The first software that most contractors buy is not construction software. The first purchase tends to be a general purpose application -- Microsoft Project as construction management software, for example, or Intuit QuickBooks as construction accounting software.
By and large, starting with general purpose software is a sensible decision. Such software is easy to obtain -- one QuickBooks 2008 review on our site comes from a kitchen and bathroom remodeler who bought the software on eBay. In addition, general purpose software tends to be less expensive than construction software; in the case of Microsoft Excel, a favorite tool among many a construction estimator, it comes with your laptop or desktop. Finally, these applications tend to have a familiar user interface, which means contractors need not devote much time to training.
It is no surprise, therefore, that general purpose software remains popular among construction firms. According to the latest CFMA technology survey, 14% of contractors use Microsoft Excel for managing construction estimates. The same survey indicates that 4% of contractors use QuickBooks software and that 7% use Microsoft Project management software.
Just as one outgrows a favorite T-shirt, though, a construction firm can outgrow its general purpose software. It's not uncommon to need job costing software that can handle material billing and inventory or to need construction estimating software that works with a digitizer.
Now, there are many reasons for a firm to postpone an upgrade to construction software. Money is one reason. Scale is another. A third reason is the fear that adopting a new solution will, for formatting reasons, render all of a firm's old data useless.
Not surprisingly, software vendors recognize this apprehension and tout the ways their construction software can accommodate a firm's old data.
Some vendors will transfer old data into their applications. Sage Software, for example, offers a QuickBooks to Sage Master Builder Data Conversion. (If other vendors will perform such a data conversion, we would love to know.)
Others make sure they play well with others. Primavera offers a Value Impact Program to help customers integrate Primavera software with existing solutions. In addition, many construction estimating and job costing applications let users import and export data in formats compatible with Excel, QuickBooks, Peachtree or Adobe Reader.
Features like these are important to consider if your firm is ready for specialized construction software but has made significant investments in general purpose software. If you keep these needs in mind as you shop around for construction software and participate in vendor demonstrations, you will be able to find a package that works with your old software and also offers a nice return on your investment.