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Back in the day, paperwork presented some of the biggest challenges for companies. The accounting department and foremen had to sift through thousands of paper cards to determine the input of each worker. They had to worry about on-site work, breaks, travel time, and every other aspect of field job.
Given the complexity of the system, errors were to be expected. You could notice discrepancies almost every week, whether it’s due to improper formatting, honest errors, intelligible writing, or employee theft. All of this caused massive headaches for the management, who would much rather focus on the project.
Luckily, with the development of AI, GPS, and cloud computing, we finally have a solution to all our problems. Companies can now rely on advanced software for geofencing and monitoring employee input. By using apps and other wearable devices, we can easily determine when employees arrive at the site and when they leave.
In this article, we’ll talk about all the changes that came with manual time tracking. After that, we’ll explain the benefits of smart time tracking tech and why you should introduce these programs to your workflow.
The Problems with Manual Time Tracking
Whether you’re working in construction or some other field business, you want to have transparent, accurate time tracking. Alas, the traditional methods are no longer viable, which is why almost every firm now uses a portable time clock for construction business.
Whatever the case, here are a few issues you’ll likely encounter if you stick with manual methods:
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Lost Information and Time
Each technician on the field has a unique handwriting. Because of that, supervisors often struggle to decipher their notes, which leads to unforced errors. The entire system takes a lot of time to implement, which takes away your focus from things that really matter.
Some technicians calculate their time when the job is done. As a result, they might make errors in how they represent data. Even worse, they might completely forget when they started a task, adding or reducing time to the sheet.
The entire tracking process takes time, which your workers can use in a more productive manner. What’s worse, some of the technicians might bump up their hours to make them look more productive and engaged. Not only does this reduce your revenues, but it also leads to improper reporting, affecting your future planning.
It’s worth noting that investment in time tracking is a major commitment. The software doesn’t come cheap, especially if you have a large team. However, the increased efficiency more than makes up for the equipment and software costs. At the end of the day, smart time tracking will maximize billable hours and improve dispatching and scheduling.
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Lack of Real-Time Visibility
Another major benefit of this technology is that it tracks each person individually with GPS. You’ll know the exact position of each technician, helping you establish what type of task their currently doing. Among others, this will determine if a person is idling in the canteen or they’re spending time within the building.
How Does Time Tracking Software Help?
After setting up the initial orders, tracking your team becomes a straightforward process. Everything will become automated via smartphones, which technicians use to clock in and out. Managers will also receive updates and alerts if a person strays away from the construction site, or if there’s some other issues in the field.
With these tools, employees track their work duration, breaks, and movements during the day. Interestingly enough, the same software can be used for equipment and vehicles, ensuring that no one is misusing your company assets.
All information is stored in the cloud in real time, which assists both managers and dispatchers. Your dispatchers can use this information to improve routing and schedules, leading to enhanced productivity across the board.
Benefits of Time Tracking Software
If we put aside the high cost, time tracking software barely has any flaws. The technology is extremely polished and will work for any type of field of business. Here are a few advantages this software will provide to your firm:
Smart time tracking has enormous impact on your productivity. Not only does it eliminate tedious administrative tasks, but it also does wonders for planning. Management can use this software to track employees’ day-to-day and find ways to maximize their productivity.
The software allows you to pinpoint tasks that surpass your budget. It improves your routing, which is vital for logistics processes and the transportation industry, as a whole. Even if it’s a small time saving of 10 to 20 minutes, it will have a major impact on your bottom line at the end of the month.
With smart time tracking, companies are able to create more efficient schedules. It allows you to determine how much time each tasks takes on average, so technicians can jump from one activity to another. You can also use this technology to combine several tasks together based on location proximity to streamline daily work.
The tracking data is especially valuable for companies that perform lots of similar projects. In this case, you can utilize historical insights to streamline and enhance recurring jobs. Specifically, the technology improves your ability to optimize the budget and provide cost estimates to stakeholders.
As the time goes by and you get used to this software, the predictions will become even more accurate. This would eliminate common waste and overruns that come with large projects.
Last Thoughts
Besides improving your daily operations, time tracking software provides a plethora of valuable business insights. It measures various aspects of your operations in real-time, helping you make decisions on the fly. This makes time tracking tools especially valuable in dynamic industries such as transportation and construction.
The software also assists managers in preventing time theft. Use it to maximize equipment and vehicle potential and prevent wear and tear. With these programs, you have the option of monitoring each asset in the construction yard, thus maximizing their efficiency.
