Many construction companies still use pen and paper to track time, report field progress, and manage other internal processes. While handwritten methods worked well in the past when options were limited, businesses that haven’t embraced modern technology are missing out on several key benefits.
Why Are Pen & Paper Processes Outdated?
Time
Pen and paper processes are costing your business one of your most valuable resources: time. When you ask field crews to fill out handwritten timecards and progress reports each day, you’re not just taxing their time, you’re also adding hours of work to their schedules.
Handwritten data takes a significant amount of time to record, collect, and analyze. Once reports are finally filled out and submitted, office teams have to physically review pen and paper data and manually enter it into their systems; sometimes more than once.
Communication Errors
Whether due to messy handwriting, misinterpretations, or missing information, handwritten reports frequently lead to communication errors, which frequently lead to limited visibility and a lack of helpful insight.
Poor communication is a leading cause of lost revenue in construction. It leads to errors in payroll processing and can hurt project profitability significantly as project managers (PMs) miss costly safety and quality concerns onsite.
Take Up Unnecessary Space
Storing pen and paper documents isn’t efficient or effective. The more documents you accrue, the more difficult it is to locate information from specific reports or timecards when needed. Additionally, physical file storage makes it challenging to search and review relevant information.
In the event of a dispute or billing error, you need to be able to quickly access past data to reach a resolution. Reviewing historical data can also help construction companies better plan future projects.
The Benefits of Going Digital
Faster, More Accurate Data
Digital reporting and time tracking methods vastly improve the speed and accuracy of data you receive from the field. Field crews can use digital devices like their smartphones to quickly record project progress or complete timecards in a clear, standardized way and then share it with the office team at the click of a button.
With digital tools, you can customize the reporting process to fit the needs of your business. Add custom cost codes to timecards or set rules for tracking break time or overtime automatically to eliminate guesswork.
Automated Tasks
Digital tools can also automatically collect and organize the information received from the field and convert it into easy-to-understand visual formats. Office staff can rely on technology to combine individual report information so they can concentrate on reviewing, approving, analyzing, and processing it.