Construction businesses are expansive and highly elaborative. It is complex and dynamic at the same time. The companies are always involved in multiple projects. While all this is good news for business, managing such an expansive network of employees and business processes can be challenging.
Since there are so many facets to the business, it isn’t easy to track all of them. These challenges are so common that they can be seen globally across the entire industry. But it is necessary to find a solution for such problems since that will ensure that the business works seamlessly and efficiently.
This article discusses the challenges of tracking progress for construction businesses. So, make sure you scroll down to the end or cut yourself some slack to explore great construction tracking software.
Why Is It Essential To Track Progress?
A construction project usually consists of many dynamic parts. The projects are always on the move, and as such, it becomes necessary to track the progress to measure budgets and schedules.
Keeping a thorough update also helps the teams involved make tweaks and arrangements as and when required. But tracking progress is not an easy task in construction projects.
In addition, the projects are investment intensive, and thus, there are various stakeholders involved. Therefore, it is also necessary to send them regular updates about the status of the work.
However, it’s next to impossible to manually track and monitor the progress of a construction project as it requires keeping a constant tab on all the variables involved. Construction software can come in extremely handy in such situations.
Challenges Of Tracking Progress For A Construction Business
As stated, tracking the progress of a construction project can be a hectic task. The challenges, though, are global in nature. Some of the most common challenges are as under:
1. Multiple worksites
A construction company is never working on a single project or one site only. Consequently, it becomes more difficult to track the progress across all the sites since it is an extra workload.
Besides, managers alone cannot handle it all. This is where construction management software comes into the picture. This software help managers track the progress of each project.
2. Employee tracking
Since construction companies usually work on numerous sites, multiple employees are involved in various project parts.
Some workers stay on a project for months; some may be contractual, some may be present on-site for a few days or a few weeks. It is almost impossible to keep track of all employees where one employee can be working in different sites. So it takes a lot of effort to keep track of an employee.
3. Employee attendance:
Because information regarding an employee’s whereabouts may be difficult to track, tracking employee attendance may be problematic as well. It also becomes difficult to track how much time an employee actually spends on the job (ignoring the ideal time). Employee performance tracking is yet another challenging issue.
Many construction companies depend on traditional methods of punching cards or registering names on a register to keep track of employees, but such methods are not reliable. However, construction software provides excellent solutions to keep a record of employee attendance and determine how much time the employees actually spend on the job.
4. Lack of skilled workers
The construction industry is usually filled with an ageing population who can work skillfully. However, the younger generation entering the sector lacks the elegance and skill required to fill the hole left by experienced professionals.
Also, many workers have been retiring from the industry, which has created an overall labour shortage, which has been becoming increasingly difficult to fill.
5. Safety violations
Safety violations have always been a primary concern in the construction industry. Even though legislation and regulations have been introduced, it is still a problematic area and poses a problem for workers’ safety and well-being.
Some Solutions For Construction Progress Tracking
It is evident from above that tracking progress can be a troublesome job for a construction business. Following are a few solutions that can make it easier for you to track the progress-
1. Data Centralization:
Data is the key that guides the construction business. Whether it be design, planning, budgeting, or scheduling, a project manager cannot carry out his job in the absence of relevant and updated data.
Keeping a centralized documentation source provides uniform information to all the teams involved. Moreover, it enables the managers to keep a smoother track of the progress.
2. Use construction management software:
Construction management software is a project management platform that aids businesses in various areas, including budgeting, communication, decision-making, and task scheduling, to mention a few. Its purpose is to use automation to make construction business operations much more effortless.
Construction software benefits the project by assisting the planning, management, and coordination of the project from start to finish. Integrated construction software also reduces costly delays and improves communication, allowing the field team to operate to their full ability while avoiding potentially dangerous or costly errors.
3. Reward employees:
In any industry, employees love being appreciated. So, if the company considers retaining good employees who have the requisite expertise, this will eventually benefit the company in the end. If the company runs on tight budgets, gift cards, coupons, or time off can also be a beneficial strategy.
4. Time Tracking:
The company can introduce a time tracking software that can track the time put in by each employee on a site. It can be a mobile app, a small wearable device, or a small device that can be carried along to track the employees. This will ensure utmost transparency and an easy solution for businesses.
Endnote
Even though the construction industry has many challenges that are so integral that they can pose a big problem for the company, the business must succumb to one of the solutions for the apparent difficulties.
It will ensure that the business runs smoothly and can keep track of all its facets simultaneously. It is necessary that the business can do it, or else there will be no track of finances or progress of a project.
