Introduction
The construction industry operates in a complex environment, where efficient financial management is crucial for success. However, traditional accounting software often falls short in meeting the unique needs and challenges of construction companies.
In this blog, we will explore the limitations of traditional accounting software for construction SMBs and discuss how to overcome these challenges for improved financial management and project success.
What Are The Limits of Traditional Accounting Software for Construction SMBs?
The limits of traditional accounting software for construction companies can be summarised as:
- Ineffective Tracking & Allocation of Project Costs
- Limited Collaboration Capabilities
- Insufficient Reporting for Construction-Specific Insights
- Lack of Comprehensive Subcontractor Management Features
- Lack of Real-Time Data & Synchronisation Across Departments & Systems
- Tracking & Managing Equipment Costs in Construction Accounting
- Construction Procurement Workflows
1. Ineffective Tracking and Allocation of Project Costs
One significant limitation of traditional accounting software for construction is its focus on the business rather than the specific project. Standard accounting software often lacks the necessary features to handle the complexities of construction projects, such as tracking project-specific costs, managing progress billing, and handling change orders effectively.
It’s no surprise as it was never designed to do this! As a result, construction companies struggle to obtain accurate project-level financial insights and face challenges in monitoring project profitability and controlling costs. The absence of project-centric functionalities in traditional accounting software can lead to missed opportunities for optimising project performance and profitability.
To address this limitation, construction businesses should consider adopting specialised construction cost tracking software that prioritises project-level tracking, providing better visibility into project costs, revenue, and financial performance.
By leveraging software tailored to the unique needs of construction projects, businesses can enhance their financial management capabilities and achieve greater control over project finances.
2. Limited Collaboration Capabilities, Inhibiting Effective Communication and Coordination Among Project Stakeholders
A significant limitation of traditional accounting software for construction is the restricted access that construction company staff members have to the software.
In many cases, only a limited number of individuals, such as accountants or financial managers, have access to the accounting software, while other team members, including project managers or field staff, are left out of the loop.
This lack of accessibility hampers effective collaboration and real-time decision-making, as critical project-related information and financial data remain siloed within a select group of individuals. The absence of wider access prevents project stakeholders from actively monitoring and tracking project costs, progress, and financial performance.
To address this limitation, construction companies should consider implementing construction software that provides secure, role-based access to relevant team members.
By empowering staff across different departments and levels to access and interact with the software, companies can foster better collaboration, enhance transparency, and facilitate more informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.”
3. Insufficient Reporting Capabilities for Construction-Specific Insights
Another significant limitation of traditional accounting software for construction is its insufficient reporting capabilities when it comes to construction-specific insights. Construction projects have unique reporting needs that go beyond standard financial reports.
Traditional accounting software often fails to provide the necessary tools and templates to generate specialised reports specific to the construction industry, such as commitment reports.
Job cost reports, progress billing reports, change order analysis, or project profitability reports. This limitation hampers construction companies’ ability to gain in-depth insights into project performance, identify cost overruns or variances, and make data-driven decisions.
To overcome this challenge, construction businesses should consider adopting construction accounting software that offers robust reporting features tailored to the industry’s requirements.
Such software can provide detailed project cost reports, real-time dashboards, and analytics tools to generate comprehensive reports that capture critical construction-specific metrics.
By leveraging advanced reporting capabilities, construction companies can enhance their ability to monitor project financials, analyse performance, and improve overall project management and profitability.
4. Lack of Comprehensive Subcontractor Management Features
The lack of comprehensive subcontractor management features is another significant limitation of traditional accounting software for the construction SMBs.
Subcontractors play a crucial role in construction projects, and effectively managing their activities, payments, and compliance is essential for project success. However, traditional accounting software often falls short in providing dedicated tools for subcontractor management.
This limitation can lead to difficulties in tracking subcontractor daywork activities, processing payments accurately and efficiently, and ensuring compliance with contractual agreements and regulatory requirements.
To address this limitation, construction businesses should consider adopting construction accounting software that offers comprehensive subcontractor management capabilities.
This specialised software can enable seamless collaboration with subcontractors, automate payment processes, track subcontractor performance, and ensure compliance, ultimately enhancing efficiency and accountability in subcontractor management within construction projects.
5. Lack of Real-Time Data Updates And Synchronisation Across Departments or Systems
A notable limitation of traditional accounting software for the construction industry is the lack of real-time data updates and synchronisation across departments or systems.
Construction projects involve multiple stakeholders and departments that require access to up-to-date information for efficient decision-making and collaboration. However, traditional accounting software often suffers from delays in data updates and struggles to synchronise information across different departments or systems.
This limitation can result in outdated financial data in excel, discrepancies in project cost tracking, and difficulties in maintaining a cohesive and accurate overview of project finances. To overcome this challenge, construction companies should consider implementing construction software that provides real-time data updates and seamless integration across departments and systems.
By adopting a unified software solution, project stakeholders can access the latest financial information, monitor project costs in real-time, and collaborate more effectively. This enables better decision-making, improves project visibility, and enhances overall project management efficiency.
6. Challenges in Tracking and Managing Equipment Costs in Construction Accounting
One of the challenges construction companies face in accounting software is effectively tracking and managing equipment costs.
Construction projects often rely on various types of equipment, ranging from heavy machinery to specialised tools, which incur significant expenses. However, traditional accounting software may not have robust features specifically designed for equipment cost tracking and management.
This limitation can lead to difficulties in accurately allocating equipment expenses to projects, monitoring maintenance and repair costs, and understanding the overall impact on project budgets and profitability.
To overcome these challenges, construction companies should consider adopting specialised construction accounting software that offers dedicated modules for equipment management. This software can provide features such as equipment inventory tracking, maintenance scheduling, cost allocation, and depreciation calculations.
By efficiently managing equipment costs, construction companies can optimise resource utilisation, improve budgeting accuracy, and make informed decisions to enhance project efficiency and financial outcomes.
7. Construction Procurement Workflows
Construction procurement workflows present a significant challenge when relying on traditional accounting software.
These software solutions often lack the necessary features and capabilities to effectively manage the complex procurement processes specific to the construction industry. This limitation can lead to inefficiencies, delays, and increased costs. Construction procurement involves activities such as supplier selection, bidding, purchase order creation and delivery tracking.
Without specialised tools, companies may resort to manual and disjointed processes, resulting in fragmented data, miscommunication, and errors.
By recognizing the limitations of traditional accounting software in construction procurement, companies can explore dedicated construction software that offers streamlined workflows, automation of purchase orders, centralised supplier management, and comprehensive reporting.
Implementing such a solution enables construction SMBs to enhance efficiency, optimise cost control, and ensure smoother procurement operations, ultimately contributing to the success of their projects.
Conclusion
Construction SMBs need software that addresses their unique requirements and overcomes the limitations of traditional accounting software.
By adopting specialised construction software, companies can enhance collaboration, improve project cost tracking, integrate with project management tools, generate construction-specific reports, manage subcontractors effectively, and streamline equipment cost management.
Embracing the right software solution empowers construction companies to achieve better financial management, maximise profitability, and successfully navigate the complexities of the construction industry.
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