Working with subcontractors is one of the biggest challenges in construction projects.
Not because people don't want to work together, but because every project consists of multiple companies, different ways of working and often high time constraints.
When cooperation does not go well, you see it immediately in the project:
Misunderstandings on the construction site
Open issues on delivery
Discussions about responsibilities
Additional repair work
Delays and higher costs
In this article, we explain how to work better with subcontractors in construction, based on practical experience from construction projects and insights from digitization projects.
In theory, collaboration is simple: the general contractor directs the project, the subcontractors perform their work. But in practice, it works differently.
These are some of the reasons why many projects get stuck:
Practical research shows that the problem is rarely technical, but mainly lies in expectations, working methods and cooperation.
Subcontractors are not opposed to new ways of working, but drop out when working together seems to cost extra work instead of saving time.
Successful projects share the same characteristics. In fact, subcontractors cooperate better when:
In projects where these things are missing, you see people falling back on other ways of communicating, such as:
And that causes problems later on.
If every performer works differently, subcontractors won't know what's intended.
Therefore, use:
Consistency creates peace of mind.
Cooperation does not begin on the construction site, but in the preparation.
Lay down these ways before everything begins:
Projects where this is done in advance are proven to run more smoothly.
Subcontractors follow behavior. If the main contractor himself works digitally, subcontractors will automatically follow suit. If the main contractor himself still calls, apps and uses paper lists, the same will happen in the chain.
A common mistake is that registration is done afterwards.
This results in:
The best practice is to do it and record it immediately.
This means: Resolve point →take picture → finish immediately
Subcontractors don't need to see the whole project. They only want to see the most important information:
When systems show too much information, people drop out.
Collaboration is not something you learn from a manual. What works is walking through the system together. You show how to open and complete a ticket. A short explanation on site works better than a long explanation in the office. That way you save time and resistance.
Cooperation often deteriorates during busy phases. That is why it is important to have someone who monitors the working method.
That person monitors usage and helps with problems or questions. He is not there to control, but to support the process.
Projects where this happens keep oversight until completion.
Construction projects are becoming more complex. You have to deal with many different aspects, such as stricter legislation and requirements and higher failure costs. This makes collaboration without a clear structure increasingly difficult.
Digital collaboration helps to:
But only if it's organized properly. Becausesoftware alonedoesn't solve the problem. The way it works has to be right first.
In many construction projects, software is used to structure cooperation.
Ed Controls is often used because it fits with how people work on the construction site.
Important advantages in cooperation with subcontractors:
Clear tasks per discipline: Subcontractors only see what is relevant to them.
Communication in one place: No separate WhatsApp messages, but everything linked to location and task.
Photos and proof right at the point: No discussion afterwards.
Overview per house / floor / phase:Fasterwork, less searching.
Working offline at the construction site: Continue working even without coverage.
Audits for inspections and completion: Nothing forgotten, everything recorded.
When the working method is clear, software helps to maintain that working method. And that is exactly what makes collaboration better.
In many construction projects it is thought that subcontractors do not follow agreements because they do not want to, but in practice it is usually different. Often agreements are not clear enough, working methods change per project or there is no overview. Subcontractors work under time pressure and automatically choose the fastest way of working, especially when recording feels like extra administration.
Projects where cooperation does work well usually have a few things in common. There is one clear working method, everyone uses the same system, and the main contractor sets the example. In addition, digital recording is not done after the fact, but immediately during the work. When subcontractors see that this way of working saves time and prevents discussions, they automatically go along with the agreed-upon working method.
It is often thought that subcontractors have difficulty with digital tools, but research in construction projects shows that this is rarely the real reason. In most cases, resistance arises because working digitally is seen as something that costs extra time or mainly benefits the main contractor.
When it is not clear what exactly has to be recorded, when different contractors apply different rules or when information is in several places, people tend to give up. Another factor is that subcontractors mainly want an overview of their own work, not of the entire project.
As soon as digital registration becomes part of the normal work process and helps with communication, delivery or invoicing, much of that resistance disappears. So the problem is usually not in the technology, but in the way the collaboration is organized.
Good cooperation in construction requires one central place where all information comes together. In projects where communication is scattered over phone calls, WhatsApp, e-mail and paper lists, overview is lost and errors are more likely to occur.
The best approach is to work with one fixed method where tasks, comments, photos and completion points are always recorded in the same place. As a result, everyone knows where to look and you avoid having to collect information afterwards.
When communication is linked to a location, a task and a responsible party, working together becomes clearer. This prevents discussions on delivery and ensures that problems are solved faster.
Commonly used tools are:
Ed Controls
PlanRadar
Autodesk Build
Procore
The difference is often not in the software, but in how you work with it.
Collaboration works best in projects where expectations are clear from the beginning. That means agreeing at the project start how work will be done, how information will be recorded and how communication will take place.
In addition, it helps when the main contractor itself works consistently according to those agreements. Subcontractors usually adapt to the way the project is organized. When working methods are predictable and everyone uses the same system, peace and quiet is created on the construction site.
Projects where this is well organized often have fewer failure costs, less discussion on delivery and more grip on quality. Good cooperation then turns out not to be a matter of control, but of clear agreements and a working method that works for everyone.
Good cooperation with subcontractors in construction is not about more rules, but about more clarity.
Projects run better when:
Digital tools can support this, but only if collaboration is well organized.
Contractors who do this well have:
Fewer failure costs
Less discussion
Faster delivery
More grip on quality
Better collaboration in the supply chain.