Almost all of us have in one way or another used WhatsApp at some point in our lives to communicate with our friends, family, and even colleagues.<\/p>\n
What makes WhatsApp so popular is how easy it is to exchange messages and photos with your connections. A user can be either the admin or the participant to a number of WhatsApp groups and communicate differently depending on the members and the scope of each group.<\/p>\n
But what about using WhatsApp in your construction projects? Could that work?<\/p>\n
The short answer is no. Good as it is, WhatsApp isn\u2019t enough for running complex construction projects. And we can explain why:<\/p>\n
Tools like WhatsApp and Excel might be great for other occasions but they can\u2019t offer you the site visibility<\/a> that you are after. More analytically:<\/p>\n It quickly becomes clear that using the wrong tools can really impact your lookahead planning. Your teams will have no real-time insight into the project and there will be no clarity on who\u2019s accountable for what leading to slow and dysfunctional decision making.<\/p>\n Project Managers spend almost 40% of their time chasing updates or creating endless reports. But it shouldn\u2019t be like that.<\/p>\n There is no reason for project teams to get trapped in meetings that take way longer than necessary just because many of the participants lack visibility over what’s happening on the site. This only generates even more mistrust between the different teams and fuels the culture of blame across the supply chain. That\u2019s the last thing you want as a Project Manager.<\/p>\n And this is why next time you start thinking of your lookahead planning you need to take a moment and see whether you could spend less time on your administrative tasks<\/a> by establishing a single and continuously updated source of truth. No matter how great tools WhatsApp and Excel are, they can\u2019t help you with that.<\/p>\n 80% of the process is always the same. So standardising the way you design, collaborate, and eventually build is a valid option. More importantly, it will take a lot of pressure off your shoulders, help you prevent mistakes before they appear, and flag critical problems at an early stage.<\/p>\n To achieve that, you need a construction-specific tool that will help you manage a large amount of historical data so that you can gradually identify the development pattern of your projects and put together an effective plan of action.<\/p>\n This is a very sensitive process that a tool like WhatsApp isn\u2019t able to support. The reason is, of course, the absence of a single source of truth where information can be easily linked to specific tasks.<\/p>\n Documentation in construction is always key. As a Project Manager, you should be able to retrieve critical information at any time so that you can efficiently respond to claims in your projects. When you resort to tools such as WhatsApp and Excel that can be tough.<\/p>\n On the contrary, by relying on a digital solution that is built for construction (e.g. LetsBuild) you can keep your projects protected against claims thanks to the following benefits:<\/p>\n Regardless of the size or the type of your construction projects, one thing is for sure. All your tools should be connected to the plan in real time ensuring that no information is lost or delivered late.<\/p>\n WhatsApp might be an excellent tool for delivering your information in real time but there is one serious problem. The data you share through WhatsApp (or Excel, email etc.) is connected neither to the 3-6 week schedule nor to the master plan.<\/p>\n That small but crucial detail makes it impossible both for you, as a Project Manager, and your team to assess the importance of an update the moment you receive it. And that\u2019s something that only an app that is built for construction can offer to you.<\/p>\n By now, you have a good idea of why using WhatsApp isn\u2019t enough for successfully managing your construction projects. But it\u2019s time for action!<\/p>\n Thanks to our new detailed guide below, you have the opportunity to explore how construction-specific tools can improve collaboration between your teams and link your site to the plan in real time.<\/p>\n\n
2. There isn\u2019t a single source of truth<\/h2>\n
3.\u00a0 Standardisation is impossible<\/h2>\n
4. Your projects are vulnerable to claims<\/h2>\n
Read also: How to manage claims in construction more efficiently<\/a><\/h3>\n
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5. No connection to the plan<\/h2>\n
Download our free ebook and learn what you should do next<\/h2>\n