One Tool to Rule Them All? The Pros and Cons of Using Just One Procore Tool for Everything

The Procore Mazze

If you’ve ever opened Procore’s sidebar, you know the feeling: There are a lot of tools.

From Observations, RFIs, and Correspondence to Defect Lists, Inspections, and Photos, there are at least 15 tools ready to structure every aspect of your construction process.

But here’s the catch: most site teams don’t use them all. In fact, some teams lean on just one or two tools, and stretch them to cover everything.

One of the most common examples? => Using Observations as your site’s Swiss Army knife.

Turning Observations Into a Swiss Army Knife

On paper, it makes sense.

The Observation tool is simple, mobile-friendly, and highly visible. So it’s tempting to use it for all sorts of things:

• Got a question for the architect? → Create an “Observation” and assign it.

• Found a cracked slab or misaligned fixture? → Send an “Observation” to the subbie.

• Need a quick response from the PM? → Fire off an “Observation.”

In this scenario, Observations become your communication, your defect tracking, your RFIs, and even your site instructions.

It’s fast. It’s familiar. And it keeps your team moving.

But there’s a catch...

What Could Go Wrong?

Here’s what we see again and again when teams use one Procore tool for too many things:

1. Loss of Traceability

What was that observation about, was it a defect? An RFI? A heads-up?

=> If everything’s an observation, it’s hard to audit what happened, when, and why.

2. Confusion in Handover

At project closeout, clients and certifiers expect proper records: RFIs, defect logs, approvals.

=> If everything’s lumped into one tool, you can’t filter or export the right data cleanly.

3. Slower Response Time

When the architect receives an "Observation," how do they know if it's just a heads-up or a critical technical question?

=> Blending priorities leads to miscommunication and delays.

4. Reporting Becomes Useless

Want to know how many real defects were raised? Or how long RFIs are taking?

=> Good luck when they’re all logged as the same type of item.

What We’re Hearing from Construction Leaders

We recently worked with a construction leader who said something we’ve heard more than once:

“I know Procore can do a lot… maybe too much. My team is already overwhelmed, and I’m worried if I push too hard, we’ll end up using the tools the wrong way.”

That hesitation is real, and completely valid.

It’s easy to feel like introducing more tools will slow the team down or backfire. So, many teams stick to what’s familiar (like Observations) and try to make it work for everything.

But that’s like giving everyone the same toolbelt, whether they’re fixing wiring, waterproofing concrete, or pouring slab.

The Better Approach: Purposeful Tool Selection

You don’t have to use all 15+ Procore tools to be effective.But choosing the right few tools for their intended purpose makes a huge difference.

Here’s a quick guide:

Purpose	Best Tool
Ask for technical info	RFI
Flag safety/quality risk	Observation
Assign corrective work	Defect List or Task
Document decision trails	Correspondence
Structure recurring checks	Inspection

When you separate your intents, you preserve clarity. You get better analytics. And your site runs on purpose, not guesswork.

Our Approach: Build Trust, Then Scale

At Romulus Technology, we understand the fear of “too much too soon.”

That’s why we:

• Start with tools your team is already using.

• Add structure through tags, categories, and smart workflows.

• Introduce new tools slowly and purposefully, when your team is ready.

We don’t push features. We build confidence. Because when the tools feel familiar and logical, adoption happens naturally, not by force.

In Procore, using one tool for everything might keep things simple, until it makes things messy.

A Swiss Army knife is great in a pinch. But if you’re running a high-stakes site, you need more than one blade.

Let Romulus Technology help you make Procore work for your project, not against it.