Choosing the best construction snagging software for your project can be overwhelming when you consider the sheer number of options on the market.
A good snagging solution will help you:
- Spot snags before they progress.
- Solve issues faster.
- Save time by digitising your processes.
- Improve the quality of your projects.
Traditional construction snagging software is useful for digitising your defect management processes and consequently saving you time and money. But this type of technology also has its limitations. Here are the challenges associated with conventional snagging tools:
- Tunnel vision. Construction snagging software only allows you to manage a small fraction of your operations which leads to inefficient processes.
- Reactive vs proactive. Snagging tools only allow you to manage what’s gone wrong. They don’t help you to prevent issues from arising in the first place.
- Incomplete picture of your project. Snagging information only represents 20% of the project data. This means that they don’t take into account of the other 80% of what goes on in your project.
- Disconnected from the construction site. Data from snagging tools isn’t connected to the rest of your project. This means data can become quickly outdated.
- Difficult to obtain useful insights. Snagging tools help you to record snags but beyond this, it’s difficult to obtain insights that you can use to improve going forward.
That said, this article will show you the best snagging solutions on the market. But first, let’s take a closer look at a better alternative to snagging tools.
The best way to manage snags: Sablono - a Construction Execution System
Most snagging tools treat snags in their own individual silos. In other words, the issues are isolated from one another and don’t speak to any other part of the project. The problem? Snags are highly interconnected.
Sablono is more than a snagging management tool. It’s a collaborative progress management platform that predefines what you are going to do in advance. Instead of locating issues within a plan, you identify them within the workflow/process. As a result, you have a holistic and connected view of your project.
Sablono takes a proactive approach to managing snags which means you can fix, prevent and learn from defects. This perspective is better than simply locating issues in a plan because you can immediately see the impact that a snag has on the overall project as well as the root cause.
For instance, you can decide when a specific trade will need to come in and execute their work based on the knock-on effect that the snag has. You’ll also understand how severe the issue is and how to prevent it from happening again
Here’s how Sablono’s Construction Execution System allows you to plan with confidence:
- You can see exactly what work needs to be done in each area
- Trade-to-trade handovers
- Built-in quality workflows and digital QAs
- Short-term planning
- Baseline comparisons
- Full analytics of your projects
- Delay analysis
Let’s now dig a little deeper into some of Sablono’s key features.
Get to the root cause of snags
When you use stand-alone snagging solutions it’s impossible to learn from your mistakes. On the other hand, Sablono helps you understand what went awry and why it went wrong.
Immediately understand the impact of snags
Obstructions can be instantly reported on the field and in the moment using the Sablono App. Trades can report snags in real-time so you immediately know when something has gone wrong and can quickly work on a solution to reduce the need for downtime.
You also don’t have to print, scan and upload paper QAs. With Sablono, fully digitised QAs are linked to units which ensures there’s instant and easy access to accurate quality data.
By giving you access to real-time granular data, Sablono helps you understand your project down to the finest detail - from which activities and trades are involved to where in the workflow a snag sits and which individual was responsible for carrying out the work in the first place.
Learn from mistakes early on in the construction process
You no longer need to rely on gut feeling to make decisions. With Sablono you can harness look-ahead planning based on reliable data to determine what is the best course of action to take next.
You can also create sequences of works based on data-driven best practices for your tasks and quickly rinse and repeat to scale your production.
For example, let’s say you notice a pattern of snags when executing level 1 of a residential project. The platform makes it possible to correct the defects on time and prevent repeating the same mistakes on subsequent floors. You can then create standardised workflows for the remaining floors to optimise your production.
Turn the management of snags into a team effort
Managing snags should be a collaborative process. The good news, you don’t have to manually send an updated plan to everyone who needs it. With Sablono, you can automatically push new designs to everyone working on the project at the push of a button.
Similarly, the Sablono app enables trades to effortlessly report the status of their activities. Even better, the platform automatically notifies the trades whenever there’s ready work for them to complete.
To summarise, taking control of snags with Sablono is just the beginning. Sablono is a construction project management software that has the following features:
- Transparent status reporting. You have a real-time digital audit trail of all activities on your job site.
- Standardised sequences. Harmonize your workflows with predefined sequences based on best practices.
- Trade to trade handover. Trades receive automatic notifications whenever there’s work that they need to complete.
- Automated dashboards and reports. Intimately understand your project's progress.
- Cost tracking. Know the commercial state of your project in real-time.
- Visual trackers. Keep track of your project’s progress with easy-to-understand visual trackers.
- Quality management. Stay on top of quality issues with built-in quality workflows and digital QAs.
- Look-ahead planning. Adapt your project schedule at any time based on comprehensive, accurate project data.
What customers are saying about Sablono
Over 3000 users have used Sablono to manage 8 million activities in over 500 projects. In fact, Capterra—the famous reviewing site—gives Sablono a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Here are some of the reviews:
“I find the functionality of Sablono amazing. It's easy to use and can be used for every aspect of our contractual work. It allows me to make sure units are ready for my staff before proceeding with decorations, as well as post-decoration snagging. It also allows me to easily report any issue before, during or after performing a task, and produce a full plot by plot report for presentation to clients.” - Daniel, decorations contracts manager
“The ability to manage time, cost and quality across a project in a granular way and the integration the platform provides between the 3 objectives. This makes even the most complex projects more manageable. It's incredibly user-friendly, meaning anyone can use the platform - something which is often overlooked in technology implementation in the construction industry.” - Barnett, project manager
"It saves those huge piles of paper back in the site office and means you can hand over from trade to trade instantly. The tool has helped improve relations between the trades.“ - Project Director, Lendlease
Note: If you’d like to learn how Sablono can transform your construction quality control, you can book a personalized demo here.
Construction snagging software solution alternatives:
Sablono helps you to fix, prevent and learn from your snags. But, we also understand that not everyone is focused on getting to the root cause of snags. If fixing defects faster is your objective, here are some snagging apps to consider.
PlanGrid
PlanGrid is part of Autodesk Construction Cloud. The platform positions itself as a construction software that allows teams to collaborate, collect, and manage information throughout a project’s construction and operations.
The key features are:
- Create and visualize snags. Comes preset with stamps for common issues such as electrical, plumbing, flooring and landscaping. You can also add your own custom stamps, make notes and assign the issue to the person responsible. Additionally, you can place pins to pinpoint the exact location of snags on 2D or 3D models.
- Access all defects from one place. All snags are synced such that you can access them on either a mobile or desktop device. Again, filters make it possible to configure your view and quickly identify a specific defect.
- Customise snag settings. When capturing specific data, you can create custom fields for each type of defect. You can also set up pin labels to assist team members in promptly understanding a particular snag.
- Generate and share snag reports. PlanGrid makes it possible to create detailed reports that you can easily share with your team members.
PlanRadar
PlanRadar is a construction management tool for documentation and communication in construction projects. The platform can be used for building inspections, maintenance, handovers, fault, and task management. At the time of writing, PlanRadar has a total of 13 reviews on Capterra with an average of 3.9 out of 5 stars.
The key features are:
- Manage construction defects digitally. While on-site you can create pin defect tickets directly to BIM models and digital plans.
- Remote access. You can see snags anywhere and anytime. Also, the defect ticket can include photos, text, videos, or voice recordings added directly from a mobile device.
- Share progress with stakeholders. First, there’s a defect report template to export your construction defects data in the required format. Alternatively, you can create a custom template to meet your requirements. Second, the snag report can be tailored according to a specific contractor or to cover a specific group of defects such as lighting and landscaping.
- Track defect resolution. With PlanRadar, you can get quick insights into the progress of your project’s construction defects. You can also pinpoint delays, gauge work quality and resolve any issues.
SnagR
SnagR is an inspection and defect management tool that connects project teams and processes. The software also provides analysis to construction leaders. At the time of writing, SnagR has a single review (4 out of 5 stars) on Capterra.
The key features are:
- On-site capture. You can take photos of defects around your site with your mobile device.
- Custom reports. You can present data in various dimensions and get the insights you need.
- Job tracking. You can monitor the performance of your team or subcontractors.
- A bird’s-eye view. For multiple projects, you can compare and view the progress.
Conclusion: What’s the best app for snagging?
Bringing it all together, a Construction Execution System (CES) will help you not only track the defects, but also guide your team in identifying the root cause to help you identify, manage and prevent defects.
The holistic nature of a CES will also allow you to capture most of the information on-site and avoid having to pay high costs for forensic engineers on top of basic snagging tools which makes it a more cost-effective solution.
So before you go, book a personalised demo session to learn more about Sablono's Construction Execution System. It’s a better way to manage snags on your projects.
