In this blog, we’ll first look at some challenges to knowledge work automation in the construction industry before exploring four benefits of successful automation.

Challenges for Knowledge Work Automation 

One of the biggest hurdles any company must face before implementing knowledge work automation is the upfront investment. It can be hard to think long-term when a price tag is staring you in the face! But it’s important to remember that your ROI for automation software will continue months and years into the future, saving you time and money across the board.

Another challenge to implementing knowledge work automation is inconsistent adoption within a company. If some employees are using an automation system, but the rest are not, you likely won’t see a significant ROI. It’s important to strategically plan out any software implementation and ensure you have employee buy-in as well as plenty of training opportunities.

4 Benefits of Knowledge Work Automation 

Although there are challenges associated with implementing automation within the construction industry, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Here are four of the biggest benefits of knowledge work automation within this industry:

• Increasing Efficiency

Software that can automate workflows or document creation can make a huge difference to the efficiency of your business. By automating repetitive processes, this software can free up your employees’ time for more higher-order tasks. For example, if your company uses a standard contract template, a software solution like M-Files can automate contract creation—your employees will only have to fill out a short questionnaire in order to make an entire document.

• Enhancing Compliance & Safety

The more manual tasks your employees must accomplish, the higher the chances of manual error. In an industry like construction, manual errors can be extremely costly and even dangerous. Automation can eliminate some of these manual tasks, reducing the chances of error. In addition, document automation software makes it easy to find and retrieve important compliance documents when needed (like when your company is audited).

• Empowering Collaboration

Document automation software like M-Files can improve collaboration between departments and employees alike. Instead of emailing a document back and forth, creating different versions each time (often leading to someone naming a document “final_FINAL.pdf”), everyone with permission to edit a document can work on it in a central place—even at the same time, if needed. What’s more, strict version control means that you can always see who made what change and when.

• Exploring AI

Businesses everywhere are exploring what AI means for them, and construction companies are no different. AI is currently being added to design software and project scheduling software, for example. On the workflow automation side, AI is powering more intricate and “smart” search capabilities, employee chatbots, and predictive analytics. We’re excited to see the many ways AI continues to improve automation software!

Ready to Take the Leap? We’re Here to Help! 

Learn more about what M-Files can do for you here. If you’d like to explore whether M-Files is right for your business, we’d love to hear from you! We can help strategize, implement, integrate, and customize your M-Files solution. We’re passionate about creating the perfect solution for your unique business. Contact us today to get started!