7 Tips for Subcontractors to Eliminate Data Silos

For years, construction subcontractors have always lacked productivity gains. Do you know the reason? 

Subcontractors are not looking for long-term technological solutions. Implementing short-term point solutions to automate department processes has become a trend.  

However, this approach only hides problems and worsens the harmful impact data silos have on the subcontractor's company and its power to enhance the entire project lifecycle.

Creating and managing your own data wasn't a big deal for subcontractors when there was no big data or the cloud. But today, with the growing data, the same tools are leading to data silos.

This creates obstacles to data-sharing and collaboration throughout departments while causing IT to spend too much time streamlining data infrastructure. So, how can subcontractors get back in the driver's seat with appropriate data?

Before moving ahead with effective tips, let's dig into other aspects:

How will a subcontractor understand if their company has data silos?

• Do you experience that documents are being redone because of human blunders?

• Is it challenging to discover the errors and inconsistencies in data?

• Is it tough to create and share all documents with the appropriate team members?

• Do conflicts arise based on the miscommunication of data?

Now, we’ll share the most effective tips to eliminate data silos from your company: 

1. Get Rid of Pen and Paper

The standard pen and paper data entry method has evolved due to its odds of getting misplaced, making errors, and lacking accessibility. These attributes of pen and paper methods cost the company time and money should they arise. Paper documents also add data silos by only letting the person physically in control of the paper in order to view it.

2. Switch to the Cloud

The cloud is one of the best solutions to eliminate data silos from your business. It gives users the ability to access any document from any part of the world with just an internet connection. With excellent transparency, you can ensure that all your team members are on the same page.

3. Ease and Standardization

Implementing a cloud-based integrated platform like ProjectPro will ensure standardized data entry, which will make it seamless to submit and read documents for all departments. With great ease, users can spend less time understanding and modifying discrepancies between the platforms and documents.

4. Maintain Detailed Records

Maintaining a centralized documentation system for existing projects can eliminate the hassle of finding documents. The subcontractor must keep a record of all communication within the same system to track decisions and any changes that happened along the way. This permits a subcontractor to go into a single database and check everything that happens on a project from start to finish.

5. Cultivate a Communication Community

The subcontractor must cultivate a community of collaboration that facilitates communication across departments. When employees share knowledge and work together, decisions benefit everybody. The subcontractors need to ensure that they're collaborating with all stakeholders. Also, this ensures that his team virtually communicates with each other.

6. Don’t get Stuck in Silos Mentality

Many subcontracting companies have teams with a mindset when specific departments or sectors do not wish to share data with others in the same company. This kind of thinking will facilitate efficiency in the overall operation and reduce morale,  contributing to the demise of a productive company culture.

Generally, the silo mentality suggests a lack of communication across the departments. No department can function at its total capacity without giving and gaining information from other departments. Subcontractors can get rid of the silo mentality by connecting the field workers to the back-office using the best technology.

This will also ensure that all your team members are working together toward a common goal. Without this interchanging of information throughout divisions, departments will make improper decisions and will not be able to view the full picture.

7. Integration is the King

Eliminating applications does not mean avoiding functionality. In fact, using an integrated solution will improve functionality and the quality of information. A fully integrated project management platform like ProjectPro allows the subcontractor and his team to easily access  relevant information entered by any department. This ensures that all of your team members are always on the same page and that decisions are based on the right information.

Bottom Line

In a nutshell, data silos are parasites for your subcontracting business, impacting overall decisions and ensuring data accuracy. However, the good news for subcontractors is that data silos can be eliminated with the right technology and business practices.