The construction industry generates a lot of paperwork--both virtual and physical. There are a lot of documents and information to chase down and manage for each project, emails to keep up with, and subcontractors to communicate with. Often, it can feel incredibly overwhelming. Not only that, a lot of the same documents need to be collected for every job, and it may feel like you have to reinvent the wheel every time because the general contractor or project engineer has to be taught or reminded of what documents they have to collect.
Worse, important documents and messages end up buried in an email inbox. Important issues may end up going to the inbox just to disappear. All too often, project engineers may only glance at those critical documents before they get ready to move forward with a project--and they may forget about them altogether before the time comes to actually implement new solutions or manage more tasks. All too often, general contractors forget to follow up on an important issue because they're tracking down 50-100 or more items simultaneously.
As a general contractor, you're responsible for actually coordinating the work on a job site, problem-solving, and more--but you're also the one responsible for collecting and chasing down information. In fact, you may feel that you spend--or waste--a majority of your time collecting or chasing down information instead of actually building.
How can you ensure that nothing falls through the cracks during the construction management process?
1. Organize your messages correctly
Start by using an organization system for your messages that will allow you to more effectively optimize your message organization and keep up with important messages as they come in. With LinkedField, for example, you get a highly effective message organization system that will allow you to track important communications as they come in. Schedule reminders, keep up with your subcontractors, and keep all the communications based around a single project organized more effectively so that when you need it, you can more easily access that vital information.
2. Create templates and checklists for your projects
Do you find yourself regularly forgetting a specific aspect of your next project or forgetting to add items to your To Do list? Do you struggle to remember all the things on your list? Creating templates and checklists can often make it easier to streamline those vital processes, ensuring that when you need that information, you have it. Your templates can also make many of your proposals, bids, and emails considerably faster, since you won't have to go back and reinvent the wheel every time you need to put together a similar document.
3. Utilize an effective document organization system
There's little more frustrating than knowing that you have a specific document--and even having a general idea of where it is--but not being able to find it. You might know that it's stored in your email, but not exactly where, leaving you desperately trying search term after search term in an effort to convince your system to relinquish that critical data. You might find yourself shuffling through virtual folders, trying to figure out where you last saved that document.
Luckily, LinkedField Collect makes it easy. It's a document organization system that you can take with you wherever you go and easily access from mobile or desktop devices, which means that the documents you need are always at your fingertips. Even better, LinkedField Collect makes it easy to keep up with your contract library, past documents, and other vital information, which means that when you need to copy a past template, it's easy to check your app and pull it together.
4. Automate data collection when possible
Covid-19 tracking has become increasingly complex, requiring a great deal of data collection. Maintaining OSHA compliance can be a challenge, especially if you don't know who on your job site has been through mandatory safety orientations. If you try to sift through all that data on your own, it can suck all the time out of your day, leaving you struggling to find enough time to take care of any of the other tasks on what feels like an ever-increasing To Do list.
Fortunately, LinkedField can help. With LinkedField, you can automate Covid-19 safety, make sure that your job sites remain in OSHA compliance, and keep that information at your fingertips if you need to revisit it--all without spending excessive time dealing with those changing responsibilities. Automated data collection makes your job much simpler--and ensures that you won't be left without that vital information if you need to provide it to a project inspector.
5. Keep your data in a place that's accessible to your workers.
Different workers have different skills and different knowledge sets. As part of your regular construction management processes, however, consider utilizing a knowledge hub to make more information accessible. Your knowledge hub might contain things like:
- Updated OSHA standards
- The latest Covid-19 compliance standards
- Hints or details about how to manage specific tasks on a construction site
- Detailed tutorials that can help construction workers learn new skills
An effective knowledge hub is an invaluable tool that can offer immense benefit to your entire team. It can ensure that every member of the team receives the same level of on-the-job training and onboarding support, that everyone is in compliance with your basic standards (and the standards issued by OSHA, even as they continue to change), and that your team members can access the information they need, when they need it.
LinkedField Can Improve Your Data Management
You didn't get into construction to spend your days shuffling through paperwork. With LinkedField, you can improve your document management strategies so that you can keep your attention in the field, where it needs to be, instead of constantly shuffling through documents. Furthermore, LinkedField serves as the vital organization system you need so that your critical documentation doesn't fall through the cracks. Want to learn more about the benefits LinkedField can offer your business? Contact us today for more information.
