Keeping track of what's happening on site is a challenge if you don't have the right tools to help you. Especially when it comes to complicated processes and QHSE which, for many project managers, site foremen and QHSE managers, are synonymous with excessive administrative workload and a lot of stress and frustration. The result?
- Information Overload and Milestone Misalignment
- Increased waiting time between tasks
- Nonconformities are discovered during deliveries
- Endless disputes that put your margins in danger
That's why it's so important to provide local teams with access to the documents and drawings they need at any time, even when you're not on site.
From the Quality Control Plan to collecting final delivery observations, including Health, Safety and Environmental observations, field teams must be able to submit their follow-ups and questions in real time so that issues can be escalated quickly .
This way, you can avoid mistakes before they become a threat to your project and deal with ever-evolving challenges more effectively.
However, to bring this dynamic, administrative approach to life, you need to digitize your HSE and HSE processes by implementing tools made specifically for construction teams.
WhatsApp, messenger, emails or even phone calls may allow you to share information with other stakeholders (both internal and external), but they do not provide the overview needed to act quickly and see everything on the spot at all times. Let alone that all the updates you share in this way cannot be linked to your 3-6 week forecasts and your master schedule.
As a result, even if you've shared an update with the right person at the right time, you won't be able to fully understand its impact on the project's existing dependencies, making decision-making a slow and complicated process.
What QHSE and paper snagging look like
Before we delve into how you can digitize your QHSE processes and issues, let's take a closer look at the issues that can arise if you choose to rely on pen and paper or the wrong digital tools to manage quality and safety on your projects. .
More specifically, here are some of the biggest struggles many of our clients faced before embarking on their digital transformation journey:
Lots of tools to deal with
The more tools the better, right? Well, you might want to think again. The multiplicity of tools is one of the main obstacles to efficient and administration-free QHSE and problem processes. The reason for this is that most of the implemented tools are not connected to each other in real time.
This lack of connectivity means that, depending on the tool you use, you have access to a different and often distorted version of reality. Given also the large amount of data that is generated every day on site, from one point and then it becomes impossible to say what the real status of your project is.
So you can quickly get lost in a sea of disconnected information, unable to track and resolve restrictions or find the information you need to raise or respond to a complaint.
Heavy administrative processes
Many project managers tell us they spend up to 40% of their days creating project reports, jumping from meeting to meeting, and chasing people on the website for updates. For many of them, it doesn't take long before:
- get buried in details and miss the full picture.
- They are unable to focus their attention on getting the project moving.
- I don't have time to focus on tasks that really matter.
- become overwhelmed by stress.
And that's how they end up wasting time and energy on questions and requests that shouldn't exist in the first place.
Difficulties in monitoring QHSE non-conformities
Having an easy way to check what hasn't been done, even if you can't get to the site, is extremely important to the success of your project. However, many project managers still struggle to consistently get an accurate picture of what's happening on site.
The reason is again the absence of a real-time connection between on-site checks and the project schedule. This limited view of reality on the ground gives internal and external stakeholders the wrong idea of progress, fueling downtime between activities.
For example, subcontractors may show up on site in vain because another task was not completed successfully, or deliveries may be delayed because the QHSE manager discovered a nonconformity literally at the end of the entire process.
How to connect your QHSE and blocking processes
Taking all this into consideration, it is no surprise that more and more construction players are actively looking for a way to create a dynamic and shareable link between their quality management and their project planning processes.
This way, they will be able to free themselves from unnecessary administrative work and constant stress, making everyone work on the same wavelength. If you are also looking for the same results, this is how you can make it happen:
1. Use a single source of truth
Your quest for better, more efficient QHSE processes starts with moving all project information to a central cloud tool. By making all recorded data available to all relevant parties in a shared, live location, you ensure that everyone involved in the project has the same view as you. Thus, collaboration between teams is considerably improved as all stakeholders look in the same direction and have a better understanding of what milestones and constraints need to be addressed next.
Additionally, by introducing a single source of truth to your projects, you reduce your administrative workload as you no longer have to search a million places to collect the latest site feedback. Now everything is available in one place and you have the overview you need to react to problems as soon as they appear.
And that's not all! The fact that all information is now stored in the cloud allows you to raise or respond to complaints much faster. You will no longer need to spend days or even weeks finding that photo or email that proves you are not responsible for a setback in the project schedule. With just a quick search by date or by task, you can access the information you need to protect your project from interruptions and additional costs.
2. Implement construction-specific tools
We've already mentioned the importance of choosing a tool made for construction teams. Only then can you be sure that your schedule reflects reality at any given time. All communication will occur in a single data source, allowing you to effectively connect with multiple project stakeholders so you can make the right decisions faster and plan your next steps with confidence.
For example, a construction-specific tool would allow:
- ensure transparency in your projects and help all employees monitor any changes to the website in real time.
- Easily add new obstacles using photos, comments and notes in the latest version of the plan. With an exhaustive view of all current and future obstacles, improve your website's visibility and communication.
- have all your field reports, forms and checklists on your tablet.
- collect accurate information through an automated checklist process.
- Standardize all your forms and define a clear and easy workflow for all your projects.
And most importantly, the impact of all the information coming in from the field is instantly visible across the different timelines you're working on. This way, you continuously maintain a live overview of your position in the project without having to leave the office.
At the same time, your on-site personnel can easily document progress and send critical updates just using their mobile devices.
With everyone kept in complete sync, it becomes easier to avoid mistakes and deliver successful projects more quickly and cost-effectively.
3. Clearly define when a task will be completed
Do you know when a task in your project is truly “done”? Waiting for other subcontractors or team members to complete their tasks is one of the main reasons for construction delays and stoppages. How could you avoid this? Having a clear, standardized set of rules and practices about when a task should be considered finished.
This is the key to aligning the expectations of all team members and avoiding mistakes. When should a transfer be considered successful? When is the right time for the next material order to arrive on site? And where?
These questions may seem simple, but on a construction site they can be the fuel for delays, interruptions or even commercial complaints that put your margins at serious risk. That's why project managers and everyone else involved in a project need a single, central, real-time view of short-term planning.
And this is also why you want to connect your quality management processes to your master schedule, so that you can always feel confident that all work performed on site is in accordance with the specifications set before the project begins.
Follow more. Manage better.
If you too want to regain control and connect your teams on a live schedule from a single source of truth, it's time to say goodbye to the tools that are leaving you behind like WhatsApp, MS Project and Excel.
