Growth is a great problem to have, as it probably means your business or organization is flourishing. However, continued growth brings with it the need to add more space. Maybe your people are working elbow-to-elbow, or maybe you’ve launched a new product line that requires additional room for production. Or maybe your facilities need substantial upgrades. Even if you use a space management system to get the most profitable use out of all your buildings, at some point you’ll need to consider new construction. That’s where problems can start, as runaway capital projects are notorious for busting budgets.

If you use an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) like IBM TRIRIGA®, you already know how it’s designed to streamline processes, reduce expenses and discover new revenue opportunities. IBM created TRIRIGA’s Capital Projects Manager module specifically for construction of all sorts. Let’s take a look at how it can help you find solutions in construction management—and help you complete your projects on time and within your budget.

Construction Management Solution: Capital Projects Manager

An IWMS can help companies decide when old buildings should be remodeled, when new buildings should be built, where they should be located, the amount of space required, what purposes they should serve, and their costs over their estimated lifespan. Capital Projects Manager includes features for planning, bidding, document management and financial accounting.

Users of TRIRIGA software get a leg up on managing complex capital projects right from the planning stages. You can capture, review and approve design documents from anywhere you have access to TRIRIGA. With Capital Projects Manager, all project planning includes risk assessment, so you’ll know about potential bottlenecks in advance and be able to keep a close eye on them. That’s in addition to automated project management controls, which notify you of current and potential variances that could derail your projects.

Construction Management Solution: Track All Projects and Tasks

The first step to managing your construction and capital projects is to ensure they’re being accurately and comprehensively tracked from the start. IBM TRIRIGA makes this easy for you and your project teams through templates that capture information about the tasks that comprise your capital projects, then make that information available to anyone who needs it. In addition to having ready access to the relevant details of their current projects, your teams also have access to the progress and timelines of all other projects as needed. That means less time spent on status reports and more time spent on the job.

One of the most valuable aspects of this type of software is how it offers a single view of all your capital projects and component tasks, encompassing everything from replacing a single boiler to building and opening a series of new facilities. Each project is color-coded to give you a sense of its progression in terms of scheduling and budgeting variances. You’ll have easy access to information about who’s managing each specific task within each project, so if a project is late or over budget, you’ll know where to start your analysis. If one team is behind schedule on a task, you’ll see how that delay could affect other teams in terms of delivery and budget. You’ll know about potential problems before they happen—and you’ll have a chance to avoid them.

Construction Management Solution: Track All Vendors

Capital Projects Manager also lets you manage all your vendors—and track their progress along with that of your own people. Early on in the process of selecting a vendor, you’ll be able to manage all your requests for quotations (RFQs) and requests for proposals (RFPs). Once you’ve partnered with a vendor, the software will track all associated contracts and commitments, reducing delays and making sure everyone is on the same page about contractual obligations.

Once again, the system will help you determine project risks upfront. You can also use the software to set your funding priorities across your whole portfolio of capital projects. Vendor payments and accounting are all part of the same system, which will help you manage timelines, milestones and fiscal budgets for all that construction.

Construction Management Solution: Industry-Specific Solutions

Depending on your industry, you might reap additional benefits from industry-specific solutions. eCIFM now offers IWMS solutions customized to the specific needs of multiple industries, including education, government, manufacturing and technology, utilities, retail and financial services. Each solution is uniquely suited to the particular demands of an industry. IBM TRIRIGA for Retail, for example, offers complete store lifecycle management from concept to opening to decommissioning.

Likewise, your team can access the capital project information it needs onsite with Projects On-The-Go. Real-time access to project designs, images and specifications helps save valuable research time. It also gives your people the power to ask for more information or report problems in the moment as needed.

If you find yourself managing a burst of growth within your organization or business, consider a construction management solution like IBM TRIRIGA’s Capital Projects Manager to reduce the risk of delayed capital projects that blow their deadlines and burst their budgets. With the aid of a robust and powerful IWMS, you can enjoy the rewards of growth without the headaches caused by out-of-control costs and insufficient information to make informed decisions. The eCIFM team can work with you to find the optimal solutions to all your construction management issues.

If you’re searching for construction management solutions for your capital projects, contact eCIFM. The eCIFM team includes some of the world’s leading TRIRIGA experts, who have helped companies implement IWMS for decades. Our developers work continuously to improve and expand every aspect of desktop and mobile IWMS. If you need better insight into your capital projects, we’d like to hear from you.