Maybe you recently decided to start using quality management software, , to improve your quality planning and quality control, or maybe you just want to upgrade to something that helps you do your job better and faster. You might be looking for new software because you want to streamline your quality system for quality assurance purposes and more easily manage your team in the field, or maybe it is a necessity because of a contract requirement. Whatever the reason, it can be overwhelming. When you evaluate software, where do you start? Here are five factors to consider as you evaluate quality management software that can help you compare your options:
1. Do you want a cloud-based solution?
You might want to consider a cloud-based quality management software if you want your entire team to use it in real time. Your employees can use an app on a mobile device and you can store and access all your data in the cloud. Another benefit of the cloud is that it eliminates the need to maintain your software and thus the need to employ IT staff. All technical requirements and quality issues are handled in the cloud.
Read 6 Steps to Implement New Quality Management Software
2. Is the construction quality management software easy to use?
You want software you can quickly implement, train your team on, and then ensure they use it correctly and consistently for everything including the handling of quality management data. You want software that allows you to make changes, add punch lists, and upload pictures and documents that can be attached to checklists and to-do items, and can be easily marked up to clearly communicate what needs to get done. The system you choose needs to benefit your team right away by making their jobs easier and saving them time. If the software is difficult to use, employees might avoid it.
3. What are your reporting needs?
You should outline the report levels you need (for example, inspection, control, management, and administrative reports) and be sure to select software that includes all of them.The size of your organisation is really important to determine the type of software you'll choose. Enterprise quality management software offers a variety of solutions that the software for a smaller organisation might not. You should also ensure the reports available in the software you choose are actionable, practical, insightful, and professional.
Do you want software that has dashboards that give you an at-a-glance idea of how projects are performing? How helpful would it be for you to be able to see the information you need to pass inspection and set priorities to keep your construction quality processes on track with a quick glance?
4. Will the quality management system expand with your business?
You want to select software that is simple to use and that includes all the elements you need, but you do not want to pay for more than you need. For example, maybe right now you need inspections and checklists that you can easily modify and organize by inspection or project, and then add to-do items to handle corrective actions. However, if you think your needs might increase in the future, you want software that can handle additional complexity when the time comes. Thankfully for you, the right software solution is adaptable to paper-based quality processes if that's what you need. Remember, your quality management processes are the backbone of your operation to achieve first-time quality and customer satisfaction.
Read How to run a Quality Management Program on 20 minutes a day
5. Will the quality management system help you measure quality performance and help you improve?
The quality and risk management system should give you a clear picture of each subcontractor’s performance. You should be able to quickly generate reports to see any recurring problems with subcontractors and gauge their responsiveness to concerns you communicate. The software should take the work out of gathering the information you need to recognize your highest and lowest performing vendors.
Conclusion
Once you have thought about all the factors that are important to you, be sure to do a demo or trial of the software to see how well it works for you. Choosing top-quality management software has great benefits. Take into consideration as many factors as possible as you evaluate your options to ensure that you can rely on your software to give you a clear understanding of what problems exist and how they are being handled. If you need help determining what's right for your business please let us know. Our many years of experience can be put to good use helping you make the best decision”.
