Construction industry holds a special place in every economy, thanks to its huge contribution in satisfying the infrastructure needs of virtually all the major sectors viz. health, transport, and education. But none of that is achieved without effort. When it comes to construction firms, the value of coordination among people and resources becomes highly important.
In the age of technology, things such as a lag in performance or failure to pass on information are inexcusable. In fact, almost all the construction professionals these days own smartphones or tablets. With different types of mobile apps out there to monitor every bits of construction activities, they have the means to increase efficiency, reduce costs and get the job done on time. Here are the 6 ways in which mobile apps are really transforming the construction industry.
1. Eliminating Delays
Information is the driving force in the construction industry and how swiftly that flows across all the parties involved that determine the efficiency of any construction project. For instance, the process of getting all the real-time information from the construction site such as trades, contractors available, progress, delays, and various other incidents can be a hectic affair. But if all that information were captured in mobile forms and distributed to everyone, various obstacles can be dealt with in time, thereby ensuring the construction moves on as per the schedule.
2. Better Communication
Fluid communication is yet another crucial aspect of efficient construction. So when it comes to reporting the happenings of the day at the job site, nothing can match the effectiveness of mobile apps to get the job done. Simply prepare the report with all the key highlights and send it away via an automated email to virtually everyone. The importance of these updates to the project stakeholders is immense as they always like to see things moving at a certain pace. So when all the information is passed on to everyone, any errors or shortcomings can be resolved in a timely manner.
3. Back Office Efficiency
We’re all acquainted with the havoc that was the paper entry system. Nowadays, most people can’t imagine the thought of going through a pile of paperwork just to collate a piece of information for reporting. What might be more astounding is that construction companies had to spend hundreds of dollars on this type of data entry system. Thanks to the advance in technology, that system has been greatly simplified. Today we have the BI dashboards that can help us visualize all the key events of the day with absolute ease. This, no doubt, increases the back-office efficiency ensuring project completion on time and within the specified budget a reality.
4. Better Management Of Field Staff
Even with all the hi-end tech, it’s the men on the ground that get the job done so their productivity counts for a lot. Mobile apps can help keep a check on that. With travel times, GPS locations and time trackers, mobile apps can monitor all their activities. This significantly improves their accountability and brings down the Labour costs. Construction companies can go even better by employing mobile timesheet that record the log-in/log-out hours. Furthermore, the construction workers can submit their progress by sending the progress photographs from the job-site. This results in better transparency to management and clients.
5. Documentation Down To The Detail
Making use of mobile apps to record information at the job-site can save the construction companies from all the terrible delays and undesirable events arising from poor handwriting and inaccuracy of data. Images, time trackers, GPS taken on-site offer a transparent and trustworthy sight of the progress of the project. This can prove really useful when it comes to delivering accountability to clients or showing evidence in legal disputes.
6. Manage Equipment Effectively
Equipment is one of the major assets of any construction company. Their scheduling and maintenance hugely impact a company’s bottom line. If you thought equipment usage and its lifespan was beyond help then you couldn’t be more wrong. With mobile solutions, it’s become quite easier to track and manage the equipment usage. By logging the hours for which the equipment is used and keeping a track of locations it’s put to work at, you can really improve their planning and use.
Final Thoughts
Mobile apps are revolutionizing the construction industry and it’s doing that for the better. Their usage may not be as widespread at present, but it’s only a matter of time when they will gain a universal acceptance throughout the construction sphere. From time tracking, equipment handling, better reporting, and improved performance, their benefits are too good to turn down. Let us know in what other ways you’d like to see mobile apps play a role in the construction industry in the comments section below. We’re excited to hear your opinions!
