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In the modern world of AEC, project management software is a must-have! Today’s tools available to engineers, construction professionals, and architects are compelling.
No longer do AEC professionals have to rely on physical diaries and messy spreadsheets to plan, manage, and execute project management. As we move through the twenty-first century, the likes of automation, AI, and cloud-based software have taken the world by storm.
In this guide, we’re uncovering the key functionalities and features that make AEC project management software so appealing, along with our thoughts on 6 of the most popular solutions your AEC firm can choose from right now.
What is AEC Project Management Software?
AEC project management software is a set of tools designed to help architects, engineers, and construction professionals plan and deliver impactful projects. Most solutions offer some form of resource management, risk mitigation, budget reports, time tracking, workflow management, and more.
This helps AEC professionals execute projects that align with organizational objectives. For example, the construction of a high-rise building requires the likes of resource allocation, budget reports, and collaboration between architects and builders.
AEC project management software supports this multi-disciplinary industry that relies heavily on major planning and accurate decisions. After all, nobody wants a building project to fall victim to financial setbacks, resource hurdles, and other risks!
But those aren’t the only reasons project management is important in the modern world of construction, engineering, and architecture. Let’s delve a little deeper!
Why is AEC Project Management Software Important?
From the rise of remote work to the growth of eco-friendly practices, the need for AEC project management software is bigger than ever.
Remote teams need to communicate and collaborate
With the globalization amongst teams and departments, the AEC industry must adapt. Engineers and architects alike are collaborating and communicating in different ways, across different platforms.
This can sometimes lead to mishaps in collaboration, demanding stronger tools that offer a real-time experience all in one place for AEC project management!
Complying with modern building sustainability
As the world evolves, so too have eco-friendly building practices. This growing focus comes with heavy compliance and strict regulations, something modern AEC project management software can help with.
If everyone from builders to engineers are on the same page, eco-friendly practices can be adhered to much more easily with AEC project management tools that actively encourage and uphold them.
Projects are becoming more complex
Building projects have increased in complexity, leading to a heightened need for AEC project management software. From meeting eco-friendly practices to staying competitive with multiple projects running at once, AEC firms need project management software to stay ahead of complexities.
Stakeholders want more regular updates, and modern regulations require sophisticated tools to coordinate AEC teams, ensuring the smooth progress of projects across the board.
Let’s now turn our attention to 5 of the most powerful AEC project management software features you could need. Spoiler alert, if your current tool doesn’t have these five functions, it’s time to find a new solution!
3 Important AEC Project Management Software Features
Three powerful AEC project management software features include task management, resource allocation, and risk and compliance management.
Task Management for AEC Projects
One of the most important features of any AEC project management software is task management. Many architecture, engineering, and construction projects are built on a long list of tasks.
The right AEC project management software can help manage these tasks and their dependencies more efficiently, preventing them from growing into further issues and setbacks to a wider portfolio.
For example, an architecture firm might have a step-by-step process involved in their initial client meeting phase. This process can be outlined with a project management platform, ensuring everyone across the firm understands what’s next.
AEC Resource Management
Resource management is another pivotal requirement for AEC project management software. Construction and engineering projects demand a lot of manual labor to bring things to life. Whether it’s a skyscraper or the design of a bridge.
Having the right number of resources at your disposal is necessary for the success of AEC projects. It’s also equally important to allocate resources with precision. Allocating too many threatens to disrupt the progress of other projects. Allocating too little resources threatens the progress of the project at hand.
Risk and Compliance Management in AEC Firms
From engineering to architecture and construction, risks and hurdles are everywhere. Having the right project management software for AEC with effective risk mitigation tools is therefore a must!
Tools that can support architects, engineers, and builders in identifying, documenting, and mitigating incoming risks from a project and portfolio level. For instance, the construction industry sometimes faces some adverse weather conditions, and these pose risks to both the safety of the workforce and any non-waterproof materials.
Only by identifying this as a risk, monitoring the weather conditions, and finding ways to mitigate safety concerns and damage to materials can construction projects thrive. That’s where AEC project management software helps
Other key project management software features for AEC
For more must-have project management features AEC firms should look for in software, see the list below!
- Financial budgeting
- Project portfolio reporting
- Real-time collaboration
- Communication features
- Continuous improvement
- Documentation management
How to Choose the right AEC Project Management Software
To choose the right project management software for your AEC business, you must evaluate platform price, ease of use, user ratings, key features, and the end-to-end project management experience.
These core factors will help you conclude the project management software that’s right for your company. Below are some ways to help you identify what it is you need from project management software for AEC.
Recommended read: edison365 vs Microsoft Project
Understand your project management needs
First and foremost, it is important to understand why you need a platform for AEC project management. Not every AEC firm has the same set of requirements, so grasp yours before moving forward.
Some organizations simply want to track tasks, others want to create cost estimates for various AEC projects. Here’s a list of common AEC project management software needs:
- Analytical reporting
- Somewhere to facilitate communication
- Storage for blueprints, contracts, and permits
- Building Gantt Charts and workflows
- Manage AEC project budgets
Find a project management tool that is simple and easy to use
People have different skills, and in the multidisciplinary field of AEC firms, you must find project management software that is simple and easy. If your chosen solution has a steep learning curve, you risk underutilization!
When looking for project management software for AEC, consider the user interface. Is it easy to navigate from project risks to workflows? Does the solution offer robust templates for quicker progress?
These are some of the considerations you must make. When creating edison365, our goal was to help businesses from all walks of life deliver their best projects without the need for expensive consultants or laborious training.
Customization is crucial
When choosing your next AEC project management software, you should ensure the tools are fully customizable. As projects evolve, and your business grows, it’s important your chosen platform can grow with you.
Evaluate the limitations of licenses, templates, workflows, and resource management. Your next construction project may require another 50 users or more complex workflows. Who knows?
6 Options for AEC Project Management Software
Now, let’s turn our attention to 6 popular options for AEC project management, from Wrike to Monday.com, edison365 to Procore, and more. We’ve included everything from pricing to user ratings, making it easy for you to compare.
Wrike
Wrike is a cloud-based solution that can support AEC teams with a wide range of project management needs. Some of its key features that architects, engineers, and construction professionals will like include workflows, time-tracking, document management, and communication features such as discussion boards.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose Wrike
It’s a robust solution for elaborate project management and includes key functionalities that can help progress architecture, engineering, and construction projects to their finish line.
Pricing Plan: Starts from $24.80 per user for their business plan
User Rating: 4.2 out of 5 on Wrike’s G2
User review: “For infrastructure projects, Wrike is an excellent tool to support site teams. Updates, uploads, and changes or new works are easily accessible from a cell or office computer for management and ground personnel to have all in one place for easy planning and delivering projects” by Tomislav D on G2.
Website: https://www.wrike.com/
edison365
edison365 is an end-to-end project management software for AEC firms. From laser-focused resource management and project portfolio management to sophisticated templates, workflows, and more, there’s not much missing from this transformative tool that architects, engineers, and construction experts need.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose edison365
It has undergone a total overhaul of new and unrivaled project portfolio management tools. Edison365 is the perfect AEC project management software with very affordable licensing and a lot of power.
Pricing Plan: A tiered license subscription from Basic, Standard, or Professional
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 on edison365’s G2
User Review: “Straightforward and really effective way to manage ideas, business cases, and projects across an organization and extremely easy to use for all employees. Quick to set up, and onboarding users is very easy, helped by an intuitive interface.” By Chris A on G2.
Monday.com
Monday.com is one of the more well-known task management platforms available to AEC firms. Monday makes for a centralized AEC project management software environment. From automation to budget tracking, and compliance checklists to real-time collaboration.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose Monday.com
Monday is well regarded in the project management space. It has built a large user base around the world and includes a plethora of functions to help with any AEC project.
Pricing Plan: Starts from £11 per user for their Standard package
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 on Monday’s G2
User Review: “Monday.com has significantly improved our engineering team’s productivity, the automation features are a great aid in handling these requests more efficiently. We love the product so much that we are now scaling it into other areas of the business, including product development, safety, and logistics” By Libby H on G2.
Website: https://monday.com/
Procore
Procore offers cloud-based construction management software, which although may be somewhat niche and limiting, does provide a solid solution. From project management to workforce planning, quality, and safety, its features make for great project management software for AEC businesses.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose Procore
This niche solution has a lot of what architects, engineers, and construction professionals need for day-to-day project management. However, major firms that plan that need a platform to evolve with their project management needs may find it limiting in its functionality.
Pricing Plan: Pricing depends on your needs and the amount of construction work.
User Rating: 4.6 out of 5 on Procore’s G2
User Review: “Procore is used daily for our project by everyone including consultants, subcontractors, and the entire management team.” By Austen H on G2.
Website: https://www.procore.com/en-gb
Asana
Asana is another cloud-based web and mobile app for sophisticated task management. Like Monday.com, it is a well-known platform used by both individuals and teams. As far as AEC project management software is concerned, it does lack resource management and budget tracking.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose Asana
Asana offers some in-depth project management functionalities. What it lacks in resource management, portfolio management, and budget tracking, it definitely makes up for tracking goals, managing workloads, and Kanban-style project boards.
User Rating: 4.4 out of 5 on Asana’s G2
User Review: “Asana is a wonderful project management tool that helps individual team members stay on track and understand their tasks while simultaneously providing a big-picture understanding of the direction of the project. It is a great collaborative system for team members at all levels.” By Dana G on G2.
Website: https://asana.com/
Basecamp
Basecamp calls itself the “Refreshingly simple project management”. A sensible option for AEC project management software for small teams. Key features include to-do lists, document management, real-time communication, and more. Yet, this may not be the answer for larger AEC firms looking for more advanced features.
Why AEC Firms Might Choose Basecamp
Basecamp is a suitable project management software for AEC, provided you’re a small or medium-sized operation. For larger AEC businesses, it simply doesn’t offer enough.
User Rating: 4.1 out of 5 on Basecamp’s G2
User Review: “Basecamp has been a lifesaver for me because of its ease of use, intuitive design, and ability to monitor and prioritize projects.” By Virginia M on G2.
Website: https://basecamp.com/
Best AEC Project Management Software Conclusion
Whether you choose Basecamp, edison365, Monday, Asana, Procore or Wrike depends on your project management needs. Below is our ‘best for’ comparison. Helping you decide which platform makes the most sense for your AEC firm.
- Best for AEC Small Teams: Basecamp
- Best for sophisticated project management: Monday.com
- Best for individuals: Asana
- Best for construction professionals: Procore
- Best for end-to-end PPM: edison365
- Best for end-to-end task management: Wrike
Note: this is our opinion, based on our own research! We highly recommend looking into each platform after reading this guide to AEC project management software!
AEC Project Management Software Case Study
This guide to AEC project management software wouldn’t be complete without an AEC case study now, would it? Meet WalterFedy, the AEC powerhouse based in Ontario, Canada.
Comprised of three brands, (WalterFedy, AEC Developments, and Baird Sampson Neuert Architects) WF Group are an organization with more than 70 years of experience as architects, engineers, and construction professionals.
The Challenges they faced
Earlier in 2024, WalterFedy set about looking for an innovation management platform. Their approach to collecting ideas and turning them into actionable opportunities was flawed.
Like many businesses, they relied upon the suggestion box. A place where many great ideas are forgotten about. However, with innovation forming part of their strategic roadmap as an AEC firm, they needed a better solution.
One that would enable WalterFedy to turn ideas into business cases and business cases into fully-fledged AEC projects. A tool that offered an end-to-end experience for AEC project management too. And that’s where our partnership was born!
The Results for WalterFedy
WalterFedy decided to team up with the edison365 platform and has so far enjoyed vast benefits in upgrading their innovation and ideation processes. Their team has quickly adopted the easy-to-use features and has needed little to no guidance on using the platform.
Having collected around 30 exciting new ideas in a matter of months, WF Group are now gearing up ambitiously to build the perfect AEC project management software within edison365. WalterFedy’s Innovation Director describes the company’s ambition to turn ideas into projects, saying:
“We want to take the end-to-end, and say here’s the idea, let’s do it! We’re absolutely diving right into the holistic platform you guys have built.”
We’re still early on into the WalterFedy journey, but by bringing project management software for AEC projects within edison365, it’s only a matter of time before their team’s ideas are moving seamlessly through the project lifecycle, all in one platform where architects, engineers, and construction experts can collaborate.
Conclusion on AEC Project Management Software
Choosing the right AEC project management software is pivotal to the success of your architecture, engineering, and construction projects. In this article, we have covered the key features your chosen platform should have, along with some tips on picking the best project management software for AEC.
Finally, our handy comparison guide outlines the key reasons AEC firms might choose one platform from another, pricing, and each tool’s user ratings on G2 – a thorough rundown of each option.
We’ve also looked at a case study for WalterFedy, one of Canada’s AEC powerhouses, and how it plans to leverage edison365 for its AEC project management needs in the near future.
What to Read Next
We couldn’t leave you without some more project management tips, tricks, and resources now, could we? If you’d like to dive into the world of AEC project management software some more, here’s where you should go next:
