Contractors sometimes want to know the difference between ProNovos and Power BI.

ProNovos is a construction intelligence cloud—a data-warehousing, analytics and resource-management platform geared specifically for the construction biz.

Power BI is a general business-intelligence tool for companies in any industry.

There’s no doubt that Power BI, which is backed by the tech giant Microsoft, is nifty software for creating data visualizations. However, it wasn’t designed to do things like help your teams share drawings, RFIs, submittals and daily reports, or give you construction-specific dashboards populated with data from the likes of Foundation, Sage or Viewpoint.

On top of that, ProNovos lives in the cloud. That means you don’t have to install and update BI software across multiple users.

So why do contactors even want to compare the two programs?

Probably it’s because creating data visualizations is common to both. To get a sense of what this looks like on the ProNovos side, check out this 1-minute video excerpt from one of our recent webinars.

At ProNovos, we have spent years collaborating with contractors to build tools for their specific data needs. It’s everything from gauging the bandwidth of an individual project superintendent, to running a backlog analysis, to bolstering the accuracy and efficiency of your estimating process. 

     Cost Benefits of a Construction Intelligence Cloud

In addition to the considerations above, contractors should also take into account the total cost of ownership of any software solutions they adopt. In this domain, too, there are some important differences between Power BI and ProNovos.

Total cost of ownership is more than just the sticker price. You have to factor in what it costs in money, time and effort to build your data models, train new users, consult with tech support, and modify the system as your contracting firm evolves.

Clearly, if a contractor has to mold a platform from scratch to the specific needs of the construction business, the odds are higher that it will be a more labor- and time-consuming project. Focused on construction, ProNovos has done a huge amount of this work upfront. 

It’s why many construction contractors find that ProNovos offers a lower total cost of ownership. We’re also hearing from them that it’s the best option for their long-term strategy.

     Desktop App vs. the ProNovos Construction Intelligence Cloud

As we mentioned, ProNovos lives in the cloud. But with Power BI, publishing data requires the installation of a desktop tool that can create some headaches. At ProNovos, we find that contractors prefer the ease and simplicity of 100-percent web-based applications. That way, they don’t have to deal with keeping software up to date as versions change. This is especially important for companies that have “locked down” their desktops. In such cases, installing and updating desktop applications requires time-consuming IT workarounds.  

     ProNovos: Construction Expertise and High-Touch Service

Tech giants are not in the business of serving you individually. It takes a considerable degree of technical knowledge to tie Power BI into your systems and publish data at a frequent cadence. Alternately, you would need to have dedicated personnel to extract that data from your accounting system and import it for reporting to your stakeholders.

ProNovos, by contrast, is all about high-touch service. We have extensive experience in the application of data analytics in construction. We work closely with contractors every day on their data needs related to estimating, payroll, budgets, job-closeouts, equipment-management, PM performance, over- and under-billing, and much more. We also understand the quirks, limitations and strengths of a wide array of construction accounting and other applications, including Procore, Foundation, Viewpoint Vista and B2W.

With ProNovos, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel—or wait for a response to the support ticket you filed with a chatbot three days ago.