Time tracking is essential for any company that wants to ensure employee compliance with working hours.
But in today’s climate, the spread of mobile phones has directly impacted how employees spend their time at work. In the US, employees get distracted for 2.5 hours each day because of scrolling on their phones and looking at digital content.
Such distractions can cause harm, especially in the construction industry, and contribute to a net loss in profits.
That’s why tracking time at work hours should be done so that managers can understand and be aware of how productive their employees are.
Time tracking can be done in several ways, using time cards or software. Because many companies, including construction businesses, are incorporating remote schedules, it has become necessary to opt for construction time tracking apps to facilitate tracking and reporting.
If you’re a construction manager wanting to get the best out of time-tracking software, read on and discover the key factors to consider when implementing such software throughout your projects this year.
Before jumping into a more upgraded time tracking system, you need to think about the main reasons why you need to in the first place.
For example, you might have several employees who aren’t using their time efficiently and engaging in non-productive activities such as long lunch breaks or taking long journeys to get to their destination.
In such a case, you can’t afford to extend your project time since it will be costly to your business. Cracking down on non-productive time can alleviate budget issues, especially during the early phase of your project’s timeline.
If Bob and Ted have the same job, but one is more efficient, you won’t know unless you track time accurately.
Bob might finish earlier and can undertake another task instead of sitting around waiting for time to pass by. Time tracking tools and apps can help you keep track of time spent on relevant tasks. Thus, you’ll be able to re-organize schedules and address concerns quickly.
As a construction manager, staying within budget is essential, especially if you want to undertake a big project.
How to allocate tasks to the right workers, secure their essential tools, and organize schedules to meet deadlines can be accomplished through time-tracking.
Time tracking solutions can provide a snapshot of your project’s progress and help you decide what tasks can be done more quickly. You can also use such tools for forecasting future project success since you’ll have preliminary data to evaluate and make changes.
You might think you’re ready to invest in a time tracking software, but have you checked off the essential factors you require for optimization?
Employee time tracking apps can be extra beneficial for your construction business if you know how to reap their benefits head-on!
So, consider these 5 factors for a more accurate and optimized time management system.
You might have several projects happening at the same time that requires different approaches. For instance, you might have one project where you’ve hired mostly contractors that are working at different sites and another project where your in-house employees are working at one site.
It can be difficult to track and calculate billable hours if you don’t prioritize tasks. So, it’s best to identify and prioritize projects that require immediate attention, have close deadlines, and are more profitable. This way, you can make a numbered list and develop a project hierarchy to help you go through each project one by one.
Having a time tracking app won’t be beneficial if your employees don’t know how to use it. Your employees are the main people who are going to use the app every day, so it’s vital to walk them through the features of the app or software:
Some employees might also be opposed to such tools. That’s why managers should explain why there’s a need to upgrade the current time tracking system by listing the benefits of such software to their employees and how it won’t harvest any sensitive data.
Time tracking doesn’t just include clocking in and out. If your employees are on the move and work on different sites, chances are that the time spent on productive hours varies from other employees who are more fixed.
There are also situations where employees might work overtime. Hence, in order to generate accurate salary reports, it’s essential to assign tasks and hours using a tracking app. These apps can help you keep track of employees working remotely, those on multiple sites, and those that have worked overtime.
Without your employees’ feedback, you wouldn’t know if your software or app is working or not.
Consider strengthening communication with your team and requesting feedback after a few weeks. Your employees might forget to tell you that there’s something wrong with their app or if the app is glitching. That’s why it’s important to follow up frequently, especially during the first few months of app purchase.
Besides the basic clock in and out feature, many tracking apps provide a wide variety of features that can help you optimize your project management such as:
Things can look overwhelming when transitioning to a new way of tracking employee time.
So before investing in any new system, keep in mind the following:
With these tips at your disposal, you can ensure you’re on the right track!
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