Defect Management Software for Construction Projects (2024)

So, you're currently relying on site walks to do defect management and you’re looking for a solution that will help you:

1. Spot defects before they progress
2. Solve issues faster
3. Save time by digitising your processes
4. Improve the quality of your projects

This article will highlight the best construction defect management software solutions on the market right now so you can decide which is best for your projects.

The best construction defect management software solutions:

1. Sablono
2. Plangrid (By Autodesk)
3. PlanRadar
4. SnagR
   
   
   

   1. Sablono

Sablono is a construction project management software that allows you to be proactive in resolving defects and preventing them from occurring again.

Most construction defect management software solutions treat defects but fail to factor in how these defects impact the other aspects of a job site.

Instead, defects are treated in their own individual silos. They are isolated from one another and don’t speak to any other part of the project. The problem is that these defects are highly interconnected

Sablono was built to replace this reactive approach to construction defect management with a proactive one. Not only does it allow you to fix issues, but it empowers you with the insights you need to learn from defects so you can prevent them from happening again.

Sablono allows you to predefine what you will do in advance, and instead of locating issues within an isolated plan, you locate them in your workflow to give a holistic and connected view of your project.

This level of intricate detail offers greater opportunities to learn from your mistakes and allows you to discover the immediate impact your defect has on your project as a whole.

How Sablono works:

1. You locate a defect in your workflow.
2. Have trades enrich the flagged issue with pictures, notes and additional information.
3. Use predefined templates to analyse defects in a structured way.
4. See how the defects are related to your wider project.
5. Use this data to carry out root-cause analysis to understand what caused the defect.
6. Use these insights to prevent defects from happening again.

Like what you see? Effective defect management is just the beginning. Book a demo today to learn how Sablono can help you streamline your construction projects.

Get to the root cause of defects

If you only focus on fixing what went wrong, the chances are that this issue will occur again and lead to further delays in the project.

Not only does the platform allow you to understand what went wrong, but it shows you why it went wrong.

Sablono features detailed structured data of everything that happens on your construction site connected through a centralised system. This allows you to establish the root causes of issues so you can eradicate them and optimise your job site.

Immediately understand the impact of defects

Because the entire supply chain is connected in Sablono, it is easy to see the potential impacts of a defect, not just on one aspect of the job but the entire job site. Instantly understand the knock-on effect that defects have on the other parts of your construction project.

The Sablono platform allows you to easily identify which activities and trades and involved, which point in the workflow the defect sits, and what the potential impacts are if it is left unresolved.

Sablono’s detailed activity tracking system enables you to update and adapt your schedule, using reliable progress data. 

This helps you to make important decisions fast and answer questions like ‘how severe is the issue?’, ‘can the following trades still do their work?’ and ‘what action is required to solve this?’.

Learn from mistakes early on in the construction process

The earlier you learn about mistakes in the construction process, the less time and money it will cost you.

Sablono works to prevent the issue from occurring in the first place with granular-level progress data, historical data and intelligent look-ahead plans that help you understand the factors that influence defects.

This allows you to create standardised sequences based on data-driven best practices to quickly scale the good and stop the bad. 

For example, if you notice a pattern of defects on floor 1 of a residential project, you can quickly take action to stop this issue from reoccurring as you move through the other floors by applying the knowledge you learnt along the way.

Turn defect management into a team effort

The most effective defect management takes a collaborative approach. While you may feel the pressure individually as a project manager if a defect slows down the project, identifying and rectifying them should be a team effort.

With Sablono, everyone is kept in the loop and can report defects they come across in real-time.

You can attach QA checklists to activities, where workers can attach notes or issues to their activities. Activities can then get confirmed or rejected based on QA results so any issues or defects can quickly get resolved in the moment rather than as an afterthought. 

Plus, you can gain instant project insights from anywhere, so even when you are offsite, you can identify potential defects, roll out amends, and automatically push new dates to everyone working on the project at the push of a button.

Sablono reviews

"It saves those huge piles of paper back in the site office and means you can instantly hand over from trade to trade. The tool has helped improve relations between the trades." - Project Director - Lendlease UK

"Sablono is a truly collaborative working platform that enables multi-user live updates providing real-time progress reports. The biggest benefit of Sablono is when used with a repetitive work stream." - Senior Planner, Interserve UK

"I have been impressed with the overall look and feel of the software. It is relatively easy to circumnavigate the software's numerous features in the web version." - Project Planning & Quality Manager, NG Bailey UK

"Intradepartmental tools for progress tracking are no longer used. Instead, a unified and official tracking system powered by Sablono enables us to take a major step towards digitalisation."  - Project Director - Hydrodiseño

See more reviews here.

Want to learn more? Get a demo of Sablono. 

Alternatives to Sablono:

When it comes to fixing, preventing, and learning from defects, in our humble opinion, Sablono comes out on top. 

However, we appreciate that not everyone is searching for a solution that will help get to the root cause.

If you’re simply looking for a construction defect management software solution that helps you to spot defects, here are a few alternative tools you can consider…

2.  Plangrid by Autodesk 

Plangrid allows you to see defects from any aspect of your project

Part of Autodesk Construction Cloud, Plangrid is a popular defect management software for construction projects. The solution allows you to locate any defects across the project in one place to bring about greater accountability and ensure that issues get resolved quickly. 

You can use Plangrid to pin the exact locations of potential defects and add document or photo references for further context.

This additional information is excellent as it allows team members to use the software to share a detailed breakdown of defects to help fix defects more efficiently.

Plangrid also allows you to create custom fields for gathering unique data for every issue. You can create a three-letter naming system that team members can use for quicker understanding.

Key Features:

• Elevate an Issue to an RFI - build an RFI specifically from an issue, lowering the chances of duplicate data entries or confusion.
• Link References to Meetings - develop visibility of vital information by tagging drawings and documents. You can tag issues straight to meeting items for your next catch-up.
• Track Progress with Mark-ups - link the office to the Jobsite by allowing team members to track progress from their mobile devices.
  
  

3. PlanRadar

PlanRadar allows you to pin jobs onto your site, ideal for visualising your defect

PlanRadar is another useful management software for document management and highlighting defects.

The Planradar app allows you to pin jobs directly onto plans for your construction site. Within each pinned job, you can store video recordings, videos, photos, and text, to help add more context to the defect. 

This tool is great for both contractors and subcontractors as it allows everyone to refer back to the brief to make sure work is up to the desired standard. This information is also accessed from anywhere, and users can add or delete the information as they please.

This system also allows team members to flag potential defects that need to be resolved. This information then automatically updates on the platform for everyone, much like it does for Sablono, albeit in a format that is slightly harder to understand.

When you log a defect in Planradar, it doesn't automatically update the other areas of the project that could be impacted, which means that it must be completed manually, so this is something to consider if you are looking for a system that is more intuitive.

Key Features:

• Transparent tasks - clear view of any real-time status updates or overdue activities.
• On-plan pins  - pin activity or comments to 2D plans for more clarity on potential defects.
• Photo & media documentation: Chat history, photos, text notes, audio, and video, all in one place.
• Scheduling - build a custom Gantt chart with all project information to keep track of progress.
• Document damage on-site - build and add to your defect list while onsite through any mobile device.
  
  

4. SnagR

SnagR is a great tool for identifying defects quickly

SnagR is another good option for resolving defects. The platform is easy to use and allows you to move around the job site on your mobile device, highlighting issues along the way.

This tool is excellent for solving defects quickly and safely from a remote location. While SnagR does allow you to discover root causes of recurring defects, there is no way of seeing what impact those defects will have on the overall lead time of the project.

Key Features:

• Project Scheduling - move your project plan for your current software over to SnagR automatically.
• On-site Capture - add sliders, hold-points, and photos to each task, ensuring each aspect is completed before moving to the next task.
•  Location-based Issues - any issues are plotted onto the exact location digitally, making them easy to identify and resolve.

Conclusion: The best construction defects management software

The top construction defect management software solutions are:

1. Sablono
2. Plangrid (by Autodesk)
3. PlanRadar
4. SnagR

While all of the above are good options, Sablono is ranked as number one due to its connected approach that allows you to proactively fix, prevent and learn from defects.

Still unsure of whether or not Sablono is the right option for you? Book a free demo today to learn more