Construction sites have many interconnecting parts and systems that work simultaneously. Hence, contractors need to track a lot of work to accomplish the project on time.
Tracking multiple construction points can get confusing quickly if you’re trying to do it using pen and paper or a whiteboard. Monitoring progress is a critical aspect of the job, so it’s worth setting up an organized, technologically advanced method for keeping track.
You’ll be thankful later that you did.
Define The Scope
Defining what you want to track on your construction site is essential. You may decide to keep a close eye on the workers or monitor their work, or even both, and define how often and when you’d like to be updated.
If one of your goals is to monitor the workers, installing a construction worker tracking system can help you gather data about specific employees, such as who’s working hard and who isn’t.
Using a real-time system to track your construction workers can help you identify potential problems with your workers before they become significant issues.
On top of that, having an eye on every part of your project can also help reduce costs by identifying which subcontractors are performing well so that you can hire them again in future projects.
Select The Appropriate Technology
Whether you go with paper blueprints or digital BIM (Building Information Modeling) files, it’s essential to select an appropriate technology to allow your team to maintain visibility into project progress.
Specific BIM models can be viewed by multiple project team members simultaneously, and updates are easy to make as long as team members are using compatible software. If you haven’t considered what system makes sense for your business, now is a good time.
In addition to helping keep projects on track, having real-time access to construction progress data allows managers to understand better how various teams contribute value throughout each stage of development.
The technology should have capabilities to deal with all your needs within your scope of work. Using an accurate location tracking technology will ensure that you know where your resources are at any given moment while also sharing information with subcontractors and vendors in real-time.
Build Out Your Database
Before putting your tracking technology into use, it’s crucial to build out a database of all your projects. You’ll want to include project start and end dates, budget details, contractor names, contact information, property addresses, etc.
A detailed database will help you with effective staff tracking and keep track of everything with each project. Once you’ve built out a database for all of your projects, it will be easier to pull in real-time updates as they happen.
You should be able to identify every worker, staff, and asset involved with any given project. The goal is to have an accurate picture of what’s going on so you can act fast if anything comes up or take action if there are issues (and there are always issues).
Suppose you have to segment your area of operation.
Then remember to include the details in your database for ease of location identification. It is best to do site visits regularly but not necessary for every project, just enough to give a general idea of progress and ensure safety.
Ensure You Have Enough Compatible Tracking Devices
It’s crucial to ensure you have enough tracking devices on hand to complete your job. There’s nothing worse than running out of trackers halfway through a job site because you didn’t plan!
To avoid this issue, ensure you have enough RFID trackers for everyone on your team—and don’t forget about backups! If someone loses their tracker during a job site visit, it can delay progress until another tracker is issued.
However, it’s always crucial to ensure device compatibility before making any purchases. For example, if you use RFID tags with a different operating frequency than your readers, they won’t work correctly.
Incompatible devices could lead to costly delays down the road. Similarly, using two diverse software platforms to manage your team may also cause headaches. Make sure all devices are compatible before moving forward with implementation.
Test and Revise Your System
Testing the effectiveness of your system is a crucial step in making sure it’s ready to go live. It’s also an opportunity to fine-tune any kinks that may have developed over time.
If you need to tweak some details, don’t be afraid to do so—your system will be more effective as a result. For example, if you notice your receivers are delaying communication with the RFID tag chips, you might need to adjust their distance from each other.
The adjustments can make a difference in tracking construction progress effectively and efficiently. Testing and reviewing your tracking system ensures that your system works at its peak performance and can handle all conditions.
The only way to know what works best is by testing and refining your system until it runs smoothly and effectively every time.
Train Your Staff And Roll Out The Tracking System
Train your team members on using your real-time construction progress tracking tool, and then roll out that system companywide. It’s important to communicate what you ask your team members to do.
Go over common scenarios they might encounter and let them know how they can log in, update work hours and add photos of their progress as they go along. Updating your staff will ensure everyone knows what you expect of them and that you can quickly take action if someone falls behind or misses a deadline.
Conclusion
Tracking all the significant activities in your construction site is key to ensuring that everything is going according to plan. Using the right tracking technology can help you be ahead of the construction curve if you monitor your contractor’s progress throughout their job.
Keeping track of critical benchmarks even before you receive progress reports will give you a better idea of how long your renovation will take and how much it will cost. If there are any delays or surprises, you’ll be able to address them immediately.
Plus, knowing what’s going on will give you peace of mind. And that is priceless! You can consult a professional to help you choose which type of software works best for your needs.