Technology increasingly creeps into all areas of the construction
industry with much of the emphasis shifting from traditional clunky
desktop software towards light and slick mobile applications. The
relatively small cost of an app compared to a big software package not
only reduces the level of investment and risk required from the
purchaser but also increases competition, with thousands of small
developers vying to come up with a hit app.
Apps
also give employees the power to select specific productivity improving
IT solutions for their specific roles rather than wait for the top down
implementation of generic software through their employers.
Here are our top 5 iPhone apps for the construction professional:
1. BuildCalc
Probably the best construction specific app available. Essentially a calculator for the iPhone, a lot of time has been spent fine tuning for construction specific tasks. No more head scratching or fishing out those old textbooks to remind yourself of the equations required for hip roof calcs. Buildcalc has a dedicated button for this with all the required data self-calculating once you've input some basic parameters. An invaluable time-saving tool for builders, architects, and surveyors.
BuildCalc also benefits from extensive supporting information through its web-site and downloadable user manual.
2. ClockIn
Most in the industry have to devote a portion of each month to recording their time to various projects in order that invoices can be prepared for clients or so management can review the number of man hours being expended on a particular task. Often the timesheet gets done retrospectively due to the pressures of hitting day to day deadlines which can result in inaccurate data and potential over/under invoicing to clients.
ClockIn allows much more straightforward recording of your time allocation on the fly. Simply add clients or projects into the app and then tap the 'Clock In' button when you start working on a task and tap 'Clock Out' when you're done. At the end of the month you can easily see the total amount of time devoted to each client/project. An added bonus is that you can export the information via email for onward use in a formal timesheet or invoice.
You'll need to get into the habit of tapping in and out but as most of us are rarely more than a metre away from our mobile phones it quickly becomes a routine
3. MbPointer
This app turns your iPhone into a handy remote for your next Microsoft PowerPoint presentation thus freeing you up form being tied to your laptop or relying on someone else to click to your next slide at the correct time. As well as the ability to click forward and back you can also perform mouse movements through the use of a virtual touchpad.
To use MbPointer with your computer, you need to install the free companion receiver application on it but after that it is straightforward to connects to your PC via Wi-Fi.
4. QuickOffice
The iPhone is notorious for the difficulties it has working with Microsoft Office files which can be a major hassle when these two formats are two of (if not 'the' two) most used file types in the construction industry. So it would be difficult to go truly 'mobile' without a reliable way to create, edit, and share Microsoft Word & Excel files.
All the features that Office users are familiar with are here and the ability to transfer files via wi-fi from your desktop or laptop into QuickOffice on your iPhone (see below for transferring other file types) is another very convenient feature.
If you don't require both Excel & Word functionality then they are available separately as individual apps. The user reviews in the app store speak for themselves on this one.
5. FileMagnet
Ever urgently needed to get a file from a colleagues computer but your company email policy won't let you receive it over the email because the file 'has exceeded the size limit'? A USB stick is one way of getting round this although they tend to get so bashed about at the bottom of a briefcase that they often don't work properly when you come to dig them out.
FileMagnet turns your iPhone into a USB stick of sorts allowing you to transfer files backwards and forwards via wi-fi to your iPhone. For example, you could copy files onto your phone at home and copy them off at work, or alternatively from your laptop to your colleagues via the iPhone. FileMagnet can read all the popular file formats including PDFs, Microsoft Office Docs, iWork, images, movies, and audio files.
So there you have it, our recommendations for increasing your personal productivity via the iPhone. What you do with all that freed up time we leave to you...
Here are our top 5 iPhone apps for the construction professional:
1. BuildCalc
Probably the best construction specific app available. Essentially a calculator for the iPhone, a lot of time has been spent fine tuning for construction specific tasks. No more head scratching or fishing out those old textbooks to remind yourself of the equations required for hip roof calcs. Buildcalc has a dedicated button for this with all the required data self-calculating once you've input some basic parameters. An invaluable time-saving tool for builders, architects, and surveyors.
BuildCalc also benefits from extensive supporting information through its web-site and downloadable user manual.
2. ClockIn
Most in the industry have to devote a portion of each month to recording their time to various projects in order that invoices can be prepared for clients or so management can review the number of man hours being expended on a particular task. Often the timesheet gets done retrospectively due to the pressures of hitting day to day deadlines which can result in inaccurate data and potential over/under invoicing to clients.
ClockIn allows much more straightforward recording of your time allocation on the fly. Simply add clients or projects into the app and then tap the 'Clock In' button when you start working on a task and tap 'Clock Out' when you're done. At the end of the month you can easily see the total amount of time devoted to each client/project. An added bonus is that you can export the information via email for onward use in a formal timesheet or invoice.
You'll need to get into the habit of tapping in and out but as most of us are rarely more than a metre away from our mobile phones it quickly becomes a routine
3. MbPointer
This app turns your iPhone into a handy remote for your next Microsoft PowerPoint presentation thus freeing you up form being tied to your laptop or relying on someone else to click to your next slide at the correct time. As well as the ability to click forward and back you can also perform mouse movements through the use of a virtual touchpad.
To use MbPointer with your computer, you need to install the free companion receiver application on it but after that it is straightforward to connects to your PC via Wi-Fi.
4. QuickOffice
The iPhone is notorious for the difficulties it has working with Microsoft Office files which can be a major hassle when these two formats are two of (if not 'the' two) most used file types in the construction industry. So it would be difficult to go truly 'mobile' without a reliable way to create, edit, and share Microsoft Word & Excel files.
All the features that Office users are familiar with are here and the ability to transfer files via wi-fi from your desktop or laptop into QuickOffice on your iPhone (see below for transferring other file types) is another very convenient feature.
If you don't require both Excel & Word functionality then they are available separately as individual apps. The user reviews in the app store speak for themselves on this one.
5. FileMagnet
Ever urgently needed to get a file from a colleagues computer but your company email policy won't let you receive it over the email because the file 'has exceeded the size limit'? A USB stick is one way of getting round this although they tend to get so bashed about at the bottom of a briefcase that they often don't work properly when you come to dig them out.
FileMagnet turns your iPhone into a USB stick of sorts allowing you to transfer files backwards and forwards via wi-fi to your iPhone. For example, you could copy files onto your phone at home and copy them off at work, or alternatively from your laptop to your colleagues via the iPhone. FileMagnet can read all the popular file formats including PDFs, Microsoft Office Docs, iWork, images, movies, and audio files.
So there you have it, our recommendations for increasing your personal productivity via the iPhone. What you do with all that freed up time we leave to you...
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