Office 365 vs Construction Management Software: What’s Best for Your Business?

Office 365 has become the backbone of modern business operations. From drafting contracts in Word to managing spreadsheets in Excel and collaborating through Teams, it’s the go-to suite for countless organizations. For construction companies, it can certainly play an important role in handling administrative tasks, reporting, and client communications.

But here’s the challenge: construction is not like running a typical office. Project sites move fast, teams are scattered, and managers need real-time visibility into hours worked, tools in use, and on-site issues. That’s where the limits of Office 365 start to show. While powerful for desk-based work, it was never designed to manage crews, tools, and field communication.

This is where construction management software like Remato steps in. Purpose-built for field operations, it helps companies bridge the gap between office efficiency and on-site realities.

Where Office 365 Helps Construction Companies

Office 365 is excellent for running the office side of a construction business. It brings together familiar tools that almost every company already knows how to use. For many managers, it is the starting point of digital work.

• Communication and meetings – Outlook keeps schedules organized, while Teams makes video calls and messaging simple.
• Documents and contracts – Word is widely used for creating agreements, proposals, and reports.
• Spreadsheets – Excel helps track numbers, whether that’s project costs, material lists, or safety checklists.
• File storage and sharing – OneDrive and SharePoint allow teams to save and access documents from anywhere.
• AI support – Microsoft Copilot can now help write emails, summarize notes, and even suggest formulas in Excel.

In short, Office 365 is a reliable solution for administration, planning, and communication in the office. It gives construction companies a strong foundation for handling the paperwork and client-facing side of their business.

The Limitations of Office 365 in Construction

While Office 365 is powerful for office work, it does not fully support the daily reality of construction sites. The needs of field teams are very different from those of office staff, and this is where the gaps become clear.

• Crew scheduling is missing – Office 365 does not provide an easy way to assign shifts, track attendance, or manage multiple crews across projects.
• Time tracking is difficult – Relying on Excel sheets or manual input often leads to errors and wasted time.
• No tool and equipment tracking – There is no simple way to know which worker has which tool, whether equipment is being used, or if something is missing.
• Team chat is not field-friendly – Microsoft Teams was built for office staff. On a busy construction site, it can feel too heavy and complicated for foremen and crew members.
• Not designed for mobile-first work – Office 365 apps work on phones, but they are not optimized for quick check-ins and updates in the field.

In other words, Office 365 alone cannot replace the specialized systems that construction companies need to keep projects on track.

What Construction Management Software Like Remato Delivers

Unlike Office 365, which was built for general business use, Remato is designed specifically for construction companies and their crews. It focuses on the everyday challenges that happen on construction sites and gives managers real-time visibility into what is going on.

• Crew management – Easily assign shifts, see who is available, and track attendance without relying on spreadsheets.
• Time tracking – Crews can check in and out on mobile, making timesheets accurate and automatic.
• Tools and equipment management – Keep track of which worker is using which tool, reduce loss, and make sure equipment is used effectively.
• Team chat – A simple and direct way for crews and managers to communicate, designed for construction work and easier to use than Microsoft Teams in a jobsite environment.
• Photos and visual updates – Workers can capture and share construction site photos directly through the app, giving managers clear proof of progress, documenting issues, and improving transparency.
• Mobile-first approach – Remato is built for the people in the field. Foremen and crew members can quickly log information, share updates, and report issues in seconds.

Remato fills the gaps left by Office 365. It does not replace the office tools you already use, but it makes sure that the work happening on the construction site is just as organized and visible as the work happening in the office.

Why Remato Is the Better Fit for Field Collaboration

While Office 365 is strong for office-based work, it was never built with construction crews in mind. On a jobsite, managers and workers need tools that are fast, simple, and directly connected to the tasks at hand. This is where Remato stands out.

• Team chat linked to field activity – Unlike Microsoft Teams, which separates messages from project tasks, Remato’s chat is built into the daily workflow. Crews can discuss schedules, share photos, and report progress in the same place where they log hours and manage tools.
• Visual proof and updates – Jobsite photos shared through Remato give instant clarity. Managers don’t have to rely on long reports or second-hand updates; they can see progress and problems for themselves.
• Less friction for crews – Instead of juggling office-style apps, workers use one mobile tool that covers time tracking, communication, and equipment management.
• Real-time visibility – Updates from the construction site flow straight to the office, so owners and managers know exactly what’s happening without delays.

For collaboration on the jobsite, Remato is not just easier to use than Office 365—it is purpose-built. It keeps the office informed while giving crews a tool that matches how they actually work.

How Office 365 and Remato Work Together

It’s important to remember that Office 365 and Remato are not competitors – they serve different purposes. Office 365 covers the administrative and client-facing side of the business, while Remato focuses on making construction site operations efficient and transparent.

• Office 365 for administration – Contracts, budgets, presentations, and client communication all fit naturally into Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Remato for field operations – Crew scheduling, time tracking, tool management, photos, and jobsite communication happen directly in the app.
• Smooth handover of information – Data captured in Remato, such as timesheets or equipment usage, can be easily exported into Excel for analysis or shared through Outlook and Teams for reporting.
• A complete workflow – Together, Office 365 and Remato connect the office with the jobsite, ensuring that decision-makers always have accurate, up-to-date information.

The combination gives construction companies the best of both worlds: professional office tools alongside specialized field management software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Office 365 is a powerful tool for construction companies, but it was never designed to handle the realities of the jobsite. It excels at office-based work—contracts, emails, spreadsheets, and client communication—but struggles with crew scheduling, time tracking, tool management, and quick jobsite communication.

That is where Remato makes the difference. Built specifically for construction, Remato gives managers and crews the tools they need to stay aligned, track work in real time, and keep projects moving forward. Features like mobile time tracking, tool assignments, photo documentation, and team chat make collaboration in the field simple and effective.

The best approach is not choosing between Office 365 and Remato, but combining them. Office 365 handles the office side of your business, while Remato ensures your jobsites are just as organized and visible. Together, they create a complete digital workflow from the office to the field.

Start closing the gap between office and construction site management—try Remato today and see how it works alongside Office 365.