Construction workforce management is a critical component of any successful construction project. The construction industry relies heavily on skilled personnel, from managing the labour force to ensuring that projects are completed according to plan.
With the construction industry undergoing massive changes in recent years, it’s become increasingly important to implement new workforce management strategies, leverage new technology to do more with less, and put your resources to the best possible use. Here’s how to do it.
One of the key challenges facing the construction industry today is the ongoing labour shortage. In the construction industry, experienced workers are retiring and taking their institutional knowledge with them, and younger generations aren’t interested in taking their place.
To address this challenge, construction companies must gather as much institutional knowledge as possible before their most experienced demographic walks out the door. Institutional knowledge should be stored in one centralized location, preferably on the cloud, where workers can access it anywhere.
In addition to gathering and managing institutional knowledge, construction companies must attract and retain more young people. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, you know that the next generation wants certain things from their employers, including:
Young people have also grown up using innovative technology and have never known life without it. Using outdated technology or none will make your company less attractive to younger workers.
One of the most significant areas of opportunity for workforce management lies in technology. Construction companies need to manage their workforce more efficiently than ever before, and digital tools — such as construction payroll software, scheduling software, and construction document management software — can make processes like tracking employee performance, scheduling workers, and managing payroll far more efficient.
Contractor time tracking software, for example, lets companies track and code contractor hours according to union rules, ensuring they will be paid accurately. Some software solutions, such as Civalgo cloud-based construction software, can also be integrated with your current payroll processing system, allowing you to automate payroll and reduce associated operating costs.
Time tracking software can also provide valuable data that can help construction companies improve their workforce management processes, identifying areas where productivity can be improved and allowing companies to make data-driven decisions about staffing and scheduling.
Another game-changer in construction is cloud-based construction project management software, which allows construction companies to manage projects more efficiently by providing real-time visibility into project progress and costs.
Civalgo cloud-based construction project management software, for example, makes it possible for project managers to:
Project management software can also help companies better manage labour resources, providing insight into employee availability and allowing managers to schedule workers more effectively.
More than 50 percent of rework is caused by poor data and miscommunication. If the U.S. construction industry spends $65 billion/year on rework (and it does), that means roughly $31 billion of that could have been saved by:
There is no reason to keep throwing billions of dollars away when solutions exist. Instead of spending $177 billion/year in labour costs on avoidable activities like looking for project data/information (5.5 hours/week/person); conflict resolution (4.7 hours/week/person); and dealing with mistakes and rework (3.9 hours/week/person), companies could be reinvesting that money into their construction business and workforce, thus building a more sustainable future.
Effective workforce management is essential for success in the construction industry. By gathering institutional knowledge before retirement, recruiting more young people, and leveraging technology to streamline processes and improve efficiency, construction companies can ensure that they have the skilled workforce they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive industry.
Instead of cobbling together a Frankenstein of various productivity apps, a single, unified, cloud-based construction management software like Civalgo can help you simplify your workflows and your day-to-day. Try it for free today.
