The first time we introduced ourselves to the owner of a sitework company and got hit with “Oh great, more software guys,” we were taken aback. Less so the hundredth.
But we carry the rap for a reason.
Software vendors in construction tech have earned that skepticism. They sell benefits contractors thought they captured 30 years ago. There are five of us for every one thing you need. Our language is indistinguishable. Our acronyms change in real time. Our demos look promising, but once you’ve slapped down the credit card, little works like you thought it would.
At CloudRig, we meet with heavy civil, sitework, and utility contractors trying to connect the field, office, and finance—to identify where they’re making money, losing money, and why. We frequently hear that contractors are 9, 12, or even 18 months into efforts to go live with legacy construction software solutions. They’re plagued by bugs that take years to resolve, by integrations that haven’t materialized, and by unexpected bills.
Everyone is a bit to blame. Salespeople have oversold, and contractors haven’t learned to ask the right questions.
That’s why we’re launching a series of articles to help construction companies demystify the software selection process and gain more value from their tech investments. We’ll give you practical tools to reign in the software guys and make sure your next platform actually works in the field—not just in the demo.
Start with the End in Mind
When choosing construction management software, start by looking for platforms that enable:
- Fast onboarding and quick ROI
- Sustained use and adoption in the field
- Incremental value as your company scales
To achieve that, software vendors must deliver on two key criteria—simplicity and connectivity.
1. Simplicity
Whether you’re shopping for the field, operations, or finance, the value that software generates is dictated by user adoption. And adoption is dictated by simplicity, especially for field crews.
This doesn’t just mean big buttons—although those certainly help. Apps must expose precisely the capabilities and information foremen need to manage day-to-day work, and nothing more.
Products that look like they were built for accounting or estimating and shrunk to fit onto an iPad—dozens of options, buttons, and menus on every screen—create the horror stories we all know: “We’re 12 months into it, and we’re pretty close to having the field onboard.”
Foremen should never get lost in an app. Clear prompts, logical workflows, and built-in safeguards make software usable—even at the end of a 10-hour day.
Next time you sit through a demo, ask yourself, “Is this easy enough for a working foreman to get through in 10 minutes at the end of a long day?” Ask the software vendor, “How many minutes on average does it take to train and certify a new foreman on this technology?”
For CloudRig, that average is 45 minutes.
2. Connectivity
The best construction management software connects every part of your business—field reporting, scheduling, payroll, safety, and accounting—without clunky imports or manual entry.
Across industries, software is becoming more specialized and fragmented. Legacy accounting systems (ERPs) that force customers to buy every tool from one vendor are being replaced by lighter, modern platforms that integrate with the systems you already use.
Heavy civil and sitework contractors will benefit as point solutions finally start to talk to each other. In the meantime, make sure any new system integrates with your ERP, since that’s usually the source of truth for your company’s data.
Failing to do so sets you up for double data entry—and worse, for decisions made on incomplete information. Field management systems that don’t integrate out of the box with your accounting system, for example, can’t tell you how crew performance affects your bottom line.
Ask your prospective vendors if connectivity is out-of-the-box. Ask if it’s free. Ask to see proof of it in the demo.
CloudRig is—no surprise—a modern system that connects to every major ERP, for free, out of the box.
Take Charge of Your Own Success
Take it from a software guy—we know we need to speak more clearly, price more transparently, and deliver on development promises.
In the meantime, contractors can start taking charge by tightening up their evaluation criteria and asking sharper questions. When you pick the right construction tech, the ROI compounds over time.
If you’re lucky, your CAT might be worth 70% of its purchase price after five years. The value of software, when used correctly, compounds.
And with CloudRig, you don’t just buy software—you get a platform that connects your crews, simplifies your reporting, and helps you build safely, profitably, and efficiently.
