3 Reasons Why Subcontractors Need Digital Forms

If you’re a smaller general contractor or a subcontractor, you’ve probably been leaving the latest digital forms and other tech tools to the giant general contracting firms. The costs are too high for a business your size, you think – but that may be a mistake. Subcontractors may have even more to lose by ignoring technology than the big guys do!

Because of their often smaller businesses, the unique role they play on construction projects, and the tighter profit margins they often work with, small generals and subs have lots to gain from digital tools.

To the outsider, construction companies may all look alike. However, anyone who’s worked in the industry knows that subcontractors often deal with unorganized projects that run late or have lagging schedules. Plus, subs have to put out funds for payroll and supplies.

All in all, subs have a lot to lose on each project. Subcontractors need to make the most out of each new project — and digital forms can help.

Online Form Benefits

With tighter margins and smaller budgets, it’s tempting to dismiss any costs that may not be strictly essential. However, today’s modern subcontractor is realizing that adopting technology like digital, fillable forms can ultimately improve their workflow.

Here are the top three reasons why the move to digital forms can benefit your business.

1. Digital Forms Provide a High-Level Perspective

Ready for more accurate information about projects, a window into the back end of your operations, and a new perspective on what you’re doing?

Subcontractors who use digital forms are able to:

• organize information and clearly see where things stand on each project.
• keep an efficient, real-time record of project information.
• automate the extra admin tasks that come with bidding and accounting. (You have to be at every meeting, and all the decisions fall to you — you need all the help you can get!) Delivering paperwork to the back office is no longer an option in our increasingly mobile workforce.

Device Magic empowers you to create custom digitized forms in order to capture rich data sets. You can include photos and barcode scanning, and even geotag information. All this helps to create a single source of truth at each stage of a project.

2. Digital Forms Give You a Competitive Advantage

The forms you use are important for your success! Using digital forms instead of scattered notes can boost your revenue in a couple of unique ways:

• Better information can improve your bottom line by making you more competitive within the market. Greater efficiency means you may be able to do the job for less, making your bid more attractive.
• A clear picture of your projects can help you see around corners, identifying problems before they arise, so you can adapt quicker and keep your projects running on schedule. Completing projects on time is a boon to your reputation and a leg up over the less-organized competition.

3. Digital Forms Strengthen Team Communication

Miscommunication causes extra costs and schedule delays on many projects. Digital project management tools can disseminate information quickly, so that all workers are kept up-to-date and aware of important changes.

By using digital forms, everyone has access to an organized database to find answers and updates. This can help everyone keep track of a project’s status and mitigate risks.

Even better? You can build new tools like digital construction checklists and the exact forms your team needs to succeed.

Using online forms will keep everyone on the same page. This will help you avoid costly and time-consuming rework.

Wrapping Up: Ready to Go Digital?

Is it time for you to digitize your data and streamline operations?

Through greater efficiency and better organization you can do better work and improve your margins at the same time, earning back any investment you’ve made in your digital tools.

As a subcontractor, you can really benefit from using digital forms. Far from being only for massive general contracting firms, construction technology can offer benefits specifically to subcontractors and smaller generals. For example, smaller firms can keep a tight grasp on their projects’ schedules, improve the way they work, and get more competitive over time.

Luckily, there are affordable solutions that can help you join the tech revolution.