How QuickBI can revolutionize the construction industry
The construction industry is known for its complex and dynamic nature. Projects are often large-scale, schedules tight, and budgets strict. In such an environment, data-driven decision-making and real-time analytics can be crucial factors when it comes to success or failure. QuickBI is an intelligent and flexible tool that helps construction companies optimize their operations, reduce costs, and improve project management.
The construction industry is plagued by fragmented data – QuickBI offers a solution
Construction companies often use a variety of systems and software that generate large amounts of data. Project information is often scattered across multiple systems, such as accounting, billing, equipment usage logs, and workforce scheduling. QuickBI provides a unique, user-friendly solution for integrating and centralizing this data.
QuickBI’s data connectors and data warehouse are designed to work seamlessly with several data sources / systems simultaneously which makes it a good match for the construction industry use-cases. Pre-built connectors for local and industry-specific systems ensure smooth data integration, while creating new connections is both fast and cost-effective. The flexibility of QuickBI is particularly valuable in the construction sector, where every project and company is unique.
With QuickBI’s data connectors and data warehouse, construction companies have the ability to gather and consolidate all project data in one place. This significantly simplifies data management and enables a comprehensive view of project status. Furthermore, QuickBI customers can use their preferred reporting tools, such as Power BI or Tableau, to create reports and analyze the data stored in the warehouse.
Companies like HRK, Saumalaakso, Umacon, and Anfra have leveraged QuickBI features to integrate data from various sources, including payroll records, equipment usage hours, billing information, and inventory transactions. This has enabled them to compare project profitability against initial cost estimates and respond with changes more effectively where necessary.
Useful connectors for construction companies include
- Finance: Netvisor, Procountor, Netsuite
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): Jydacom, Talosofta, Adminet
- Payroll and HR: Workday, Monday, Mepco, Netvisor, Procountor, Nepton
- Time Tracking: Kellokortti, Harvest, Quinyx
- Project Management: Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Google Sheets, M-Files, SharePoint
- Exception Management: Falcony
- Fleet Management: Mapon, Google Sheets, Excel
- Environmental Reporting: Zerowaste
- Document Management: M-Files, SharePoint
- CRM: Pipedrive, Hubspot, Salesforce
Key metrics can be included in customized reports
QuickBI’s greatest strength lies in its flexibility. Pre-built reports from various systems often do not meet the specific needs of businesses, but with QuickBI, customers can easily collect and integrate data from their desired systems and create reports tailored to their exact requirements. There are several connectors available for industry-specific applications, and building new connections is cost-effective. This adaptability enables businesses to create the exact insights they need for informed decision-making.
Saumalaakso has utilized this flexibility to create a new tool for tracking project profitability, where data is built from various sources. Following and analyzing these reports has helped them improve operational efficiency and ensure that resources are allocated to the right areas. This customized approach allows for more accurate insights into project performance, enabling better decision-making and resource management.
Real-time data enables rapid response times
One of the biggest challenges in the construction industry is the complexity of projects and the difficulty in managing them. Construction projects often consist of numerous sub-phases that need to be synchronized precisely. QuickBI facilitates this synchronization with real-time, centralized data. When all project data is stored in one data warehouse, companies can track schedules, deviations, waste, and other important metrics in real time. By using intuitive dashboards and reports, construction industry stakeholders can monitor project progress, identify bottlenecks, and respond quickly to changing conditions. This approach enhances visibility and helps maintain control over complex projects.
Umacon has leveraged this feature to track schedule adherence and the costs of delays. Real-time information has helped them minimize delays and ensure projects progress as planned. Additionally, monitoring deviations and audits has played a key role in quality control and ensuring customer satisfaction. This proactive approach allows them to quickly identify potential issues and take corrective actions, leading to better project outcomes and stronger client relationships.
Another client used timely data to detect scheduling delays before they became a critical issue. Through analytics, the project manager was able to reallocate resources, which resulted in maintaining the schedule and achieving significant cost savings. This kind of pre-emptive identification of potential risks and the ability to take corrective actions in advance emphasizes the potential of real-time data and predictive insights when it comes to ensuring project success.
A unified data foundation improves collaboration and efficiency
Construction projects often require collaboration between various parties, such as architects, contractors, subcontractors, and clients. This makes transparency and a shared data foundation essential. With QuickBI’s centralized platform, all project stakeholders can access the same real-time data and make informed decisions.
One of QuickBI’s construction industry clients shared how the tool helped standardize reporting practices across different parties. As a result, all project team members followed the same key metrics, leading to improved communication and reducing errors caused by misunderstandings. This uniformity in reporting not only fosters collaboration but also enhances overall project efficiency.
Costs can be kept under control with the help of analytics
Cost management is crucial in construction projects, where budgets can easily escalate due to unforeseen changes. QuickBI provides powerful tools for budget tracking and cost control. With predictive analytics, companies can identify potential budget overruns early and take corrective actions before problems become too large to be rectified.
Leveraging data is a competitive advantage
The construction industry is undergoing a transformation, and the impact of digitalization is continuously growing. In the future, companies that can leverage data effectively will end up being the winners. QuickBI is designed to grow and adapt to these needs including for example AI use cases.
QuickBI’s solution enables companies to utilize their data more effectively, creating reports and analyses tailored to their specific needs using their preferred tools. QuickBI centralizes scattered data, making it easily trackable and transparent, thereby facilitating more efficient decision-making. This enables better project management, cost control, and operational optimization.
The benefits of QuickBI ultimately lead to one thing: more satisfied clients through better project outcomes. Data-driven decision-making fosters organizational learning which, in turn, results in unprofitable / nonviable projects not slipping into existing project portfolios as often. Therefore, QuickBI is an ideal tool for construction companies looking to build a competitive edge in a highly competitive market.
At HRK, we pull financial data from Procountor into QuickBI and generate reports on profit margins and purchases among other things. Our customized reports are used by area managers, branch supervisors, and top management. Thanks to these reports, each individual has been able to manage their work and responsibilities more effectively. In the near future, we plan to integrate payroll and HR data from the Mepco system into our reporting.
—Joonas Raina / Procurement Director, HRK-Konevuokraamot Oy