Large-scale, ongoing construction projects involve a huge coordination effort between contractors, licensing bodies, construction crews, and more. Often, such projects require the expertise of skilled workers from various fields. Each one utilizes unique and specific tools and machinery to get the job done. In short, it can be an overwhelming endeavor for crew leadership — but it doesn’t have to be.
Field service management software has revolutionized the construction industry in ways never thought possible. With better communication, improved oversight, and accountability, projects yield higher throughput, increased efficiency, and reduced costs. Looking for some demonstrable ways that this emerging technology can be used? Read on for our guide to the practical application of field service management software for the construction industry.
Veteran construction workers are undoubtedly familiar with receiving tasks via paper-based work orders. While that approach may have been acceptable in the old days, it often led to mishaps. Miscommunication lost paperwork, and incomplete notes cost crews valuable time and money. Fortunately, field service management software is designed to avoid mistakes such as these, by digitizing field data and enforcing best practices while on the job.
With the solution’s embedded work order management module, crews now receive their assignments via digital work order on a mobile device. With this approach, there’s never any concern over lost paperwork or sloppy handwriting. But perhaps the biggest advantage is that crew leadership can update tasks in real-time, from the field or the office. New developments are delivered instantaneously to the crew’s mobile devices.
While jack-of-all-trades is certainly possible, most tradespeople on a construction site have a specialized skill set that they’ve spent years honing. On big jobs that have hundreds of workers moving in and out, it’s not realistic to expect crew leadership to remember each person’s strengths and weaknesses. Now, thanks to field service management software, they’ll never have to.
Many of these solutions have built-in functionality that permits crew leadership to create custom profiles on tradespeople. These profiles can include valuable information like individual proficiencies, licenses held, and preferences. The upshot of these profiles? Schedulers and dispatchers have a library of information at their disposal to consult before assigning tasks. Theoretically, this functionality dramatically reduces the risk of an inexperienced or ill-equipped worker being assigned to a task.
We’ve already made mention of the complexities that crew leaders are subject to face on a daily basis. And we recognize that managing workers’ time and expenses is a particularly challenging aspect of the job. But the time and expense management modules found within robust field service management software solutions can streamline those processes. For example, the software empowers workers to log their time and expenses on their mobile devices directly from the job site. Expense submissions are particularly painless as there’s no need for a separate expense tracking solution that could set the company back thousands of dollars each year. Workers simply provide documentation by attaching photos of receipts with their request. It’s that easy.
Some field service management software solutions also enable crew leaders to set custom rules based on overtime policies, customer requests, union restrictions, and municipal laws that trigger an alert when an employee enters a time request that does not fit within those predefined parameters. Crew leadership can accept and approve requests from anywhere.
We’ve talked a lot about the management of people, but another important piece of the puzzle is how the company oversees its fleet of vehicles. Keeping fleet vehicles operational and in peak condition can be the difference between a project staying on schedule or falling behind. After all, it’s hard for a tradesperson to get to the job site if a company truck is out of commission, right?
Field management software solutions will typically have a fleet management module that aims to limit vehicle downtime as much as possible. The most significant advantage of this module is that it facilitates preventive maintenance. Fleet leadership can set custom maintenance alerts based on mileage, time, or other pressing vehicle concerns. Plus, while a preventive maintenance plan can keep your vehicles in good working order, it can also help to keep your workers safe and satisfied.
The all-in-one solution from EnSight+ hits on all of the points we mentioned above and then some. With us, you receive customization, expert consultation, friendly support, and an effective way to manage your mobile workforce. Interested in learning how our software solution can maximize your productivity? Book your demo today.
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