As a construction contractor, your daily routine might involve checking in on your workers, tracking reports, and making sure to deliver projects before deadlines. A project site usually has workers all over the construction site, making it difficult to track everyone at once.
As revealed by a study at Harvard University, only 33% of workers track their time regularly. Due to this, the US economy loses about 50 million hours per day due to on-site worker negligence.
Studies have found that time tracking can promote productivity considerably. There’s been an 80% increase in productivity levels for worksites that leverage time tracking solutions.
Many solutions are already equipped with features such as construction time tracking. Such workforce management solutions increase productivity among workers.
As a contractor, you often face many challenges while getting used to time-tracking solutions. We’ve compiled nine of the most complex time tracking challenges you can face while managing a construction site. Let’s discuss what these challenges are and how we can resolve them.
9 top time tracking challenges for construction contractors
Human error
The primary reason that time tracking is so difficult in the construction industry is that it’s challenging to get accurate data on work hours manually. This is because workers are typically paid per hour, regardless of completed work.
However, an automated time tracking solution will make this task easier for you, generating data without any error and providing you with exact information.
Inconsistency in payroll
The construction industry is notorious for its inconsistent payroll reporting. This inconsistency can lead to significant problems for contractors, subcontractors, and employees.
Most contractors have a payroll system that automates the process and provides accurate, timely payroll data. Many issues can impact the payroll process, and inaccurate time tracking remains the most common among them.
That is why the optimal solution to prevent inaccuracies in time tracking is the utilization of self-service payroll services. By adopting such services, you can mitigate the occurrence of human errors, effectively plan and optimize the budget, and save money.
Unaware of how to increase productivity
If you are a construction contractor, it’s essential to have a time tracking system in place to keep track of your team’s productivity and performance.
Data has explained that the inability to track time and the projects can create havoc on the worksite. Some common challenges might include decreased productivity and not having the correct data about whether to hire new employees.
Additionally, time tracking will aid you in identifying key areas where you can improve your performance. You’ll be able to identify the most productive team members and find out how you can make them more efficient.
Hectic to manage reports manually
Time tracking can be difficult when contractors are juggling multiple projects at once. Contractors may not have time to track how many hours were spent on each task manually. Time-tracking software can help contractors manage their tasks and organize their reports. By having time tracking solutions, you can save time and increase efficiency.
Inability to see real-time reports
Most construction companies have a basic time clock system that documents work hours based on employee reports, but the system does not provide real-time information. This can create several problems, including inaccurate reporting, missed deadlines, and billing disputes.
Construction companies need to view real-time reports to ensure accuracy. Constructors can do so by using a software program that allows automated reporting and minimizes error.
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Conflicts in job costing
When you cannot track time properly on a construction site, you will have incorrect job costing. This is where time tracking helps. Time-tracking software is beneficial for project managers to track the cost of materials, their workforce, and equipment required for the project.
You can quickly check how much time you need to spend on a particular task. You can even compare the time for a specific team member. This will help you estimate the project cost accurately.
Complex time tracking solutions
The construction industry is full of surprises. There are many challenges that construction contractors have to deal with, including working with subcontractors who have different time-keeping systems and methods.
While it can be a little complicated at first, once you figure out how to best track time, you’ll be able to keep your costs under control. To remain efficient, make sure you choose a time tracking solution with an easy-to-use interface. Also, educate your employees on how to track time and its importance.
Being unable to identify time theft
Time theft is a major problem in the construction industry. This is usually a byproduct of manual time tracking that can, in turn, cause significant issues like problems with cash flow, job costing, and payrolls.
Delayed projects
When you don’t have an efficient time tracking solution at work, there’s the chance that you’re going to miss deadlines for most of your projects. This problem mostly prevails in manual time tracking processes where the contractor is unaware of how much time a task requires to complete.
How to overcome time tracking challenges in construction
The most effective way to overcome time tracking challenges is to use software. This will help you keep track of the time spent on different tasks. You can also look for a platform with an integrated project management dashboard to better understand each project.
Construction contractors can also do a few key things to overcome challenges, including:
- Making sure that all time sheets are accurate and up to date
- Choosing a time tracking solution system where employees can easily input their time
- Make sure mobile apps are easy to use and understand when leveraged
The bottom line
Time tracking on a construction site is indeed a challenging task if done manually. With a smart time tracking solution, you can solve this challenge and bring about better productivity, accuracy, and efficiency.
