Key Features a Good Engineering Project Software Should Have
Published: 19/12/2022
Free trial
See for yourself how you can save time and money. Enter your details below for a free 30 day no-obligation trial.
This article is written for project managers and small business owners. If you are searching for new engineering project software to support your businesses, you have come to the right place. We will cover the essential features a good tool should have. Use this article as your guide when exploring a vast software market.
While engineering and manufacturing firms are only beginning their journey towards digitising the back office, the market is ready. Having caught a hint of demand, it has started expanding rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down. A wide range of options makes choosing the right tool even more challenging for still novice software buyers. But we are here to assist them.
In this blog, we aim to define the key features an engineering project management tool should have to be considered effective. Although they may sound quite basic, do not overlook them — everything more complex is built upon these foundations. In fact, you can achieve a lot at a very competitive price if you stick to the essentials. Ultimately, your choice should be guided by your business needs, but we will discuss this in greater detail as we progress.
Different sources will present you with various essential features. Here’s our list of core functionalities for engineering project software:
Time tracking
Attendance system
Document storage
Expense submissions and approvals
Pay & bill
Reporting
Granted, most software vendors will offer larger packages than just these six items. There is nothing wrong with that, and you might indeed need the additional functionality they provide. However, no matter how extensive the feature list is, you shouldn’t be tempted to choose it if at least one of the essentials is missing. Most of the extra features are built upon or support the core ones. Therefore, without them, the effectiveness of the rest is questionable.
Most of the progress-driving work is carried out through physical labour. While the back office guides and sets the direction for on-site processes, it is not directly involved in them. As a result, it lacks visibility of daily operations, potentially missing opportunities and exposing the business to risks. The following features of a project software address this issue.
Let’s be clear - you’re not on the site daily and therefore can’t vouch for how your employees are managing their time. Sure, you see the results, but are your workers truly utilising their time to achieve them? Is there scope to improve performance and reduce costs by using your workforce more efficiently? Even if you opt for micromanagement through frequent surprise audits, the answers will remain elusive. Tracking time is your best option. And we don’t mean paper timesheets that can be easily tampered with. Instead, we recommend using a digital timesheet solution.
First of all, individual timesheets can only be accessed by the designated worker using their unique login details. Even if they share this information with their colleagues to cover for their absence, the moment the colleague logs out of their system will be recorded. This makes it easy to detect malpractice. Secondly, some software includes geo-locators, causing digital timesheets to reflect whether the employee was actually on site when they clocked in. And finally, you can reject timesheets that are not filled in correctly. Instead of spending hours fixing them yourself, the worker at fault will need to resubmit the corrected version for your secondary review.
Whether it’s restocking coffee or paying for fuel when travelling between locations, work-related expenses occur. However, most businesses lack a proper process for submitting, tracking, or reviewing them. This can lead to significant additional costs that easily push you over the project budget. That's why good engineering project software includes features to help you establish a better expenses-related process.
The issue with expenses is that the process seems simple in theory. However, in practice, it involves many complications such as lost receipts, different currencies, taxes, incorrect mileage calculations, and more. Good engineering project software can make it just as straightforward as it appears by providing a dedicated expense management module. Some of the top solutions enable your staff to upload receipts on the move or in bulk when they have many. At Timesheet Portal, we have also included an automatic currency converter and mileage calculator to streamline the process. In short, this feature can help you stop losing money, even if you were unaware of how much you actually lose due to the inefficiency of this process.
The ideal project software solution for the engineering sector streamlines back-office operations as well. Unlike on-site workers, the office-based team faces??of admin work that is tedious and not at all conducive to progress. The right solution will boost efficiency in both areas. Next, we will discuss specific back-office features you should consider adopting.
Every company faces its share of admin work, but the engineering and manufacturing sectors are especially prone to accumulation. From machinery compliance to employee onboarding, it must be neatly stored for audits. Not to mention, the paper trail never stops growing. Timesheets, invoices, expenses, and other documents flood in daily in large volumes. Managing and storing them is as difficult as navigating through the chaos. We all know how impossible it is to find that one piece of documentation you urgently need. Good engineering project software puts an end to that.
If you’re no longer relying on paper and instead use cloud storage, you’re on the right track. Instead of manually uploading documents, a designated platform will automatically save them for you. What’s more, it will be easily accessible to anyone you grant permission to, allowing them to access the documents they need without extra steps. Most document storage platforms also feature a search bar and filters, making it simple to find the file you require. Integrating different solutions can also centralise documentation from various sources into one accessible location.
Finally, one of the most challenging back-office operations in manufacturing is pay and billing. It involves employee compensation, supplies, expenses, independent contractors, and essentially anything related to finances. With so many components, it is not only difficult to stay organised but also particularly demanding when working within tight budgets. From tracking everything to planning the next steps, you are likely investing a lot of time in these tasks—time that could be much better utilised elsewhere.
We’ve already discussed time tracking. The thing is, companies often offer different pay rates for various shifts or tasks, meaning the same employee could be paid at multiple rates. A good timesheet tool can save you time by automating these tedious calculations. All you need to do is optimise your platform, and it will handle the workload for you. Additionally, you can transfer these receipts directly into your accounting software through an integration. The same applies to the expenses mentioned earlier. Lastly, good project management software will also automate invoice generation and distribution, which can be quite time-consuming. In short, once you find the right solution, your main challenge will be deciding how to use the time you’ve reclaimed.
SaaS technology is the fastest-growing market, and although it is already substantial, its expansion shows no signs of slowing down. This makes the search for suitable project software overwhelming, as the options vary widely. Each vendor appears to offer long lists of features that justify the price and look attractive. However, this is not a temptation to be easily taken in by.
This is something software companies that charge for extensive feature packages don’t want you to know: digital tools don’t need to have an enormous list of features. As long as the core functions are included, the rest is unnecessary fluff. Often, this fluff is used to hide the fact that the main feature you’re seeking isn’t as effective as it should be. Our brains are wired to associate more with better, but choosing a good engineering project software can be damaging to both your operations and your budget.
The key features we described should form the foundation of the tool; treat the rest as nice-to-haves. While some may be highly beneficial to certain businesses, they are not suitable for all. Ultimately, you need to evaluate what each feature, apart from the core one, can offer your company, how it will be utilised, and whether it will become part of your long-term strategy. That said, most solutions that offer only the basics shouldn’t be dismissed. If anything, they are your best option. Not only do they provide exactly what you need, but they also come at a much lower cost. Since at Timesheet Portal we cater to all industries, we offer essential functionality and add-ons, leaving you free to choose which to include in your tool.
We understand that choosing the right project software is not an easy task. Especially when you aren’t too acquainted with the process and the market is filled with vendors promising triple what the last did. It’s easy to lose sight of what you need when you are bombarded with extensive feature offers and bargain-worthy deals. This is why it’s important you remember what the basics are and never let them slip from your sight. No matter how long the features list is, they are ultimately built on the core ones we’ve described.
If this is your first time purchasing project management software, we recommend sticking to the basic functionality. Not only is it more budget-friendly, but it also covers the key goals you may have. Most solutions will also allow you to upgrade as you explore and better understand which additional features you need. Timesheet Portal is one of these. We want you to succeed and grow with you - this is why our software is designed to help you scale at your own pace.
But enough chatting. See for yourself.