The Hidden Costs of Relying on Email and Excel for Prefabrication Management
May 29, 2024
Running a prefabrication operation is no joke. The #1 complaint from prefabrication shop leaders? Communication breakdowns and lack of accurate insights into shop operations. Most shops are still stuck in the dark ages, managing their processes with email and Excel. It’s a mess.
Here’s the harsh reality: email and Excel can’t keep up with modern prefabrication demands. Too many stakeholders, too many tasks, too many timelines. These outdated tools lead to inefficiencies and hidden costs that eat into your bottom line.
Why Prefabrication Leaders Rely on Email
Email is the workhorse of the digital age. It’s everywhere, easy to use, no training needed, and it’s free. Perfect for manufacturing, right? Think again.
Do you really want more emails? Do you open every email the second it arrives? How’s your inbox looking? (Mine’s a disaster.)
Prefabrication orders sent through email cause project delays and miscommunications. Here’s how:
Shop managers must babysit their inboxes all day.
Orders get buried in unnecessary cc’s and replies.
When your workload scales, your inbox explodes.
Orders get missed until a follow-up email finally gets noticed.
The true cost of using email is higher than you think. But Excel isn’t any better.
Why Prefabrication Leaders Rely on Excel
Excel is a legend in construction. It’s simple, low-cost, and versatile. Everyone’s got an ‘Excel wizard’ who can bend it to their will. But as your operation grows, so do Excel’s limitations.
Here’s where Excel fails:
Excel struggles with large datasets.
Collaboration is a nightmare with multiple users.
Manual data entry and formulas are breeding grounds for errors.
Integrating Excel with other software is like herding cats.
Are Email and Excel REALLY Free?
Nope. The hidden costs are killing you. Time wasted, errors made, data security risks, and missed opportunities for efficiency and collaboration. The smart money is on dedicated project management software, like EVOLVE Shop.
What if Your Workflow Looked Like This?
EVOLVE Shop is built by contractors, for contractors. It’s a game-changer. Imagine this: a platform that aligns your BIM, Prefabrication, and field teams. Work orders, assembly details, progress tracking, and reporting — all in one place.
Cost Breakdown:
With email and Excel: $16.66 per work order.
With EVOLVE Shop: $4.16 per work order.
Time Savings:
2 work orders per day: from 13 hours/month to 3.5 hours/month. Cost drops from $650 to $166.
20 work orders per day: from 133 hours/month to 33 hours/month. Cost drops from $6,650 to $1,664.
What used to take hours now takes minutes. Switching to EVOLVE Shop frees up labor and eliminates the headaches of email chains and spreadsheet errors.
See the full cost breakdown in this eBook: Why the Best Prefabrication Shops are Making the Switch Top-tier prefabrication shops are moving to digital project management.
EVOLVE Shop delivers cost efficiency, time savings, increased visibility, and productivity boosts. It’s a no-brainer.
Ditch email and Excel. Bring your prefabrication operations into the future. Get a demo today and see how EVOLVE Shop can transform your process.