As an independent architect, getting new clients, keeping organized, fulfilling deadlines and staying on top of your project development can seem practically unattainable. But there's a straightforward solution to help you tackle your architectural projects with confidence; invest in the right software that gives you the best project planning features, money management and time tracking capabilities.
Yes, there are tons of project management software tools out there, so you must take a look at your business' needs first and make sure you choose the one that best aligns with your workflow. To make this process easier for you, take a look at our list of the top architecture project management software available in the market.
Note: Looking for a well-rounded, easy-to-use, and efficient project management software? Look no further; Bonsai has your back. Check out our all-in-one product suite that will help you manage all aspects of your architecture firm like a pro! Claim your 7-day free trial here.
Before we head on to more details, it’s necessary to take a step back and see what this software really is.
The world of architecture has become much more sophisticated and streamlined. Thanks to the inclusion of technology, we now have access to software that was previously unavailable.
There’s a variety of different project management tasks that these architects handle manually. However, deploying software for operations is a smart way to ensure your operations thrive. With the help of the software, you get help for the following people in the architecture industry:
These professionals can conduct various tasks with this software, such as managing projects. They can also help improve:
There’s a major ongoing debate on the usability of the architecture project management software being used all around the world. People spend a lot of time optimizing their existing networks of architectural tasks. If you’re struggling with something similar, getting software-powered assistance could be your way out. There are a variety of reasons why this might be the case. However, we have outlined the main reasons why architecture project management software is a good option for these individuals. We have used reasons that make logical sense to keep it simple—let’s begin.
Architectural project costs are one of the biggest challenges for those in the industry. Poor project management often causes delays, errors, and mistakes in projects. The managers have to spend an additional part of their resources to rectify these mistakes. It can seriously damage the overall functionality of the process. However, you can plan and avoid these instances from the get-go using management software. The software thus helps save time and money–optimizing the overall process for the project.
Every architectural project has its dedicated deadline. As a professional, meeting these deadlines and providing the best experiences to your clients and customers is imperative. Tracking multiple deadlines in such tight operations can be significantly challenging for business owners. It’s why using architecture project management software can be a good option. This software is designed to help professionals meet deadlines, check project updates, allocate better resources, and set practical milestones. With clearer deadlines, architectural experts can keep their audiences in the loop and update them accordingly. It is a flawless option for experts struggling with their deadlines lately.
A major challenge within the industry is the lack of transparency that’s widespread around the industry. As we advance to better tools, it’s more challenging for architectural experts to meet expectations and keep their projects running smoothly.
However, with efficient project management software—it’s possible. You can create a centralized project control where relevant individuals can review the project’s progress from time to time. It is one of the most efficient options for those needing better results.
You can take the time to deploy the software within your operations, and you’d be surprised to see the changes you will see with these simple updates.
Managing your workload is more difficult than it sounds. Especially when you have several on-going projects and each involves different people. So what's the key to successful project delivery? - Performance efficiency.
Here's a list of the top 8 project management software tools for architecture and engineering firms that can help you achieve ultimate performance efficiency depending on what your project demands.
Let's take a closer look at each of them to understand their best features and help you choose the one that best fits your needs.
The wide range of project management tools that Bonsai offers can be an amazing asset to your architectural business. Especially if you are a freelancer and do not work for a specific organization, Bonsai will help you efficiently manage many aspects of your business. Here’s why Bonsai's project management software is the best option for architecture firms.
Starting with prospecting, business architect proposal and contract drafting, our tools make it easier than ever to get new clients and deliver your projects. You can use flexible templates to outline the scope of work, and quotes, add your business branding, and offer multiple packages for your clients to choose from. All of the architect contract templates are legally vetted, and they incorporate an electronic signature to streamline the formalities and protect you.
Bonsai will also help you with all project management aspects with a time and task tracking tool which sets due dates and sends you automatic email reminders to help you complete your day-to-day priorities. Its super-clean dashboard allows you to assign tasks, add comments for each participant and invite collaborators to the project. An automated timesheet will sum up the tasks completed and help you bill for your services accurately. All this can be done on the go, by downloading the app on iOS, Android, Mac and Chrome, making Bonsai an excellent digital project manager tool.
Bonsai is the best time tracking software for architects. Our software will automatically record the hours worked without slowing down your productivity. Claim your 7-day free trial of our time and task tracking software today.
Bonsai also integrates a useful architect accounting software to track and categorize expenses, monthly profit, as well as identify tax write-offs for architects to ultimately help you save money. Plus, with fully-customizable invoice templates you can quickly and professionally bill your clients to ensure consistency.
Our architect payment processor platform will also get paid faster by incorporating multiple online payment options, automatic reminders and viewing notifications.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Bonsai also allows you to obtain a dedicated business checking account, which you can link to the accounting and invoicing software to seamlessly receive payments, have instant access to your funds and automatically track your income. With the ‘envelopes’ feature, you can further manage your business finances by dividing your funds to save for taxes, equipment, vacations, or anything you see fit. Find out more about our online banking for architects.
Note: Get access to all of these accounting, tax, time tracking, task management features and more with Bonsai today. Run all your architect projects in one place. Try a 7-day free trial here.
Deltek Ajera has created a super handy project management software for architects. The business was initially started in 1983 for accounting purposes, but it currently specializes in software for architectural project managers. Although some of its tools may be outdated (the software was developed back in 2004), Ajera offers cost tracking and reporting options to give project managers useful input.
Project Snapshot and Earned Value Analysis (EVA) Reporting are two of its standout features, which give architectural project management leaders a very streamlined presentation of the information gathered. Additionally, Deltek Ajera is designed to manage every stage of a project's lifetime, including billing and accounting. As for usability, it does lose a few points since it takes a while to get used to the platform. Discover the best Deltek Ajera alternative here.
With the goal of being user-friendly, Monograph strives to shift the emphasis away from outdated management methods like Excel and toward software created specifically for this goal. The aim is to make the administration of your architectural projects easier for you through team management, budgeting, client account updates, and feedback.
It also helps you establish timelines and objectives that the firm must meet. In addition, a special function called MoneyGantt examines the information gathered by Monograph for cost and project progress analytics.
Additionally, you can bill for several roles for each project, track time against certain phases, and add notes and expenses for added clarity. Monograph offers some smart invoicing features as well, including the ability to bill by phase, task, or role, as well as preview and total each person's work. It can also be linked with Quickbooks Online.
TeamGantt is a cutting-edge architectural project manager software that, among other project planning tools, mainly uses Gantt charts. It is very effective at both resource management and teamwork. A centralized hub that is simple to comprehend and navigate, housing all tasks, paperwork, and other resources. Additionally, this project management tool makes it possible to keep track of how many hours are spent on a given project without impeding productivity. As a result, the Gantt Chart Generator helps you emphasize tasks that must be finished as quickly as possible and the impact a delay could have on the remainder of the project.
Keep in mind, when working on larger, more complex projects with many phases and deliverables, as well as projects with many team members participating, TeamGantt may not be the appropriate tool for the job. This is because the platform can become a little buggy when adding lots of phases or team members.
As a management tool for construction projects, ArchiSnapper is focused on onsite work management. It encourages easy progress tracking, note-taking, and report creation. The tool enables the configuration of new reports based on already established ones, thereby streamlining the project management process. It also allows for the creation of template checklists and blueprints. Additionally, collaboration is made easier with the ability to send lists to coworkers and request updates, communicate observations with assignees and subcontractors, post notes, diagrams, and images, and receive real-time feedback.
Because ArchiSnapper is a phone app, you can use it to do walkthroughs and inspections more quickly. Just take a photo and add notes to document any observations or problems. When doing an observation while moving around a site, it allows you to use your voice to write which can save you a ton of time.
In comparison to the tracking capabilities of all-in-one project management solutions, Timely, a specialized time tracking tool, gives architects the highest level of accuracy and usability. Timely automates the entire process, making project budget and time monitoring simple. You don't need to take notes or bother with manual timers when you go between jobs because it automatically captures all desktop and web activity to a private timeline. It can also utilize AI to design timesheet entries for your approval using that data.
Timely's capacity management function assists teams in efficiently allocating work and resources across numerous clients and projects, and its GPS position tracking feature is particularly helpful for recording all the time you actually spend in the field at various construction sites and suppliers. Everything is organized into a simple, clear interface so that timekeeping takes the absolute minimum amount of time.
Basecamp was created in 2004 aimed to make work easier to handle by dividing it into separate projects. Each project contains a comprehensive collection of all details, including documents and comments. In general, the program includes capabilities for work coordination, document management, and collaboration. It's a terrific approach to maximize the complexities of every project and complete work on time thanks to features like message boards, group chats, to-do lists, calendars, and automatic check-ins.
Basecamp's hill chart, which records a project's journey from end to end along with risks and obstacles, is one of its distinguishing features. However, it could use the addition of time tracking features and better connectivity with third-party programs to help architects adhere to strict deadlines.
Asana was established in 2008 and it's a practical project management tool for architectural businesses that ensures better planning and organization, improving the laborious process of keeping information on spreadsheets. It features boards with virtual sticky notes to help manage work through each stage making projects more transparent and less prone to errors. It also includes to-do lists, which facilitate managing every stage of the ongoing project and establishing effective timeframes.
To make tasks more manageable and easier to finish, projects are structured in lists or visual soft boards (Kanban Boards). Additionally, there are capabilities for developing unique templates and monitoring task dependencies. However, while Asana provides a ton of excellent administrative capabilities, managing conversations on the platform can sometimes be challenging.
If you don't already use project management software, you may be wondering why you should invest in such a tool. Let me give you a few reasons why it would be of great benefit to your architectural firm.
Time is money, especially in the architectural industry. Without implementing time as a leading metric, there is no other way of assessing productivity and profitability. This is why using software that integrates time tracking tools is essential for the completion of your architectural projects.
By keeping track of your time you can quickly identify any process bottlenecks and take preventive actions. Plus, you can make sure that your resources are distributed effectively when you stay on top of where the majority of your time is being spent.
Straightforward communication is key to every architectural project. This frequently includes a wide range of stakeholders, assistance with budgeting and financial planning, as well as logs of almost every conversational nugget that can be important to the outcome. Communication is made simpler by managing all of your architectural projects on one platform. Since everyone uses the same platform, they can always readily monitor how the project is progressing.
Project management software for architects is like a daily planner and in our complex world, staying organized is the only way to get things done right. You are more likely to successfully finish a project on time and within budget when using a project management software that gives you real-time visibility into budgets, costs, expenses as well as task completion.
What are you waiting for? Sign up for Bonsai today! We have the best project management software for architects, to help you save time so you can focus on your passion.
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