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How to Choose the Right ERP for Your AEC Firm: 5 Key Must-Haves
Choosing the right ERP is critical for your AEC firm’s future success—below we discuss five essential capabilities that will keep your business competitive, efficient, and ready for what's next + we provide a downloadable checklist to help you evaluate ERP software for your firm.
As technology evolves at an unprecedented pace, AEC business leaders know that staying competitive means adapting. Firms that rely on outdated software risk falling behind, while those that embrace modern, integrated solutions are better positioned to thrive. Future-proofing your business means ensuring your software can keep pace with the demands of tomorrow. Below are five must-have capabilities your business software should offer to help your firm stay ahead of the curve.
1. Drive User Adoption Through Seamless Integration
One of the most significant challenges AEC firms face when it comes to enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is user adoption. If your team doesn't embrace the software, you lose valuable data that could otherwise drive insights and optimize operations. Not to mention your employees’ productivity is hindered. Modern AEC software should seamlessly integrate with existing tools like Outlook and Teams, bringing critical business processes directly to your employees where they already work. By providing a familiar user experience within everyday tools, such as Outlook and Teams, you can enhance user adoption and drive productivity.
2. Enable Collaboration Across Teams
Successful AEC projects require collaboration between multiple teams—designers, project managers, HR, finance, marketing, and business development. However, traditional ERP systems tend to silo this information, making it difficult for different departments to work together effectively. AEC software should enable seamless communication and teamwork by integrating with collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams. By creating dedicated collaboration sites for pursuits and projects within Teams, teams can share documents, manage tasks, and access critical project information, enhancing overall efficiency and productivity.
3. Support Mobility and Field Access
As the workforce becomes more distributed, employees spend more time ‘on the go,’ and fieldwork grows more prevalent. Therefore having a business software solution that supports mobility is critical. AEC software should provide native mobile apps that allow employees to access crucial business processes and data in the field as well as in the office. Whether it's updating time and expenses or accessing CRM information, employees should have the flexibility to stay connected and productive from anywhere, anytime, on any device.
4. Flexibility for Changing Business Needs
As the industry evolves, your firm must be able to pivot to meet new challenges. This includes adopting new service lines, pursuing alternative revenue sources, and adapting to regulatory changes. Your ERP software must be flexible enough to accommodate these shifts without requiring expensive and time-consuming overhauls.
Low-code and no-code development platforms, such as Microsoft Power Platform, are revolutionizing the way firms can customize their business software. These tools allow firms to develop their own applications or modify existing workflows without needing to hire expensive developers. With minimal effort, firms can configure their ERP system to address unique or evolving business requirements.
5. Leverage Advanced Analytics and AI for Better Decision-Making
To gain valuable insights and drive productivity, your AEC software should leverage advanced analytics and AI capabilities. Solutions like Microsoft Power BI offer powerful analytics tools that enable you visualize project performance, resource utilization, and financial metrics in real-time. Additionally, AI-powered features such as Copilot can automate tasks, summarize information, and generate actionable insights, empowering you to make informed decisions and drive business growth.
Download the AEC Business Software Checklist
If your current ERP system is falling short, it’s time to evaluate your options. To help you choose the right software for your firm, we’ve created a comprehensive Business Software Checklist that you can download and use when evaluating ERP systems.
Ready for more? Invest in your firm’s future today
Investing in AEC software equipped with these five must-have features is essential for future-proofing your firm and staying ahead in a constantly changing market. By driving user adoption, facilitating collaboration, enabling mobility, quickly adapting to changing requirements, and harnessing advanced intelligence, your firm can better position itself for success in the future.
Watch our full webinar, 5 Must-Haves for AEC Business Software of the Future, on-demand to discover how to stay ahead with modern technology such as aec360 and Dynamics365.