Do you manage a team of architects, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers? Do you wish to coordinate communication more efficiently among these diverse groups? Construction collaboration software can help.
With collaboration software, you can coordinate communication among multiple construction teams and stakeholders by providing a centralized communication and file sharing platform. Your teams can collaborate on the latest project documents and communicate via a built-in chat option to share updates and stay on the same page.
This article highlights, in alphabetical order, the top five collaboration software for small businesses based on user reviews. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. Asana
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from construction professionals who have used Asana for collaboration:
"The software has been easy to use, and the various features have been helpful in managing projects and tasks. The timelines feature has been especially helpful in tracking progress and staying on top of deadlines. The integrations with popular third-party applications have also been very useful in streamlining workflows. All in all, I have been very pleased with Asana and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an effective work management platform."
"It is easy to set-up and change, also I keep always updated, portfolios is a good feature and the improvement of the developer is really amazing, new changes are always welcome by me."
"I like that Asana is an all-in-one work management platform that helps teams stay organized, track progress, and manage their work. The intuitive design and user-friendly interface make it easy to use, and the wide range of features makes it a great choice for teams needing to collaborate effectively.”
2. Box
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from construction professionals who have used Box for collaboration:
"Box is a great program easy to use with great ability of development with backup, managing and editing file from my own computer or at office and also my phone as well. Its simple and easy."
"Box has been great for cloud storage and file sharing across devices and team members. I enjoyed how responsive the software is for my project team. Clicking through folders is as quick as going through documents on your hard drive. It is also easy to use the webpage to share documents with users outside your organization."
"Box has been super easy to use and very intuitive. We don't use it every day or even every week but when we have to access old files they've always been simple to retrieve and easy to utilize."
3. Google Workspace
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from construction professionals who have used Google Workspace for collaboration:
“My overall experience with this typical technology is, that it's saved me alit of money, time, and grief that I'd lost if I'd picked a different technology for my business. It has made a world of difference for me as i go daily with my company from day to day, and wouldn't use anything but Google workspace for my day to day business. It's great!"
"Google Workspace has been fantastic for helping me manage my business, securely store files on its platform, and the dashboard is incredibly easy to use and navigate."
"The Google suite is well know outside of business and is often intuitive and user friendly with a low learning curve. Version history and sharing makes collaborating easy, effective, and prevents losing data or information."
Read all Google Workspace reviews here.
4. monday.com
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from construction professionals who have used monday.com for collaboration:
"monday.com helped us prepare schedules for some projects that need to be implemented in a short time and include a few activities, as it enabled us to follow them accurately and ensure that all tasks are being worked on according to the approved plan, and also enabled us to set up a dashboard for it and also enables us to share it easily With our managers so that they can properly understand the situation of the business and can take appropriate decisions."
"The ease of use and the ability to see all tasks and their due dates at a high level is extremely useful. Furthermore, the communication aspect is very valuable when teams are remote."
"Such a simple way to keep complex projects and tasks organised. Visual and UX components are so well thought out. Super easy to setup new boards using templates to cover just about every conceivable work scenario."
Read all monday.com reviews here.
5. Trello
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from construction professionals who have used Trello for collaboration:
"It offers you a free trial version so you can test out the main features and workflows it offers for construction management. I love the list type of format that is very useful for managing tasks and keeping everyone on the team informed. Very easy to use. You can change the background, so it is nice to look at."
"I started using Trello project management software as part of the New construction team and have found that it is a very easy tool to use and keep track of projects and team members. The board sharing and automation are great features, not too time consuming and great Kanban principles. Team members that have never used a project management tool adapt well and enjoy using it."
"Excellent, inexpensive and easy to use construction management software that provides basic project management possible for small growing businesses."
What features does collaboration software offer?
Collaboration software offers the following core features:
Communication management: | Records and tracks all relevant internal and external communications. |
File sharing: | Enables users to digitally share a wide variety of media types, such as images, videos, and documents. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above. Besides these core features, collaboration tools also commonly tend to offer:
Brainstorming
Calendar management
Contact management
Content management
Document management
Mobile access
Real-time editing
Task management
How to choose the right collaboration software for your construction business
Here are some factors to consider when shortlisting a collaboration platform for your construction business:
Look for punch list functionality. Look for software that lets your contractor team create and manage punch lists—which list down items or tasks that need to be completed. This feature ensures efficient collaboration by helping identify and resolve construction project issues, such as cost overruns, changes in project scope, or inaccurate cost estimates. It also offers capabilities such as assigning tasks, setting priorities, and tracking issue-resolution progress to make collaboration easier.
Assess meeting management capabilities. Construction projects involve various meetings, including project kickoff, progress update, and coordination meetings. Collaboration software that includes meeting management features, such as scheduling, agenda creation, attendee management, minutes recording, and action item tracking, facilitates effective communication and decision-making during project meetings.
Determine the level of training and customer support provided by the vendor. Collaboration software implementation requires training for your construction team to ensure proper software adoption and usage. Evaluate the availability of training materials, documentation, and responsive customer support to ensure smooth resolution of issues.
Common questions to ask vendors before purchasing construction collaboration software
Ask vendors the following questions to identify the best collaboration software for your construction business:
How does the software facilitate collaboration between project stakeholders?
Inquire about collaboration features such as instant messaging, discussion boards, and project-specific chat channels. Chat channels and instant messaging enable real-time communication, while discussion boards provide a more structured platform for in-depth discussions on construction project progress.
Does the software allow sharing and reviewing project designs and drawings?
The collaboration software you shortlist should provide a common dashboard to share project designs or drawings with project stakeholders and offer markup tools, revision tracking, and the ability to annotate or comment directly on the documents.
Does the software support mobile access or offer a dedicated mobile app?
Collaboration software that provides mobile access or a dedicated mobile app will allow your construction project teams to access and update project information on the go. It will also enable them to communicate and collaborate with other project stakeholders on the field.