By Anthony Perera, Inspected.com
In an industry where time and accuracy are the two main factors in moving projects forward, contractors must have access to efficient document management processes. Despite this need, many current permit management methods are unmanageable and prone to mistakes, leading to project delays and increased costs. Most contractors could use a little help managing documents across platforms and systems, especially if they’re still using traditional methods, which usually involve a cumbersome paper trail.
The construction industry has undergone massive changes since the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) first launched in 1966. From BIM and CAD, to mobile tablets and spreadsheets, most companies have embraced new technologies. So why have so many delayed shifting paper-based processes to modern digital solutions? Whether fear or skepticism, now is the time to recognize these challenges and embrace a smart and more efficient way forward by using innovative technology, starting with the outdated permit management system.
With an all-in-one permit management system, contractors can replace their struggles with a streamlined, efficient, and accountable process. By consolidating these processes into a single, intuitive platform, contractors can cut costs, reduce the risk of errors, and move projects along faster. For contractors, this means having a unified system to manage documents from multiple sources and ensuring everyone is working from the most up-to-date information.
How Streamlining Permit Tracking Enhances Efficiency
Contractors often deal with many documents due to collaborations with various partners, like general contractors, owners, other subcontractors, and specialists. Working with many partners can lead to fragmented document management systems across different parties.
As the industry enters this digital transformation, generational differences should be considered, such as between Baby Boomers and Generation Z. Baby Boomers are used to handling paper documents. In contrast, Gen Z prefers cloud-based systems and remote access. An online platform for permit documentation management empowers team members, including contractors, inspectors, engineers, and more, to collaborate remotely, giving contractors the power to work from anywhere.
It’s not just contractors using paper documents that can benefit from an upgrade. When Generation X stepped into leadership positions, they brought digital tools and replaced the traditional paper-based methods. That helped speed up processes, but today, they are still using generic systems like Google Sheets or Excel to track their permits, which takes a long time to set up and lacks the full integration offered by modern solutions.
Millennials who are leading teams are more open to cloud-based services like Permit Hub and other tools designed for contractors to manage permits across their organization and with partners. They point to greater efficiencies and no more lost permits or accountability struggles. If a contractor isn’t organized, it can lead to non-compliance, which can result in legal and regulatory fines or even removal from a project, underscoring the need for a streamlined and accountable process.
With the help of remote capabilities to submit all necessary permits and documents online, contractors are empowered to accomplish their jobs more efficiently without the lengthy paper trail. This decreases the need for a physical paper trail, which usually includes driving back and forth between Building Departments to acquire the appropriate document, and reduces the risk of losing documents.
Contractors still using the traditional paper trail should know the legal and safety implications of relying on a physical document. In our industry, proper procedures for archiving old documents are essential for legal protection. Traditional methods that rely on paper trails pose significant challenges in retrieving documents years later for legal or compliance purposes. It’s not as simple as scanning documents and saving them on a computer. Cybersecurity is critical as contractors handle sensitive information like blueprints and infrastructure details that hackers would love to get their hands on. Secure document management systems can mitigate the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
If contractors cannot effectively manage change orders, permit documentation, inspections, and much more, they can’t accomplish their goals. Documents not constantly updated, with the help of streamlined permit management systems, can disrupt project timelines and add unnecessary costs. Contractors can better align project goals with their team members and partners when all documents are up-to-date and safely stored in one platform.
The Future of Permit Management
As the construction industry and technology continue to advance, permit management system capabilities will also be expected to expand. Future developments will likely include AI-driven technologies, further integration of additional construction management technologies, and enhanced remote capabilities. With an innate familiarity leveraging advanced technology, the younger generations are beginning to integrate fully into the industry. They will drive the future of document management and push the industry to become even more advanced, automated, and integrated. Permit documentation platforms are at the helm of this evolving technology, continually improving their services to meet the unique needs of contractors and Building departments alike.
Adopting new technologies for permit documentation management, such as Permit Hub Powered by Inspected, offers numerous advantages for contractors, including streamlined project management, improved efficiency, and reduced costs. To stay competitive, contractors must adopt and integrate these new technologies as the construction industry evolves.
About the author:
Anthony Perera is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of building successful businesses, including Air Pros USA, Inspected.com, Ella Cafe, and Peak Roofing Partners. He continues to innovate with his private equity firm, Exuma Capital Partners, targeting high-growth lower and middle markets in various sectors. Anthony’s ventures highlight his commitment to brand building and strategic vision within the technology, real estate, food and beverage, and home services industries.
