Construction CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Construction CRM (customer relationship management) software will perform essentially the same functions as CRM does for other companies. It facilitates engagement with a list of companies and individuals and catalogs the opportunities that flow from these engagements. These opportunities will feed into a pipeline or funnel and trigger sales processes and transactions to maximize revenue. Construction CRM however differs from CRM used in other sectors in a number of ways.

Oftentimes, construction CRM will be embedded in a preconstruction workflow, or within a business software tool that connects the quote-to-cash revenue cycle. Construction CRM may provide tracking tools for bids in the field and pipeline measurement and management based on project value and likelihood of winning. Construction CRM can give a contractor the visibility and confidence in their future revenue to hire, gear up and grow.

Integrations with construction-specific software and help from construction-dedicated CRM consultants can make CRM used widely across industries more useful for construction.

In IRONPROS' interactions with the market, we see interest in construction CRM capable of solving issues common in the industry:

• Construction CRM should standardize and streamline pursuit and outreach efforts in multi-office AEC or construction companies
• Construction CRM optimally exposes the planning process to the project owner, facilitating collaboration before a notice to proceed activates project management-related collaboration tools
• Ideally, CRM for construction settings will include prepopulated content to help support go-no-to decisions
• A construction CRM vendor may offer consultants and customer success professionals with a construction background

In many cases, a broader software application may have integrated estimating and CRM, perhaps extending that into the overall preconstruction process. In these cases, contractors may want to balance how well defined construction ERP fits into the overall project lifecycle versus the broad ecosystem of a major CRM vendor.