How to Keep Construction Projects on Track with Gantt for NetSuite

ARTICLE

Managing construction projects can be a headache.

The bigger the job, the bigger the headache.

All the tasks, deadlines, dependencies, and resources involved can create confusion and lots of opportunities for things to go wrong. Keeping track of items in your head is overwhelming. Paper forms are hard to manage. Spreadsheets can quickly become out of date and don’t provide visibility to other stakeholders. It is no wonder that deadlines are missed, budgets are blown, and managers, operations teams, and clients waste so much time trying to determine where things stand.

More project managers are using Gantt charts – visual representations of all the tasks in a project schedule. But these Gantt charts are typically not available to everyone involved with a project.

One way that construction companies can better manage project tasks and resources, no matter the project size, is with a Gantt chart form built inside Oracle NetSuite ERP, the world’s #1 cloud ERP. Leading construction management solutions that are native in Oracle NetSuite make this possible.

5 Benefits of Gantt for Oracle NetSuite
There are five reasons to use a Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite.

1. 1. Ease-of-use.
      A Gantt chart makes it easy for stakeholders to understand when activities and tasks will occur. Construction management solutions provide an intuitive interface to a Gantt worksheet. “Drag and drop” functionality allows users to establish a baseline schedule effortlessly. Customizable color-coding enables users to instantly see the timeline for a project and track completed versus pending tasks. And displaying the Gantt chart within Oracle NetSuite allows users to do all this using familiar screens within the company’s ERP.
   2. Responsiveness.
      Using a Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite helps builders keep projects on track. Users can instantly see when tasks will start and end, crucial milestones, and dependencies for an entire project. Some construction management solutions link tasks to calculate dependencies automatically. And the flexibility of a Gantt chart makes it easy for managers to adjust schedules and understand the implications of unforeseen events such as a task that takes too long. The timeline can be automatically adjusted when individual tasks are changed. All this helps builders set more accurate deadlines – and meet them.
   3. Streamlined Communications.
      A Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite helps project managers and operations teams stay on the same page throughout a project, reducing the possibility of miscommunication and things slipping through the cracks. For instance, using a Gantt chart form for Oracle NetSuite eliminates any confusion about deadlines. Different tasks can be color-coded for easy reporting. Managers can see how a project is progressing and whether deadlines were met. What’s more, construction management solutions make it easy for managers to compare the budgeted timeline against the actual. And the centralized collection of information ensures that nothing is overlooked. Operations teams always know what comes next so they can allocate their resources. Resources can even receive automatic reminders and alerts of upcoming due dates. Automated reporting puts crucial insights into the hands of those who need them without creating another administrative burden. Some construction management solutions can even export data from a Gantt chart to a spreadsheet.
   4. Better Resource Allocation.
      Every builder wants to make the most of its resources. With a Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite, project managers can instantly see when tasks are scheduled, how long they are expected to last, any overlap between tasks, and the resources allocated to each task. Construction management solutions allocate resources to tasks in a Gantt chart and manage resource allocation to prevent over-or under-utilization.
   5. Increased Profitability.
      A Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite provides the visibility and control that builders need to ensure that projects finish in the black. Graphically displaying the progress of a project and the implications of any dependencies that take longer than anticipated empowers managers to act fast when problems arise. Unchecked, these issues could result in missed milestones that could delay cash flow or result in cost overruns.

Each of these benefits is compelling.
Together, they help ensure the success of a project.

What’s more, a Gantt chart form built into Oracle NetSuite extends the value of ERP investments.

Looking for a better way to manage your project tasks and resources?

Contact us to arrange a no-obligation consultation with one our experts.