Architecture Industry Benefits from Automatic Time Mapping

Architecture is one of many industries that greatly benefit from time tracking. In most cases, clients are billed by the hour, workers are paid by the hour – so it’s essential to have an accurate overview of worked hours.

However, using a simple time tracking software won’t cut it for a large architecture company with hundreds of workers and dozens of projects. In order for everything to run smoothly, managers in architecture firms need more sophisticated software. And this is where automatic time mapping (ATM) comes in.

What is ATM?

Automatic time mapping is a time tracking software for an architect which gives you a detailed overview of how your team spends time. What’s even better, it integrates with your building information modeling (BIM) software and automatically detects on which projects your team is working, so you don’t have to worry about wrongly allocated time.

What Are the Benefits of BIM + ATM Integration?

Architects today are highly dependent on the use of different software and hardware which helps them complete their projects. Those tools definitely include BIM software.

Projects you’re working on usually take up a lot of time, and all of them are divided into smaller tasks. This means that there are plenty of outputs coming from each project’s part. Keeping track of all this information can be a huge burden on the manager, and it can be quite difficult to carry on all duties in this environment. 

Luckily, BIM and ATM integration provide you with a clear picture of everything your team is doing. It adds transparency, while tremendously improving Internal and external communication. Furthermore, you can use gathered information to assess current and future projects with great accuracy.

It’s definitely worth to read more details about these benefits, so I’ll cover them in more details within the next few sections.

Improved Budget Management

As I already mentioned, architect firms are usually paid by the hour, and that’s just one of the reasons they should use a work tracker. Additionally, missed deadlines result in notable penalties you don’t want to pay. 

With an automated time tracking and billing software for architects, each second of your team’s work will be counted (and paid for). Given that the software tracks projects and tasks as well you’ll be able to check-in and make sure your team is staying on schedule.

The best thing about it is that the calculations are extremely accurate, giving you a perfect way to make decisions that will certainly be profitable, as well as organize project resources the right way.

Avoiding Contractual Conflicts

AutoCAD time tracking software comes in very handy when it comes to contractual conflicts. And don’t tell me that you’ve never been in this situation. If you’re using a work tracker, you’ll have the proof of work which covers you in case that client is trying to pay for fewer hours than you worked. 

Furthermore, in the case of client complains you can go back to your dashboard and check which employee was handling the project portion in question.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Accurate project estimates are essential for every architecture firm. If you’re able to accurately predict the time and resources needed to complete a project you’re bidding for, you’re definitely going to make new life-long clients. 

Since the work tracker tracks all activity on all projects, you can go back in time and check how much time and other resources you needed to complete it.

Another point that falls under improved efficiency and productivity is your team. When you start using an automated time mapping tool, your employees will be aware you’re tracking their every step, so they’ll try their best to look good. This is commonly known as the Hawthorne effect.

Final Thoughts

BIM tools integrate perfectly with ATM to provide great benefits for architecture companies. What is more, ATM tools aren’t as costly as one might think, so they won’t drain your budget.