resource allocation

Construction scheduling software prevents delays, eliminates idle time, and optimizes resource allocation by providing a comprehensive view of project timelines, task dependencies, and labor and equipment availability. Imagine the ability to view where and when resources are needed and ensure that resources are always deployed most efficiently to avoid bottlenecks early on and proactively make adjustments.

Enhanced communication and collaboration

Construction scheduling software serves as a central hub for project information, enhancing communication and collaboration because all stakeholders can access the most up-to-date schedules, task assignments, and progress reports within the platform. Real-time visibility eliminates miscommunication and guesswork, fostering transparency and accountability throughout the construction project.

Changing the role of construction project managers

Construction scheduling software is fundamentally changing the role of construction project managers by automating many tedious and time-consuming tasks.

Instead of being burdened by paperwork, construction project managers can use real-time data to make proactive decisions, being one step ahead of potential issues. This shift enables them to be better leaders and builds trust among team members.

Overcoming construction industry hurdles

The construction industry faces many hurdles — from unpredictable materials costs to labor shortages and complex scheduling needs — and construction scheduling software is a powerful tool to tackle these challenges head-on. As the industry embraces technology, scheduling software like Buildxact is poised to be indispensable for building professionals.

Despite its transformative potential, construction scheduling software faces resistance to change, and a training and support program is needed to utilize its powerful features fully. To tackle these barriers, we suggest looking for software platforms that offer flexible pricing plans that evolve as your needs or your business grows. Many software platforms, including Buildxact, provide a free trial and a demonstration so you can decide if it’s the right platform for you, providing an ideal way to try it out.

Software platforms are only as good as the support they can provide. A comprehensive training program backed by ongoing support empowers you and your staff to use all the features to maximize the benefits and accelerate adoption. Also, choose software that integrates with existing tools like accounting.

Looking ahead

The future of construction calendar management or construction scheduling is promising. We expect increased integrations with AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning, where software will analyze project data to suggest optimal scheduling and resource allocation and automate routine tasks. The IoT (Internet of Things) sensors will offer real-time equipment and site monitoring, automatically updating schedules for enhanced accuracy. Augmented and virtual reality may also visualize project progress overlaid on the physical job site. These advancements promise to reshape how we plan, execute, and monitor construction projects to drive greater efficiency and accuracy

Success stories

Homebuilders have recognized the value of scheduling software and successfully transformed their operations, streamlining multiple homes’ construction. Successful Buildxact customers like Sabado Homes and Marcella Building & Renovations moved from manual to digital operations, keeping them organized and adding time to their day.

At Buildxact, our customers report that our software gives them back the most valuable resource: time. Time to grow your business, nurture relationships, better serve customers, gain financial clarity, and streamline processes like estimating, takeoffs, and scheduling.

Buildxact, tailored specifically for the construction industry, offers a robust, user-friendly solution to streamline scheduling, manage your business, and drive project success without becoming a software expert. 

Ready to give it a try? Sign up for a risk-free trial subscription or schedule a demo with one of our team members. Do it today!

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/benefits-construction-calendar-evolution/feed/ 0 New job management tools redefine the use of Gantt charts in construction  https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/new-job-management-tools-redefine-the-use-of-gantt-charts-in-construction/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/new-job-management-tools-redefine-the-use-of-gantt-charts-in-construction/#respond Thu, 11 Apr 2024 23:31:24 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=19392 Read how a more dynamic and adaptable approach to Gantt charts has become a competitive edge for builders.

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 A top challenge for home builders is managing workforce schedules in an efficient, repeatable method that keeps a home construction project on time and on budget.

Completing a project on time is fundamental to earning the customer satisfaction that builds a business’s reputation for the long term.

Professional home builders know just how important it is to stay on schedule, stating in a 2024 industry survey that nearly 30% of their projects do not finish on time.

That survey of 1,800 builders from the Association of Professional Builders also found that trade delays is the number one challenge in terms of running construction projects. To combat delays, builders look for a visual overview of their trades’ work. After all, knowing how to time the critical tasks they complete is what successful construction scheduling is all about.

Gantt charts have long been a mainstay used by project managers to create that successful overview. A construction Gantt chart shows what needs to be done and when. It coordinates trade teams and ties them to the teams involved in other stages of construction planning.

While Gantt charts themselves are nothing new, a more dynamic and adaptable approach to using construction Gantt charts has become more common. 

Many teams are increasingly turning to modern construction management software, which offers a more interactive Gantt diagram of complex project tasks. Construction software also offers project estimating, budgeting and invoicing features.

Why are Gantt charts used in construction projects?

Construction Gantt charts visually depict the project schedule, breaking work into manageable tasks and highlighting how those groups of tasks ideally flow together in a progressive order. This forms a backbone of task dependencies that allows construction managers to plan precisely the arrival of various materials and labor teams. 

With this visual picture, managers also identify potential bottlenecks, and formulate plans to avoid them. The resulting project plan keeps the entire project on track.

Consider what can go wrong when project phases and construction timelines are not properly laid out. Sub teams that arrive on site without sufficient materials to complete a job can upend the schedule, especially if the team can’t return to finish the job on time. 

Equally inefficient is padding too much time in the schedule and having to pay to store materials not needed on site for weeks.

Let’s discuss how to get the task sequence correct to avoid these problems.

Steps when Planning a Construction Project Schedule

Every construction project is unique, and your schedule should be a customized roadmap, not a generic timetable. It involves understanding various scheduling techniques, utilizing project planning tools, and carefully considering the project’s specific materials, contractors, timeline and scope.  

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Here are some steps to consider when creating your project schedule:

Review scope baseline

Carefully analyse the project’s scope of work (SOW) document before doing your construction scheduling, ensuring your schedule aligns with the defined deliverables, milestones and objectives. With Buildxact, you will have created a specifications document that details all that you need to ensure your schedule reflects the project at hand.

Create specific activities

Break down the project’s major deliverables into smaller, manageable tasks, leading to a granular list of the specific actions required for project completion. With Buildxact, all the detailed tasks are at your fingertips. Tasks created in the estimate move smoothly over to an online scheduling tool that uses a Gantt chart view.

Sequence those activities

Analyzing the tasks you’ve created and determining their logical order, or critical path, will identify dependencies and help you prioritize tasks in logical order. This order helps you schedule subs and material deliveries properly. Remember, you don’t want the start date for the painters to hit if the drywall is still incomplete.

Estimate activity resources

For each task, you must assess the necessary workforce, materials and equipment. But you also must consider external factors like the availability of your work teams. With Buildxact, builders send RFQs and purchase orders on the same platform that they use to schedule all the individual tasks. Using one software platform makes project planning and team coordination easier.

Estimate activity durations

To avoid running teams into each other’s work, you need to know the duration of tasks. Carefully consider each task and realistically determine how long it will take to complete. Then factor in potential risks, resource constraints and historical data to arrive at accurate durations. With Buildxact, builders easily follow the progress of tasks and can use schedules that successfully estimate task durations as a template for future project schedules that are similar in size and scope.

Buildxact offers easy ways to catagorize and group tasks in a logical order.
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The drawbacks using Gantt charts for construction projects

While a helpful tool, Gantt charts may have limitations in the complex world of construction projects. Gantt charts can become overly detailed and challenging to interpret as projects grow in scale. This complexity means that even minor changes can require significant restructuring of the chart, which can become pages long when using spreadsheets to create them.

Moreover, Gantt charts created with spreadsheets are better suited for visualizing basic timelines rather than offering detailed insights that adequately showcase specific task requirements, resource needs, or how far along a task is to completion.

Finally, relying on manual updates in spreadsheets hinders the Gantt chart’s effectiveness in dynamic construction environments. Delays or errors in updating the chart can lead to outdated information, hindering its usefulness as a real-time decision-making tool.

The modern way to schedule and plan construction projects

Construction management software like Buildxact represents a more modern way to plan construction projects, with its digital scheduling and planning that go beyond the capabilities of a manual Gantt chart.
Software solutions, like Buildxact, are built to run real-time updates, dependency visualizations, resource management tools, and integrated communication platforms. These platforms empower teams to handle the complexities of construction projects with greater flexibility and transparency.

A cloud-based software tool like Buildxact allows everyone on a construction project—project managers, subcontractors, and field crews—to access and update the schedule from an internet device. This type of transparent information ensures everyone involved is on the same page.

Software platforms also offer real-time dashboards and progress reporting that provide data-driven insights. It allows teams to spot potential bottlenecks early, adjust plans proactively, and improve future project planning.

Easy to update

Buildxact offers intuitive interfaces and functionality using basic computer skills that builders already know. With point-and-click commands, builders create and modify Gantt charts for all the tasks that make up even the most complex projects. Any modifications and dependencies can be adjusted quickly, keeping the chart up-to-date and reflecting the real-time project.

Collaboration and communication

Cloud-based software lets team members access and edit the Gantt chart collaboratively, promoting a shared understanding of the project, reducing version conflicts, and fostering transparency.

How to create a Gantt Chart with construction project scheduling software 

Creating a Gantt chart with construction project scheduling software is intuitive and efficient. You’ll save hours by building your schedules using a software’s interface and drag-and-drop functionality, tasks, durations, and dependencies and linking them visually.

Construction project scheduling software like Buildxact will elevate your scheduling beyond the static Gantt chart. Buildxact integrates scheduling with estimating, purchasing, and cost tracking to create a seamless workflow that eliminates data silos and minimizes manual updates.

Tailored specifically for the construction industry, Buildxact offers a robust, user-friendly solution to streamline scheduling and drive project success.

Ready to get started? Sign up for a risk-free trial today or talk it over with one of our team members during an interactive demo.

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]]> https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/new-job-management-tools-redefine-the-use-of-gantt-charts-in-construction/feed/ 0 Benefits of Data-Driven Project Scheduling https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/data-driven-project-scheduling/ https://www.buildxact.com/au/blog/data-driven-project-scheduling/#respond Mon, 26 Feb 2024 22:05:03 +0000 https://www.buildxact.com/au/?p=18615 Data-driven project scheduling is a must-have to combine historical and real-time updates to your job management. With both, project scheduling becomes more precise, adaptable and efficient

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Traditional manual project scheduling methods using paper and pen often fall short in the building business, where material delays and labor cost overruns disrupt project management. What seems like solid project management often becomes false assumptions in a fast-moving industry.

Without a doubt, construction projects thrive on accurate front-end planning that also remains flexible using data-driven software.

In a competitive industry, data-driven project scheduling is a must-have because it leverages historical information and real-time information. With both of these as inputs, project scheduling becomes more precise, adaptable and efficient. In turn, projects regardless of size and complexity finish on time and on budget. The end result is a more profitable bottom line for the home builder.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re looking for a way to make more data-driven decisions using modern technology for schedule management.

We’ll explore the importance of data-driven project scheduling, but let’s first cover some basics and how project scheduling benefits your overall job management.

What is the purpose of project scheduling?

Project scheduling provides a roadmap for all aspects of a home build. Planning includes time management, resource allocation, cost control and team-wide communication. Superior project scheduling plots out tasks sequentially to ensure nothing is missed and project progress is accurately measured.

Proper project scheduling tools do this visually for ease-of-use and contains all the necessary data to pivot and change direction based on any hurdles or delays you might unexpectedly encounter.

Project scheduling process – monitor and control

Project schedule management systems require ongoing monitoring and control. Project managers, trades, material suppliers and anyone associated with the project should have regular input into the schedule and how it is progressing.

It is essential to track progress, identify discrepancies and make informed adjustments as your project progresses. Typically, this is done through site diaries. Creating logs has become easier as mobile devices have become more useful on the job site using cloud-based construction management software.

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Now let’s quickly review the many benefits of data-driven project scheduling for your home construction business:

Decision accuracy

The ability to make informed choices is about more than using current information from a site diary. You must also analyze historical data. Modern construction management software typically offers easy access to past project scheduling data. Past project execution, broken down by individual tasks offers a way to forecast future task management in a way that ensures realistic project deliverables.

Decision efficiency

Tracking progress in construction management software against the planned timeline allows you to identify potential delays and take corrective measures to minimize wasted time and materials. Regularly comparing actual tasks to estimated duration, analyzing any discrepancies, and adjusting the schedule as needed ensures timely project completion. The key is having a software tool that makes these updates quick and easy to see at a glance. Modern construction management software typically includes Gantt charts that can be updated with the click of a mouse.

Financial controls

Accurately tracking costs in a job management system against the projected budget allows you to identify problems early. From identifying potential cost overruns to negotiating better materials prices, you can take corrective actions in collaboration with your subs and customers. The key is having a central place to store all your financial data. Traditional project scheduling templates in Excel don’t work here because it’s too easy to forget tasks, or worse yet, to make unnoticed errors in calculations. Increasingly, builders are turning to job management software that fits into a larger package of construction estimating and quoting.

Risk assessment

Early in the project scheduling process, you can identify potential risks like weather delays, materials shortages, or labor issues and develop a contingency plan. Automating with software makes it possible to set dependent tasks that move in unison. By grouping many tasks under parent tasks, updates to your project timeline are simple and help you see patterns. You then can assess the likelihood that those patterns impact the entire project, and implement alternatives to minimize the impact of the risks on your project progress.

Evaluation and prediction

Post-project evaluation allows you to learn and assess by comparing actuals against the planned schedule, enabling you to improve your project scheduling on future projects. By consistently monitoring actual performance against the job management system’s baseline schedule, you can better predict potential issues, allowing you to adjust as needed.

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Challenges in data-driven decision-making

The road to effective data-driven decision-making has its challenges. Understanding issues related to data quality, navigating the complexities of data analysis, and the hurdles that may hinder ideal outcomes is crucial when using a job management system. We’ve listed a short list of possible challenges and how to maneuver around them to ensure success:

Data overload

Data is great, yet too much can be overwhelming. Prioritize the most relevant data sources and remove the unwanted data to streamline. Staying focused on your main goal is essential. Everything else can be filtered out.

Security concerns

Today, protecting your data is critical. Best practices on security protocols, encrypting sensitive information, and keeping up to date on software are vital security measures. Using trusted cloud-based software with security built-in is ideal.

Integration challenges

Data compatibility, legacy systems (or no systems), data duplication, inconsistency, and more make it seem like a real hindrance to integrating multiple systems. The answer is to streamline, streamline, streamline. Using modern construction management software can streamline for you. If you’re unsure how to accomplish this, seek experts in project schedule management software to assist rather than tackle it alone. You may wear many hats, but this one may be best left to the experts. Then you can take all the credit.

Resistance to change

Change is hard and is also one of the things we can always count on. Let’s face it: the building industry is reluctant to embrace significant changes. The day-to-day desktop software, like Excel and Word, are great but aren’t a serious source of predictive outcomes like project scheduling software. With proper training and support, you can easily automate your systems to do the majority of work for you.

Project schedule vs. project plan

A project plan generally comes first and outlines the scope of work and defines the goals using detailed estimates and specifications that include budgets, types of resources needed, and potential risks so that you can schedule accordingly. A project plan is generally signed and approved by the stakeholders or owners of the project.

A project schedule is typically more fluid, specifically focusing on the project’s overall activity, offering a sequence of events to complete the project — an active roadmap. It provides detailed task progressions and estimates how long tasks will take and the path to completion.

The project plan is the what and why, while the project schedule is the when and how. 

What are job management scheduling tools?

Job management scheduling tools are designed to create, visualize and manage project schedules and are powerful automated software applications that enable features beyond a traditional calendar. They include Gantt charts, task lists, resource allocation tools, critical path analysis, and more. In most instances, they integrate with other software like Quickbooks.

Job management scheduling tools will streamline your business, offering improved planning, efficiency, and communications so you can be more strategic and enhance your bottom line.

Tired of missed deadlines and cost overruns? See how Buildxact puts your projects on track. Book a demo and discover how easy construction management can be with a 14-day free trial.

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