The Guggenheim Museum, The Tokyo Sky Tree, Sydney Opera House. These are just some examples of architecture outstanding enough to take our breath away. As we marvel at their incredible lines and majestic geometries, we may not consider the sophisticated project management systems that bring these buildings to life.
The reality is that all architectural structures require careful planning and organization, from everyday houses to monuments and plazas. While designing may be the fun part, the implementation of a project management system is critical for architects to make informed decisions. Otherwise, the grand idea will never come to fruition.
The field of architecture requires a high level of precision, full legal compliance, and strict adherence to deadlines. To fulfill these requirements, everyone involved needs to be on the same page in terms of the big picture as well as minute details. A project management software like Nutcache offers a wide range of tools to architecture firms for creating and managing projects, regardless of size or scope.
Tags for Improved Task Management
While you might be the only person responsible for completing a certain part of a project, you’re never working entirely alone. As you chip away at a task, you may need to ask questions, request feedback, get approval, or update teammates on your progress. With Nutcache, you can get others on board simply by tagging them with @mention. This feature is an easy and direct way to notify others of something that needs their attention or input. Once tagged, the tagged person’s name will appear in bold letters so they can quickly find the message. Implementing this practice will help improve communications and enhance employee performance by keeping everyone in the loop.
You can also choose the access settings for each project member to limit visibility or actions, such as the ability to change a deadline. In a similar vein, you can share information with clients and set specific permissions. This way, the client can see how the work is moving along. You won’t lose control of the project or risk any unwanted changes or edits. They can follow along as the project progresses and quickly find a task at a moment’s notice.
Collaborative Boards for Better Teamwork
It takes a lot of people from different backgrounds with different skill sets to bring a building to life, including an architect, landscape designer, interior designer, model maker, surveyor, and project manager. It goes without saying that one of the most important aspects of an architecture design team is collaboration. Working on a design takes tremendous organization, excellent communication, and outstanding teamwork. However, as you may already know, these things don’t always come easy. When working together on different parts of a project, it can be difficult to keep tabs on who is working on what and where they are in terms of progress. Fortunately, a collaborative board, such as a Kanban board, can keep everyone in the loop about what’s going on.
Essentially, a Kanban board allows employees to visualize their workflow with cards, columns, colors, and other visual cues. Each card contains a work task which is placed on a board composed of vertical columns that represent the state of the task (to do, in progress, done). These cards then move from left to right through the board until completion. Implementing a Kanban board to organize production work in architecture enhances transparency and clarity so nothing gets overlooked.
Another chart that helps keep teams organized is referred to as a Gantt chart. A Gantt chart is a timeline-like chart that lets you easily plan and break down every step of your project. Primarily, they are used to organize big tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks which are then scheduled on a timeline, along with dependencies between tasks, assignees, and developments. The greatest advantage is that you can see which tasks are dependent on one another and have a clear indication of which tasks are ready to start, and which tasks are waiting on others.
Time Tracking for Enhanced Performance
Nutcache’s time tracking feature allows you to run a timer on a specific task as you work so you can accurately account for every minute of your day. Time tracking can also be used to improve performance as well as track disproportions and mismanagement. When tasks are completed, you can compare the original estimate with the actual time it took to finish everything. With this data, you’ll have insight into what’s working and what’s not. You’ll also be able to provide more accurate estimates for clients in the future.
Time Tracking for Improved Client Relationships
Time tracking is one of the most reliable sources of transparency between an architect and his or her client. With time tracking, you can easily create a report of the hours tracked and then present it at a moment’s notice. Having these numbers handy will help to establish trust as it allows the client to see how they are being billed as well as how the work is progressing or if there are any roadblocks that may delay the project. Additionally, if you are required to provide a weekly or monthly update on the overall progress, you can do so quickly and effortlessly.
Invoice Tracking for Late Payments
Nutcache’s invoice feature integrates seamlessly with Stripe and Paypal, so you can accept online payments quickly and easily. What’s more is that you won’t need to stress over a late payment. In most cases, the client has simply overlooked the payment and will settle it promptly. In other instances, a client may require a bit more persistence for you to receive compensation. Whichever the case, Nutcache’s invoice tracking feature allows you to quickly track overdue invoices and send reminders to late-paying clients. Additionally, you can monitor client payment behavior by accessing your clients’ payment delay data.
And so much more
Nutcache can simplify how your architect firm works together, controls costs, and meets deadlines. Start a free trial today or get in touch with us to learn more.
