Elecosoft Review: Achieve Consistent Project Success for Construction Firms

Project management chaos is all too common.

If you’re considering Elecosoft, it’s probably because you’re frustrated by disconnected tools that make planning, estimating, and maintaining assets overwhelming.

Let’s be honest: juggling endless spreadsheets wastes valuable time, leaving you scrambling to get accurate schedules out and constantly fixing mistakes.

Elecosoft combines project planning, maintenance management, and BIM integration into a tightly connected suite, giving you control over every building lifecycle stage—and their new AI-driven support is a smart addition for real-world help.

In this review, I’ll break down how Elecosoft actually brings your processes together and delivers the clarity your daily work needs.

Throughout this Elecosoft review, you’ll see exactly what makes their Asta Powerproject, ShireSystem, and other tools tick—plus, details on pricing, implementation, and which alternatives are worth your attention.

You’ll walk away with the features you need to confidently decide if Elecosoft is right for your team’s projects.

Let’s get started.

Elecosoft Overview

Elecosoft has a surprisingly long history, with UK roots back to 1895. Today, they’re a public company based in London, focused solely on providing integrated software for the built environment.

What sets them apart for me is their dedicated approach to providing software for the entire building lifecycle. They create tools not just for project managers but also for estimators, contractors, and the facilities teams doing the real work.

Their recent acquisitions and the 2024 launch of AstaGPT show they’re investing in practical innovation. I’ll dig into the real-world impact of these moves through this Elecosoft review.

Unlike generic tools which often feel bloated, their software is purpose-built for the construction industry. You get the feeling it was designed by people who actually understand the complexities of scheduling, resourcing, and site logistics.

They work with a broad mix of organizations you’d recognize, from specialist subcontractors and engineering firms all the way to large-scale infrastructure operators and multi-site facilities management teams.

I’ve found their core strategy centers on creating a truly connected ecosystem. This aims to let your project data flow from initial planning right through to building operations, solving a persistent industry headache.

Now let’s examine their capabilities.

Elecosoft Features

Struggling to manage complex building projects or maintenance?

Elecosoft features actually provide a comprehensive suite of tools that support the entire building lifecycle. Here are the five core Elecosoft solutions that solve critical AEC industry challenges.

1. Asta Powerproject (Project Planning & Management)

Tired of project delays and missed deadlines?

Manual scheduling or clunky software can lead to poor resource allocation and timeline confusion. This often results in costly project overruns and frustrated stakeholders.

Asta Powerproject allows you to build detailed schedules, manage resources, and track progress with ease. I found its 4D BIM integration incredibly powerful for visual simulations, helping you explore “what if” scenarios efficiently. This feature ensures your projects stay on track and within budget.

This means you can achieve greater project predictability and deliver on time, significantly improving client satisfaction.

2. ShireSystem (Maintenance & Facilities Management)

Is reactive maintenance costing you a fortune?

Unplanned equipment failures and inefficient work order management can drain resources. This often leads to unnecessary downtime and increased operational expenses.

ShireSystem is a CMMS/CAFM solution that streamlines maintenance operations, helping you transition to proactive strategies. Its mobile app means field technicians can manage assets on-the-go, even offline, something I found incredibly practical. This solution extends asset life and ensures compliance.

So, you could cut maintenance costs, reduce asset downtime, and ensure regulatory adherence with a more organized approach.

3. Bidcon (Construction Estimating & Quantity Take-Off)

Are your project estimates consistently inaccurate?

Manual quantity take-offs and disconnected estimating tools lead to errors. This results in bids that are either too high to win or too low to be profitable.

Bidcon integrates with Powerproject to provide precise quantity take-offs, especially from 3D BIM files. What I love is how it imports estimated costs directly into your schedule, linking cost data to activity durations. This feature helps you create more accurate and competitive bids.

This means you can improve the reliability of your project bids, securing more profitable contracts and avoiding costly mistakes.

4. IconSystem (Building Specification & Information Management)

Is crucial building information scattered and hard to find?

Disjointed documentation and unstandardized data can lead to compliance issues. This often creates bottlenecks in managing your property portfolio efficiently.

IconSystem offers web-based property portfolio and building specification management, centralizing all critical data. Here’s what I found: it structures your building information for easy access throughout its lifecycle. This solution ensures consistency and compliance for all your assets.

So, you could simplify information retrieval and management, enabling better decision-making and ensuring regulatory adherence for your entire portfolio.

5. AstaGPT (AI-powered Support for Asta Suite)

Do you waste time searching for answers about your software?

Complex software often requires extensive training or frustrating searches for support. This can delay project progress and reduce user adoption of key features.

AstaGPT is an AI tool offering instant, multilingual support for the Asta Suite. From my testing, it provides quick, helpful responses to user questions, acting like an always-on digital assistant. This new feature significantly enhances user onboarding and ongoing learning.

This means you get immediate answers to your questions, speeding up your learning curve and maximizing your team’s productivity.

These Elecosoft features work together to create an integrated ecosystem for built asset management, providing a cohesive approach to construction and facilities.

Elecosoft Pricing

Hidden software costs got you worried?

Elecosoft pricing offers a mix of transparent product-specific subscriptions and custom quotes, depending on the solution, giving you predictable costs for core tools.

Plan	Price & Features
Asta Powerproject (Single User)	£880/annum (approx. $1,115 USD) • Core project planning & scheduling • Gantt charts & critical path management • Resource management & reporting
Asta Powerproject (Team)	£99-£199/user/month (approx. $125-$250 USD) • Features from single user • Enhanced collaboration & real-time teamwork • Global governance library for templates
ShireSystem Modules (Individual)	£1,094/annum per module • Maintenance Management • Stock & Inventory Control • Purchasing • Work Requester
ShireSystem (Extension Packs)	£607 – £1,898/annum per pack • Costs and Charges (£607) • KPI Scoreboard & Reporting (£607) • Wallboard Resource Planner (£1,898)
Enterprise/Integrated Suite	Custom pricing – contact sales • For 1,000+ users (Powerproject) • Multi-license bundles (ShireSystem) • Full integrated suite (Bidcon, IconSystem)

1. Value Assessment

Solid value for your budget.

From my cost analysis, what truly impresses me is how Elecosoft’s project and maintenance tools offer clear, published pricing, especially for individual licenses. This means you can easily estimate your initial investment and avoid surprises that often come with complex enterprise software.

This transparent approach helps your finance team forecast expenditures accurately, which is a major win for budget control.

2. Trial/Demo Options

Evaluate before you commit.

Elecosoft provides a 14-day free trial for Asta Powerproject, giving you full functionality to test it out. What I found particularly useful is that ShireSystem also offers a free trial, allowing you to explore its CMMS capabilities without any upfront cost.

This lets you thoroughly evaluate the software’s fit for your operations before making any financial commitment.

3. Plan Comparison

Matching costs to your needs.

For project planning, Asta Powerproject’s tiered pricing helps you scale from single users to large teams. What stands out is how ShireSystem’s modular pricing allows specific functionality without buying an entire suite, offering flexibility for facilities management.

This diverse pricing structure means you can tailor your investment precisely to your actual usage requirements.

My Take: Elecosoft’s blend of published product pricing and custom enterprise quotes offers flexibility. It’s ideal for businesses seeking predictable costs for core tools while allowing for scalable growth.

The overall Elecosoft pricing reflects predictable costs for core tools while scaling for growth.

Elecosoft Reviews

What do real Elecosoft customers actually think?

This section dives into actual Elecosoft reviews and user experiences, analyzing common themes from various customer feedback sources to provide you with balanced insights into what users truly think.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Most users report positive experiences.

From my review analysis, Elecosoft products, particularly Asta Powerproject and ShireSystem, generally garner positive sentiment, with many users expressing satisfaction. What impressed me is how user-friendliness for core functions often comes up in reviews, especially for new users getting started with basic scheduling.

This suggests you’ll likely find their core functionalities easy to adopt.

2. Common Praise Points

Its user-friendliness consistently earns praise.

Users frequently commend Asta Powerproject for its intuitive interface, making it easy for novices to build project schedules. From customer feedback, the ability to produce reports easily and extract filtered information is a standout feature for many, enhancing project overview.

This means you can expect straightforward project setup and effective reporting.

3. Frequent Complaints

Complexity in advanced features causes frustration.

What stands out in Elecosoft reviews is that while core functions are praised, users often find advanced features, like linking money to resources, overly complicated. From my review analysis, the scheduler functionality in ShireSystem and limited customization options are also recurring points of concern.

These challenges imply that full utilization might require dedicated training or simplification efforts.

Overall, Elecosoft reviews show strong core functionality with some advanced feature complexity requiring user adaptation.

Best Elecosoft Alternatives

Navigating the competitive software options?

The best Elecosoft alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations and priorities, depending on your project type and budget.

1. Oracle Primavera

Tackling extremely large, global construction projects?

Oracle Primavera P6 excels for highly complex enterprise project portfolio management, offering deep resource leveling and scalability across vast, globally distributed projects. From my competitive analysis, Primavera P6 provides robust enterprise-grade project control, though it comes with a higher price point and requires extensive implementation.

Choose Primavera P6 for massive projects needing deep integration with broader Oracle ecosystems and multi-user updates.

2. Microsoft Project

Heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem?

Microsoft Project offers widespread familiarity and seamless integration with other Microsoft Office products, making it a natural fit for organizations already using the ecosystem. What I found comparing options is that Microsoft Project’s ubiquity simplifies general project management, though it lacks Elecosoft’s construction-specific scheduling depth.

Consider this alternative if integration with Microsoft tools is your top priority over industry-specific construction features.

3. MaintainX

Prioritizing ease of use and mobile functionality for CMMS?

MaintainX is ideal for smaller teams or businesses seeking extreme ease of use, rapid deployment, and strong mobile functionality for streamlined work order management. From my analysis, MaintainX emphasizes a user-friendly mobile-first interface, positioning it as an affordable alternative for quick adoption.

Choose MaintainX for simplified work order management and preventive maintenance on a tight budget.

4. Procore

Seeking an all-in-one construction management platform?

Procore offers a broader, integrated cloud-based platform covering the full lifecycle of construction project management, including financials, safety, and field management. Alternative-wise, Procore delivers unified solutions beyond just scheduling, though it represents a higher overall investment for comprehensive features.

Select Procore if you need an integrated platform for financials, safety, quality, and collaboration, not just scheduling.

The best Elecosoft alternatives decision hinges on your project scale, industry focus, and budget more than just feature lists.

Elecosoft Setup

Worried about Elecosoft implementation complexity?

Elecosoft implementation varies from rapid deployment for modular solutions to more involved processes for complex integrations, so your setup experience will depend on your specific needs. This Elecosoft review section sets realistic expectations.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

No one-size-fits-all deployment here.

Elecosoft offers flexible deployment (on-premise, cloud, mobile) and high “no-code configurability” for products like ShireSystem, which promotes rapid setup. However, for deeper integrations or larger scale, expect a more involved implementation process that requires careful planning.

You’ll need to define your specific requirements upfront to accurately gauge the timeline and complexity for your business.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Prepare for some technical groundwork.

Elecosoft solutions leverage robust technologies like Microsoft SQL Server and .NET, with versatile APIs for integrating with ERP or CRM systems. What I found about deployment is that complex integrations will require significant technical planning, especially for on-premise setups.

Your IT team should assess existing infrastructure and potential integration points to ensure compatibility and smooth data flow.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption is critical for success.

While Powerproject aims for easy getting started, investing in initial training is invaluable for both products. From my analysis, proper training prevents underutilization of powerful features and ensures your team maximizes the software’s benefits.

Budget for comprehensive training courses and plan for ongoing support to ensure your users become proficient and embrace new workflows.

4. Support & Success Factors

Elecosoft prioritizes ongoing user support.

During implementation, Elecosoft provides technical and installation support via helpdesk and a knowledge base, including specific support teams for Powerproject. From my implementation analysis, quality support significantly contributes to deployment success, helping navigate any challenges.

Plan to leverage their support resources and consider their consultancy services for a smoother transition and optimized system setup.

The overall Elecosoft setup demands realistic planning for a successful transition, focusing on training and integration to maximize value.

Bottom Line

Does Elecosoft fit your construction and facilities needs?

My Elecosoft review shows a highly specialized suite of solutions that delivers exceptional value for specific AEC and facilities management organizations.

1. Who This Works Best For

AEC and facilities management organizations, mid-to-enterprise level.

Elecosoft is ideal for architectural, engineering, construction, and owner/operator industries requiring integrated tools for project planning, asset management, and cost estimation. What I found about target users is that organizations managing complex building lifecycles will find these solutions indispensable for detailed operational control.

You’ll succeed with Elecosoft if your operations demand deep functionality in construction scheduling and comprehensive facilities maintenance.

2. Overall Strengths

Unmatched industry-specific functionality and integration.

The software excels through its powerful, construction-centric scheduling (Asta Powerproject), comprehensive CMMS (ShireSystem), and 4D BIM integration. From my comprehensive analysis, the deep industry focus ensures highly relevant features that general-purpose solutions lack, supporting the full building lifecycle from design to maintenance.

These strengths provide your business with precise control, increased efficiency, and robust compliance across complex projects and assets.

3. Key Limitations

Advanced features can present a steep learning curve.

While powerful, Elecosoft’s specialized nature means new users will require dedicated training to fully leverage advanced features and achieve complete utilization. Based on this review, smaller businesses may find the initial investment challenging compared to less specialized, lower-cost alternatives with simpler functionalities.

I find these limitations are more about proper implementation and budget alignment than fundamental flaws that would make the software unsuitable.

4. Final Recommendation

Elecosoft is highly recommended for its target audience.

You should choose this software if your business is an established AEC firm or a large facility management organization seeking integrated, specialized tools. From my analysis, your success with this solution depends on your need for deep, construction-specific capabilities rather than general-purpose project management or CMMS tools.

My confidence level is high for mid-sized to enterprise-level organizations, but lower for very small businesses with basic needs.

This Elecosoft review demonstrates strong value for the right business profile, offering highly specialized and integrated solutions for the complex demands of the built environment.