Transform your team's work-life balance with digital construction management

A lot of work goes into keeping a construction site running smoothly – and even then it’s not uncommon for teams to be on-site well after hours trying to get things done. From managing subcontractors to collecting data for Part L documentation, the admin work is often a huge drain on time and subsequent delays can impact margins and reputations when things aren’t completed on time.  

A 2022 survey by Cornerstone Projects reported that a huge 91% of respondents said they had been involved in projects that experienced delays (a 6% increase on a similar 2016 survey). With increased demand and not enough construction workers to plug the gap, the pressures have never been greater. 

Digital construction management – the elephant in the room 

As an industry, construction is reliant on traditional ways of working to deliver quality and as a result it’s been slower than other areas to adopt digitalisation. Digital tools aren’t going anywhere though, and the benefits for construction specifically can be massive, but implementing any new tools or process is time-consuming so it’s understandable that there is resistance when construction workers are already so lacking in time. 

We’ve teamed with our construction industry experts to estimate how much time a team of 20 construction workers could save on key project tasks by moving to a digital solution – and by taking the time to implement a construction management system that team could save an impressive 24 hours per week. That’s a whole extra day, or, more time spent getting things done so your team is home on time.  

There’s a link at the bottom of the page to download our free guide on how these small changes add up to big results.  

Document management 

Centralising your Scope of Work, Gantt chart or work breakdown schedule is the most effective way to give your team a single source of truth, eliminating the time spent on chasing the latest plans and drawings. How often are you searching emails for the latest floor plans? While Sharepoint and Dropbox are a step in the right direction, they don’t have the same focus that a construction-specific tool will have when you consider the level of admin needed on-site and the complexity of construction documentation.  

Data collection and analysis 

Every building site needs forms – from safety briefings to RFIs and other requests, it’s likely that the number of forms you need to manage runs into the tens, maybe hundreds during the course of a build. If you’re manually editing them in a Word Document and printing/distributing them in person, you’re almost certainly spending a huge amount of time managing this process.  

Construction-focused project management software is built with on-site needs in mind, and the ability to customise and distribute forms within a few clicks isn’t a far away dream of a high-tech future.  

Snagging and issue tracking 

If your team is still tracking snags on-site with a notepad or adding them to group chats, you’re not alone. It’s seen as a quick and easy way to let someone know there’s an issue that needs addressing, but what happens when that message gets lost or missed? Where is the accountability for that issue? Can you guarantee that the person responsible will be notified? If you’re answering no to that then your chances of needing rework shoot up dramatically and you don’t need us to tell you how expensive that can be.  

Most digital tools for construction management have dedicated snagging features that link to a project’s overall progress, allowing team members to assign issues to a specific person. Tasks can’t be signed off until an issue is addressed and completed so there’s no chance of things being missed.  

Part L regulation compliance management 

Part L compliance is required by law, but has that reality become part of your daily processes? At the end of a project, all Part L documentation needs to be handed over to an SAP assessor before sign-off and if you’ve not been collecting that data as you go there’s a solid chance you’re spending hours, maybe even days, bringing together all the visual evidence you need to meet regulations.  

Images for Part L evidence need to be geotagged, and software available now can do this for you automatically without going back in and editing things manually on a computer later. When a project is finished, reports can be downloaded in one click and handed over to your SAP assessor in minutes. 

People management 

With a shortage of construction workers across the UK, there’s even more pressure on existing teams to be working collaboratively and communicating effectively. Managing larger teams across multiple sites becomes a lot less complicated with a hub of information that workers can refer to on-the-go and site managers can see what is being completed in real-time. If your team can view their tasks in one app and mark them complete with a single swipe – how much time can you imagine saving on chasing things in person?  

Variations 

Things change – and on a construction site this can be a slow and sometimes intensive process. Spending time on the phone and chasing emails means less time on-site and increased likelihood that you’re going to be working late. Again. Having a central data environment (CDE) designed specifically for construction work means relevant stakeholders have visibility of variations instantly without manual chasing. This better understanding gives site managers a better overview of where delays are likely to impact a project and ability to react accordingly.  

The move to digital is easier than you think

“But we’ve always done it this way...” is a common objection in construction and it’s one we understand given the huge pressures on construction workers to deliver huge projects on time, under budget, and to high building standards. Making the move to a digital solution doesn’t have to be a hindrance to your processes though – in fact partnering with the right provider means your team is set up for success. And you are more likely to claw back precious time spent on chasing admin and completing paperwork, saving a minimum of 24 hours per week. 

To read more, download our full time-saving guide: