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Any medium to large scale construction project often involves more than one party, which usually includes developers, contractors, subcontractors, and many more. Construction scene is so specialized that all complex demands cannot be met by one GC (general contractor); therefore, there is always a need for many small-sized specialist contractors/ subcontractors with skills to help finish the project in a timely manner.
What is a General Contractor?
GC (General Contractors), also known as construction managers, are the ones with the contract for a project. Their job includes overseeing and coordinating projects from start to finish. They deal with all kinds of construction and engineering ventures, from residential or office structures to infrastructure projects like bridges, roads, hospitals, or schools.
GC’s key responsibility is the completion of the project in a budget and on time. Their duties include undertaking a budget, hiring and supervising subcontractors, deciding on materials, keeping the mission on schedule, problem-solving, and coordinating with subcontractors, civil engineers, and architects.
What is a Subcontractor?
A subcontractor or specialist contractor is a person or a company hired by the main contractor to do a specific task which is a part of the overall project. Subcontractors are usually involved in building, civil engineering and infrastructure projects.
Though GC takes care of most construction-related work, they choose to hire subcontractors to get expertise in a specific field which the main contractor’s staff may be lacking. Plus, it is more cost-effective than bringing on new, full-time employees. Plumbing, electrical work, drywall, painting, and other tasks are few examples of why subcontractors are hired.
Relationship between GC and Subcontractors
While working on a construction site, companies who have never worked together have to work in close collaboration, showcasing perfect teamwork and cooperation. Achieving that in days or weeks is difficult, leading to poor communication which might lead to confrontational relationships, mistrust, design conflicts, supply chain problems, and inspection delays. Thus, the success of any project highly depends upon the relationship shared between the parties involved.
Role of CMS in Building Strong Work Relationship
Fortunately, Construction Management Software (CMS) like Xpedeon helps in avoiding any kind of confrontations by helping both parties communicate better.
1. Provides a forum where parties could ask questions, share on-site information and pictures, keeping everyone abreast of developments. It not only promotes teamwork but also helps in avoiding dangerous or costly mistakes, which in-turn boosts profitability.
2. Has a central repository for all project documents be it contracts, inventory, or accounts making it easy for contractors and all other parties involved to track the project’s progress, deal with clients and workforce as well as keep track of expenses. In short, it streamlines the process.
3. Promotes transparency and accountability among the parties involved. For example, with Xpedeon subcontractors can easily track the issue posted, ensuring prompt action by the contractor or the architect.
4. Helps in planning, creating timelines and key milestones. Solutions could be regularly evaluated and updated or replaced as per the need.
5. Ensures important paperwork are safe and any kind of editing and creation of a new document would be immediately notified, thus fostering fair practice and trust.
Conclusion
The benefits of CMS make it clear that not only streamlining business processes, it also democratizes and improves overall effectiveness. Thus, the answer to most construction-related problems is implementing a fully integrated and automated construction software solution, to make the process efficient and smooth.
To know more about construction management software, contact Xpedeon and ask for a free demo.
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