Streamlining Construction Efficiency: 5 Essential Digital Tools to Use

Discover the 5 essential digital tools that can revolutionize construction efficiency, streamline operations, and help you stay competitive.

Jul 19, 2025
Streamlining Construction Efficiency: 5 Essential Digital Tools to Use

The construction industry is no stranger to pressure, whether from tight deadlines, labor shortages, or challenging briefs that require innovative solutions.

Although construction companies are constantly having to think on their feet, the industry was ranked as the least technologically competent.

Using outdated techniques may seem effective for many businesses, but they can lead to project holdups, human error, and costly mistakes.

In this article, we’ll discuss three tools that can work together to improve efficiency in a construction business and enhance everyday operations.


In this article:

5 Essential Tools for Construction Efficiency

  1. Access Coins
  2. Tradify
  3. Bluebeam
  4. Planera
  5. Fieldwire

construction-managers-job-site

The Growing Need for Digital Tools in Construction

When it comes to adopting modern technological advancements, the construction industry is among the slowest to adapt.

With workers constantly darting from site to site and specializing in physical labor, adopting new technological processes can be intimidating, leaving them feeling out of their depth.

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That said, using paper-based techniques to manage projects and timesheets can quickly become problematic, especially as teams grow. The risk of lost paperwork, miscommunications, and teams split across different locations can cause havoc on a project's efficiency.

As operations scale, many field teams, especially trades like roofing that juggle multiple crews and site visits, are turning to digital management software to streamline scheduling, estimates, and daily coordination.

Nowadays, various tools have been developed specifically for the construction industry. Designed to address common frustrations in construction businesses and save time on a daily basis, these tools help companies maintain their edge in a competitive industry.

In addition to improving the business's efficiency, it can also help secure new customer deals.

For potential clients approaching construction businesses, encountering outdated paper quotes and inefficient processes can leave them questioning the company's reliability.

5 Essential Tools for Construction Efficiency

Here are three different tools that can be used in unison to improve the efficiency of a construction business:

1. Access Coins

Access Coins is an all-in-one construction management system. It has been developed specifically for construction businesses, addressing key pain points and uncovering efficiency at every step of the construction lifecycle.

The award-winning platform provides construction businesses with full visibility of their projects. Every aspect can be managed centrally to ensure everyone is working on the same page and has access to updates in real time.

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(Image source: Access Construction)

One key feature of Access Coins is providing a ‘single source of truth’ for all data collected around a construction project. This means users can view project costs, schedules, personnel, and progress.

As shown in the image below, employees have access to their own personalized dashboard, which manages their KPIs and tasks, including approvals.

It also collects data from those on-site via mobile apps, such as time tracking and GRNs. This system ensures projects continue to move forward while costs are tracked in real time.

2. Tradify

As businesses grow and technology advances, paper-based systems have become outdated, and construction companies must find modern ways to manage administrative tasks.

Tradify is another tool that can help transform the way a construction business operates. It brings together everything from enquiries to invoices to help manage the corporate side of a construction company.

tradify

(Image source: Tradify)

The platform allows prospects to fill out an enquiry form, which is then sent to the business, enabling them to use Tradify to produce quotes.

As shown in the image below, the potential customer will receive a professional quote with a detailed cost breakdown and options. They will then be able to accept or reject the quote virtually.

Automating processes that previously required significant human input and time enables the construction team to streamline its operations, allowing it to focus its efforts elsewhere in the business.

3. Bluebeam

Bluebeam is a construction software designed to improve collaboration. It brings teams together, allowing them to manage a project from a single location, thereby creating a more efficient workflow by enhancing communication.

Wherever employees are based, they can access the system and collaborate with their colleagues by editing joint documents in real time.

bluebeam

(Image source: Bluebeam)

The software can also be used during the onboarding process. When a new employee is hired, they will be given access to the platform and can use it to complete administrative processes at their own pace.

This not only makes it more convenient for the new employee, but also saves the business time.

As shown in the image below, another key feature of the Bluebeam platform is access to free training materials.

Subscribers can complete online courses through a series of videos, interactive exercises, and quizzes. This can help the team improve their skills at a pace that suits their needs.

4. Planera

As construction companies scale and projects become more complex, traditional scheduling tools and spreadsheet-based systems often fall short.

Modern teams now require flexible, AI-supported solutions to manage timelines, dependencies, and project risks more efficiently.

Planera is a platform that transforms how construction teams plan, schedule, and optimize their projects. It replaces manual scheduling with a digital, scenario-based system that helps contractors visualize progress, evaluate alternatives, and minimize delays.

The platform enables project teams to build schedules from scratch or import existing ones, then automatically map dependencies and identify the critical path.

Using Planera's construction scheduling software, teams can quickly generate multiple schedule scenarios and instantly see how changes affect timelines.

As shown in the example below, decision-makers receive a clear, visual overview of each schedule option, including resource needs, risk points, and projected completion dates. This helps teams confidently choose the most efficient plan.

By automating complex scheduling tasks that once required hours of manual effort, Planera enables construction teams to streamline operations, reduce rework, and focus on field execution and client delivery.

5. Fieldwire

As construction projects become increasingly fast-paced and distributed across multiple job sites, teams need better ways to coordinate field operations and keep everyone aligned in real time.

Fieldwire is a construction management software for field teams designed specifically for on-site collaboration, helping contractors, project managers, and subcontractors stay connected from the office to the job site.

(Image source: Fieldwire)

The platform centralizes task management, drawings, inspections, and communication into one system, allowing teams to track progress directly from mobile devices.

Field crews can access updated plans, assign tasks, and report issues instantly, reducing delays caused by outdated information or miscommunication.

As shown in the image below, Fieldwire enables teams to mark up drawings, attach photos, and create detailed reports directly from the job site. This ensures project stakeholders always have accurate, real-time visibility into ongoing work.

By replacing fragmented communication channels with a single collaborative workspace, Fieldwire helps construction businesses improve accountability, streamline workflows, and maintain project momentum across every phase of construction.

Staying Competitive in the Construction Industry

Introducing small changes can completely transform a construction business's everyday operations, saving time and money by making ongoing processes more efficient.

Introducing tools such as Access Construction, Tradify, and Bluebeam, which have all been designed with construction companies in mind, can help address recurring frustrations by automating tasks that were once both time-consuming and risked holding up a project.

By embracing modern technologies, a construction company can not only improve efficiency but also remain competitive in today's market.