Joanna Mulgrew, Managing Director of HBXL Building Software, challenges any builder to resist digital tools in 2025 at their peril.
If you’re not using digital tools to manage your building business, you’re not giving yourself a fighting chance in 2025. Running a small to medium-sized building company in the UK residential construction sector is no easy feat, especially in the current economic climate.
It’s currently a tough environment, but ambitious building firms can give themselves the best chance of success if they’re willing to adapt and make the most of digital tools. We see it with the building firms in the HBXL community, who are either adding to their software suite, upgrading to more featured versions, making sure they have the very latest product, and so on. They can see the difference software makes to their business and they’re ‘tooling up’. So, let’s dive into the current difficulties facing SME builders.
Professional estimating
One of the key ways builders can protect themselves is through accurate estimating. Misquoting on projects is a major reason for business failures, especially when profit margins are razor-thin. You need professional estimating software to remove the guesswork. You want software that draws on the latest material prices. You want inflation built-in. No underquoting eating into your profits. And no over-quoting that will surely price you out of contention. As we say here at HBXL, ‘you don’t make your money on site, you make it on your laptop’.
A professionally-written contract allows you to fairly review and amend the price of a job, nearer to its start date. This is particularly relevant to larger home extensions, lofts and new builds which might be scheduled 6-12 months ahead.
Impressing homeowners
The increased cost of living plus higher interest rates have put people off having work done as they can’t just ‘stick the project on the mortgage’ or get a low-rate loan for the work to be completed. It’s crucial to impress a smaller pool of potential clients from the outset. An impressive looking visual created using the right CAD software sets you apart from your competitors. You don’t even need to draw from scratch. Simply trace over the existing plans the customer has given you. Once completed you’ll have detailed 3D visualisations of the project. Draw from scratch and you can add ‘Design & Build’ to your name. The ability to produce plans yourself rather than going through an architect every time, will save you money when margins are already tight.
Job management
With pressures mounting, builders need to make sure their projects run like clockwork. But juggling multiple tasks, managing teams, handling suppliers, and keeping track of finances can be overwhelming. Cloud-based Job and Task Management software for builders specifically, allows you to manage every aspect of a job from start to finish, all in one place. It keeps track of time schedules, material orders, the latest documents and much more. You can set tasks for everyone and monitor the outcomes – wherever you are. This level of organisation reduces the chance of errors, missed deadlines, or overspending. By staying on top of every element of a project, you can complete jobs more efficiently, improving your reputation and successfully locking in your profit.
Mental health
Mental health is an often-overlooked issue in the construction sector, but it’s a growing concern. Stress, long hours, cashflow, financial uncertainty, and the pressure to deliver, are all contributing factors.
When you manage a project with the help of accurate estimating, professional CAD designs, and streamlined job management, you’re less likely to encounter the kind of delays, mistakes, and miscommunications that can cause high levels of stress. Digital tools give you more control over your projects and allow you to focus on the bigger picture, rather than getting bogged down by day-to-day details.
Having a good contract, plus cashflow and stage payment profile for each job are also key. I strongly believe that you cannot subsidise a client’s project. If you let them off the cost of any part of the project you are literally bank-rolling the work. If you’ve been upfront from the outset, you’ll sleep easier.
The importance of adaptability
Flexibility is key. Businesses that are slow to adopt new ways of working or that cling to outdated methods risk falling behind. Inter-connected software is designed for flexibility. You should be using digital tools that allow you to scale to suit the size and complexity of your business. You want easy to use software that you can start seeing the benefits from immediately. The construction industry as a whole, is moving towards digital solutions, and builders who make the switch now will be better equipped to weather future storms.
Winning more business
As I’ve said, it’s all about gaining a competitive edge. You want to present clients with professional, accurate quotes, bring a client’s vision to life with attractive looking 3D models, and clear schedules. When you have a system in place that ensures every aspect of a job is handled smoothly, then clients notice. With the right job management software, you can even give your client access to their own dashboard to keep them in the loop. You want to instil confidence with a depth of understanding that your competitors aren’t demonstrating.
HBXL Software provides the ammunition
You can’t afford to leave things to chance. The market is too competitive, and the risks are too high. Those who are willing to embrace digital tools are setting themselves up to do well in the current climate. HBXL’s estimating software EstimatorXpress, CAD software PlansXpress, job management software BuildProjex, and our contracts software ContractsXpert, are perfect for this. Importantly, they all ‘talk’ to each other, so project data is shared once across all tools, so for one thing, less time is spent on admin.
The construction industry is evolving, and builders need to evolve with it. Don’t underestimate the power of digital tools – they could be the key to your business’s survival and growth.
You can try HBXL software tools for free – download them instantly at My Trial – HBXL Estimating Software for Builders and Developers.
