Nothing ever gets built without workers to build it. That doesn’t mean managing and maintaining that workforce is easy, especially in today’s challenging landscape. This isn’t always due to bad management but sometimes just the tendency to cling to outdated, manual systems and processes. These erosive systems are often compounded by another problem that currently plagues the entire construction industry––the dwindling size of the skilled labor force.
First, we must look at both problems to fully understand the deep need for updated systems and processes in construction.
Nearly Half of All Workers Are Expected to Retire Within Ten Years
It’s a scary statistic. The ever-shrinking pool of workers in the construction industry is a big concern for many companies, especially with so many retirements looming in the near future. An estimated 40% of workers will reach retirement age within the next decade. This means that the industry will need about half a million new workers on top of the standard hiring rate to meet construction demands in 2023, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors 2022 Workforce model.
The issue is further compounded by the fact that a company’s best practices and core risks are often handled by a single individual or a small group of people. As these decision-makers leave the workplace due to retirement needs, fewer individuals will fully understand the processes they manage. Relying on one person or even one group to make decisions and carry legacy information is one surefire way to create a single point of failure in your business.
One way to combat this is with user-friendly technology that can digitize and streamline decision-making, communication, and legacy information projects. Smart workforce management tech can make life easier for existing leaders and implement valuable systems that won’t retire when your people do.
Outdated Systems Cost Profits and Productivity
Whiteboards, spreadsheets and manual processes remain a typical setup in the construction industry, especially in field offices. The problem? Such systems represent a real challenge to anyone who needs more nuanced information than figures on a piece of paper can provide, such as insights across multiple jobs, in-depth strategic planning, and accurate time and resource forecasting.
Manual processes are also notorious for other avoidable and sometimes costly complications. When is the last time you’ve been frustrated by misplacing a critical document or been bogged down by tedious and time-consuming tracking tasks? Failing to track workers and their progress correctly, keep everyone informed of changes, and claim payment for work done can lead to severe dips in productivity and profit erosion.
Paper and pen will always have their place, but these outdated methods just can’t handle the complex tracking systems companies need to succeed in this industry today. The good news is that construction management software can.
Less Paper, More Productivity
Procore’s Workforce Management focuses on providing workforce solutions that are easy to use and adopt. This is especially important for field teams and workers who just want to get down to the nitty-gritty of their jobs without having to handle paper timecards, complex hour-logging systems, or confusing workday schedules. With less paper to keep track of, you can spend more time on the real work, maximize productivity and improve staff morale.
“It’s helped us plan, project managers are more intimate with their job, they know whose where, they’re forecasting better, they’re looking at their project and gathering their resources, knowing what they can do with these individuals. It has made them more knowledgeable about how their projects are run,” said David Crystal, GM of general construction at Jostin Construction.
Procore has designed its solutions around six key areas that are crucial to better utilize and retain a company’s workforce: rostering, scheduling, forecasting, data management, communications and actuals and analytics. This simple but powerful formula keeps you on schedule and on budget while also increasing workplace productivity and staff cohesion.
For example, one of Procore’s features, the boards’ page, empowers project managers by giving them more in-depth knowledge about who they’re working with. They can assess workers for specific skills, assign tasks accordingly, and know that every job is in the best possible hands.
Looking to assign more people? The boards’ page will show you who is available, their working hours, and even their skill sets and qualifications, enabling you to make the best choice for your team.
When the weather forecast predicts a storm that might prevent workers from coming to work in your area or you need staff to switch to another location quickly, miscommunications and delays are common. Without solid communication processes, people might show up in the wrong place or stay away altogether in less-than-stellar weather. Workforce Management makes it easy to send out new schedules to your labor force, informing them of any changes and getting them back to work ASAP.
While this all aids in better forecasting and planning for workforce changes, Procore’s tracking solutions allow managers to track employee time and productivity on site, giving contractors visibility into how they’re performing against the labor budget in real time.
It’s not just the bottom line that good planning and tracking affects, either.
“It increases the morale of guys in the field. They feel like they’re connected. They know what’s going on. And when you have an informed team, you have a better team,” says Justin Weidner Vice President at A&R Mechanical.
Procore’s Workforce Management: Your Single-Stop Solution
Change isn’t easy, especially in an industry as old and stoic as construction. Its workers deserve the best, Workforce Management makes it easy for contractors to manage their entire workforce from one central place.
Whether your goal is to track critical data across projects, get the right person on the right job, forecast weather or resource changes, the right technology can get you there.
Get the most out of your workforce today with Procore’s Workforce Management.
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