For decades, the spreadsheet laid the foundation of project controls in construction projects, from the simplest to the most complex. Widespread and easy to access, the spreadsheet consolidated data and guided billions of projects grow from ideation to delivery. But in many areas, and especially in capital construction, projects have grown more complex, pushing past the limitations of spreadsheet-driven project management.
In today’s increasingly challenging building environment, schedule delays and budget overruns have become the norm. A 2022 McKinsey study of 500 global projects worth at least $100 million or more found that the average capital project exceeded initial cost estimates by 79 percent and overran expected timelines by 52 percent. Spreadsheets certainly have certainly proven unable to keep up with the demands of complex projects. They simply can’t provide the visibility, automation, and scale today’s teams need.
Fortunately, there’s a better way.
This guide will equip capital construction technology buyers with the insights they need to identify the right integrated project controls solution for overcoming these challenges and realize the benefits on the way to maximizing their return on investment.
Traditional Construction Project Controls Fall Short
Four major challenges result when companies in capital construction use traditional project controls tools like spreadsheet or even disjointed project controls software:
- Uncontrolled Cost and Budget Overruns – Without detailed, real-time visibility into budgets, schedules, and forecasts, hidden inefficiencies and expenses can grow into massive budget overruns. Delays and costs go on to threaten project success and profitability.
- Miscommunication From Fragmented Project Data – Spreadsheets give users flexibility to solve immediate needs. But when dozens of versions circulate across a single project, inconsistencies multiply. The result: Reporting errors and misaligned financials, which force leaders to make high-stakes decisions based on outdated or inaccurate data.
- Difficulty Scaling Across Complex Projects – Manual processes force project teams to spend time on data entry, chasing approvals, and fixing errors. Administrative burdens like these drain resources that could be applied to more strategic work. Reliance on outdated methods constrains organizations’ ability to work efficiently, scale effectively, and stay competitive.
- Change Order Management Nightmares – Manual tracking and disconnected communications lead to rework, missed opportunities, and scope creep. Without a centralized system, change orders disappear in inboxes, resulting in schedule delays and contract disputes, and no clear record of their actual cost.
Real-Time, Data-Driven Construction Project Controls Raise the Bar
Forward thinking capital construction teams turn to an integrated project controls solution to overcome these challenges and deliver projects more predictably. To merit the label, an integrated project controls solution should deliver:
- Time-Phased Budgeting and Forecasting – Align budgets with project progress to prevent underfunding or overspending.
- Earned Value Management – Pinpoint risk and eliminate subjectivity from progress tracking by measuring earned versus actual performance.
- Change Order and Scope Control – Prevent surprise disputes while keeping budgets on track by capturing and tracking issues, change orders, and necessary information.
- What-If Scenario Planning – Anticipate risks and adjust budgets before issues occur and test different financial scenarios based on scope changes, delays, or additional external factors.
- Detailed Work Packaging – Keep field teams engaged and projects on track with a structured, sequenced approach to task execution.
- Cross-Tool Reports and Dashboards – Integrate data for reliable project reporting at a moment’s notice.
Capabilities like these are possible only when a construction project controls solution combines automation, reporting, and data management into a single solution for keeping project health and progress front and center. Ideally, the right project controls solution can integrate with existing ERP, scheduling, and procurement tools and maintain that flow of data from one platform to the next.
Integrated Project Controls Transform Construction Performance
Capital construction teams working with integrated project controls solutions gain greater visibility and improve accountability. Teams can move beyond the limitations of spreadsheet and gain capabilities to transform their work in a range of ways.
- Track Costs in Real-Time – Compare actual expenditures against planned amounts and spot trends like rising costs as they occur so teams can plan a proactive response.
- Unify Data – With an integrated solution, teams can unify financial and projection data, then add scope changes, contracts, budgets, and forecasts in real-time so that stakeholders can access the latest information at any time.
- Automate Workflows – Minimize manual data entry and provide project teams with a standardized workflow with instant field-to-office data syncing.
- Save Money – Capture and track issues, change orders, and key details to prevent scope creep and schedule delays. Never leave money on the table with easily accessible price cost impacts.
Experiencing the ROI of Integrated Project Controls
With the right solution, integrated project controls isn’t just a cost, it’s an investment that promises better cost control, faster deliver, and increased efficiency. No business leader expects instant ROI. But careful consideration during the buying process can determine how soon the investment pays off. Over time, look for benefits including:
- Cost Management Efficiency – By enabling real-time cost monitoring and early detection of budget overruns, integrated project control solutions can measure the improvement in budget tracking and cost variance analysis, leading to significant savings.
- Schedule Performance – Centralized scheduling and progress tracking enhances overall timelines and can help teams measure the reduction in delays and improvements in on-time delivery rates.
- Resource Utilization – Improved resource allocation and utilization rates leads to greater productivity and cost savings.
- Risk Mitigation – Advanced risk management features can help identify and mitigate potential issues early and reduce the overall costs associated with those risks.
- Data Integration and Reporting – Reduced manual effort on tasks like data entry, analysis, and reporting improve decision-making speed and accuracy while reducing the likelihood of errors.
When considering an integrated project controls solution, the return on investment manifests in both direct and indirect efficiency gains. Of course, there’s the immediate benefit of more efficient processes and improved data visibility, but the opportunity to increase customer trust and further differentiate from competitors while freeing contributors from redundant tasks is a considerable benefit for any organization.
Investing in Integrated Project Controls: An Example from Kiewit
With a history spanning over 140 years and diverse project portfolio, Kiewit is no stranger to adapting its methods to keep pace with technological change. For example the North American construction firm’s recent work on the South Fork offshore electrical substation saw Kiewit onboard a more robust integrated project controls solution to manage the multi-billion dollar project and its complex stakeholders and regulatory requirements. By consolidating project data into a shared library, the team successfully delivered the 1500-ton substation while reducing manual administrative processes and improving communication between 80 concurrent users and 4,000+ checklists.
Choosing the Right Solution Provider
While the need for improved project controls is clear, few obstacles that can derail an organization’s technological progression more thoroughly than a failed adoption. The right technology partner provides more than software, they also deliver services that support adoption and long-term success. Teams should choose a tool that integrates with workflows, consolidates data, and helps them move beyond spreadsheets, while also providing support throughout the partnership.
As you evaluate project controls software like InEight, prioritize solutions that unify data, reduce manual work, and support adoption over time. Tools such as InEight Project Controls are purpose-built for capital construction, giving teams the visibility and accountability needed to deliver projects on time and on budget.
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