Like any major industry today, AEC is quickly being revolutionized by a new generation of tech tools. Nimble and intuitive, these new tools are quickly replacing tired legacy software systems for AEC teams. And like 4tell™’s iPlan™ tool, these tools are typically completely cloud-based. They’re able to provide mobile team collaboration and feedback at all times.
Here are three tools changing the way AEC teams work today:
Toggl
Function: Time tracking
Mobile: Yes
Cost: Free for basic functions
Chances are your firm, like most of the AEC industry, relies on the accurate tracking of your team’s time to keep a handle on your billings. While a seemingly mundane affair, time tracking can become complicated in a hurry. This is especially likely if you have lots of different projects on the go, or if you have multiple people working on the same project at once. Luckily there are a plethora of web-based time tracking tools popping up to make the job easier.
One at the top of our list is Toggl. Clean and intuitive, Toggl allows for multiple players to record time to a single project, either by a live stopwatch or manual entry. Entries can include specific tasks, which is helpful when it comes time to present detailed invoices to a client. Color coding helps give a quick visual snapshot of daily, weekly and monthly time percentages per client. And unlike many of the legacy time tracking software programs used by AEC, Toggl is completely cloud-based. Time can be entered while you’re in the field, rather than having to wait until physically returning to the office. This wonderful feature can help reduce forgotten time entries and other inaccuracies. Finally, Toggl also offers full reporting and rate integration capabilities (somewhat limited to the paid subscriptions).
Trello
Function: Project management
Mobile: Yes
Cost: Free for basic functions – around $20 per user per month for Enterprise level
Juggling many moving parts is inherent to any AEC project. Moving parts can quickly go off the rails if not they aren’t properly managed and coordinated. A new generation of project management software tools are making this coordination easier than ever, and Trello is one of the best.
For the unacquainted, Trello is a virtual board filled with “cards” that helps you organize the many aspects of a project. These cards can be thought of as live lists that represent a specific aspect or duty on your project (such as “field assessment”). Each card is then assigned to the specific team members responsible for its execution and how far along they are in the job. Basically, in a quick glance, Trello helps you see where your projects are at and who’s working on them. Like Toggl, Trello is completely cloud-based and allows for on-the-fly project updating from anywhere.
Slack
Function: Team communication
Mobile: Yes
Cost: Free for basic functions
Chances are many reading this will be well acquainted with this collaboration tool. Launched only two years ago, Slack has quickly won over the hearts of over 2 million users (and 60,000+ teams) around the globe. Slack is a messaging app built specifically to simplify collaboration and productivity across teams. Slack can be used on the web or by app. Features include group and one-on-one chats dedicated to specific topics (such as a project). You can also easily swap files across the platform. Slack replaces the tyranny of endless cluttered emails strings and dropped participants by bringing the whole team together in one portal.
Key Takeaway
There is an abundance of cloud-based tools at the disposal of AEC firms today. Take advantage of the many options, such as those above, and start revolutionizing the way your team works today.
Photo: Tom Sodoge
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