Reporting made easy
Construction projects can be very confusing as they require seamless coordination and collaboration between countless people. Accurate allocation of resources and materials is also a significant aspect of a project's success. For this reason, frequent and detailed site visits can play a key role in the effort to increase team efficiency and productivity and avoid costly errors and delays.
But solidly monitoring progress can be a long and challenging process. The good news is that with the right plan and tools you can ensure your project is running smoothly and in full compliance with defined requirements and deadlines.
1. Find the right reporting tool
Maintaining a panoramic view of your project is always essential. If you are working on several projects at the same time, this need becomes even more imminent. You should be able to easily monitor the progress of your project(s), whether you're on-site or in the office. A high-performance digital tool can help you a lot with this.
Before selecting the reporting tool you want to use, you need to consider what type of information you will need when using it. For example, being able to calculate the percentage complete for your various projects and find your location (e.g. by zip code) can be very powerful if you are overseeing many construction sites at the same time.
So you can be sure to have a good overview of how things happen and quickly detect which projects require your attention. Based on this information, you can prepare your website visit plan intelligently and efficiently.
2. Implement automated reporting systems
Being able to generate construction reports on a daily basis can make your life a lot easier when it comes to monitoring construction progress. But you should keep in mind that creating daily reports can be very time consuming if you have to do it manually.
That said, automated progress reporting might be one more feature you should look out for when looking for construction software.
Lastly, being able to add your company branding can also be useful when you want to create professional documentation that must be shared with other interested parties before a scheduled site visit.
3. Invest in real-time communication
It is essential to quickly get the right information to the right project members. This way, you can be sure that the next time you visit the site everything will go according to plan. To achieve this, you will again need a reliable digital solution that helps you focus on what really matters as the project develops.
Site visits are already time-consuming, so there's no reason to waste time and money trying to figure out problems and task progress. With the help of an interactive Gantt chart, you will be able to stay informed about any type of change in real time.
Thanks to this, you can quickly respond to any emerging issues by assigning tasks and allocating your resources accordingly. In short, optimizing the flow of information will simplify the process of monitoring construction progress and make site visits much less painful.
4. Make reporting easier for your team
Detailed and accurate reporting can be a pain not only for construction managers but also for the people working on site. In this sense, you need to provide them with all the necessary tools for easy and simple mobile field progress reporting. Only then can you be sure that workers on site will be fully informed about the latest changes and will report everything that happens on site.
This transparency during the construction process will simplify site visits and increase productivity. To be more specific, field workers must be able to check their tasks across numerous projects and easily update their progress or report a problem.
5. Keep an eye on the weather
It's no secret that weather is a crucial parameter in construction. A large number of tasks can be significantly affected by weather conditions. Detailed planning is required before starting work on site.
But that is not all! Unforeseen weather phenomena can turn your project upside down and make you reschedule some tasks. It goes without saying, then, that weather has a serious impact on the process of monitoring construction progress.
With this in mind, it's a great idea to invest in real-time weather monitoring. By doing this, you can later send detailed weather reports to all your team members and keep them informed of any last-minute changes. This will allow you to build smarter and better.
6. Prepare well before visiting the website
Before making your visit to the site, you must be well prepared. The first thing you should do is take a close look at any issues that may have been reported in the previous week. This way, you can offer your team members smart and practical solutions.
Site visits can take a long time, so it's important that you're already informed about what's happened over the past week before you even get there.
7. Take as many photos as you can
Now that you have completed your preparation and are arriving at the location, it is vital to document everything.
Based on these observations, you can later detect any errors and readjust your project strategy. Be sure to take as many photos as possible to make sure you have everything you need to monitor the progress of your project and design its next phase.
Once you take these photos, try to share them with other project agents and add comments. Again, using a reliable digital tool can help a lot in storing and sharing photos with your partners.
8. Find your leadership style
Being in charge of a construction project means you must also know how to lead. Finding your leadership style is not as simple as it seems. You have to get close to the people working there and approach them in a way that inspires respect. During the decision-making process, give your team the opportunity to voice their concerns and express their ideas.
Additionally, if you are working on global construction projects, you must be prepared to embrace diversity and find a way to connect with people from different backgrounds. The above elements will make your life there much simpler.
Through trust and well-established communication, it will be easier for you to turn site visits into something meaningful and beneficial to the entire construction process.
9. Request a PMO
Not all construction companies are excited about the idea of a PMO (Project Management Office) due to cost concerns. However, a PMO is a department (or group) that can provide a lot of help in getting all aspects of your project in order and establishing a good flow of collaboration between the various team members.
One of the biggest challenges for a PMO in construction is the introduction and internal implementation of new digital processes and tools. This applies to all project agents, whether they work in the office or on site.
Furthermore, a project management office must be ready to present simple and functional methodologies that accelerate work progress and protect the project against any unpredictable bottlenecks. It goes without saying that the better a PMO works, the easier visits to your website will be.
10. Use a facilitator
As we already mentioned, construction projects can be quite complicated. There are simply too many elements that need to be taken into consideration. Especially when we talk about monitoring construction progress, things can get very complicated. That's why appointing a project facilitator can be a smart decision.
By having someone on top of the little things and details of your project, you can track its progress more easily and quickly. A project facilitator can prepare your site visit and keep you alerted to issues you need to investigate while you are there. In other words, facilitators can save you from a lot of chaos in your everyday life.
Concluding
In short, it is clear that construction site visits are challenging and require a lot of attention to detail. However, with the right plan and the help of a reliable digital solution you can simplify this process and be able to monitor everything that happens on site in real time.
When it comes to your reporting tool of choice, our only recommendation is that you select a simple-to-use tool that can be easily adopted by all members of your team, both on-site and in the office.
