The ultimate guide to construction applications

The complexity of modern day construction can often leave even experienced professionals overwhelmed. Knowing what resources and materials to use, how to manage a project from start to finish, and ensuring that all legal requirements are met can be difficult. This article serves as a guide for building contractors and explains the advantages of investing in a digital solution.

What is a construction application?

Construction management apps are pieces of software that can be used to coordinate, supervise, and oversee various aspects of a construction project. Most construction apps allow users to make checklists, track employee time, manage timesheets, monitor expenses, and share documentation.

Apps for construction professionals give construction teams collaborative tools for task handling, time management, and much more. Cloud-based apps can be accessed from any device able to connect to the Internet, giving users real-time access to data. A cloud-based construction project management app can drastically increase the operational efficiency and task management capabilities of a construction project.

The management of a construction project requires the fulfillment of a considerable number of activities and transactions. A construction manager who makes use of mobile, web, or desktop applications designed to aid their tasks is at a much higher capacity to do their job. Understanding how apps for construction business work is the first step towards becoming a better project manager.

Benefits of a construction app

Efficiency

Thanks to construction apps, many tasks associated with the management of construction sites become easier. This is very beneficial in construction sites where the scope of operations makes it difficult to keep everything in check. The best apps for construction count with automation capabilities to seamlessly accomplish administrative and managerial tasks.

Managers have access to specialized tools to monitor all site activities from the office. Employees can use quick communication channels to rapidly exchange documents, receive approvals for requests, and provide report updates.

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Safety

Construction sites are places where many potential health hazards are present. Excellent safety awareness is indispensable to guarantee that everyone is safe. Not only is this important for the physical welfare of employees, but it also helps to avoid construction projects from slowing down or having to incur medical or legal costs.

Apps for construction can provide managers with the capacity to ensure the safety of their labor force. Construction apps can be used by project managers to determine if everyone has completed safety training. Likewise, they help stay compliant with relevant regulations and ensure the availability of appropriate equipment for all employees.

Time tracking and management

A construction app can make it easier for employees to receive, understand, and get approval on their tasks. Additionally, project managers can monitor all aspects of project completion, including time tracking. Thanks to automation, construction company apps can perform many routine processes and tasks.

This is useful to ensure greater operational accuracy as well as to minimize errors and delays. From the same app, users can receive reports and communicate with clients more effectively. All these features create a workplace ecosystem where good time management is easy to achieve.

Cost-effectiveness

The construction industry is known for its expensive processes. For instance, the printing, storage, and transportation of paper documents can substantially increase the operational costs of a construction company. If personnel and building information is electronically transmitted, paper documents can be completely removed from workflows.

Additionally, automation makes processes such as recordkeeping, document monitoring, and feedback management easier. The time and effort that usually goes into repetitive processes can be better used in more engaging assignments.

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Communication

The success of construction projects is highly dependent on good communication. To guarantee that operations will run smoothly, it is essential to confirm instructions, give reports, and alert about emergencies as quickly as possible. Thanks to construction apps, all parties involved in construction activity can be interconnected and in close communication with each other. The apps can fulfill many types of communication purposes and drastically improve the correspondence between project managers, workers and clients.

Top construction application features

Calculation of working hours

Thanks to apps, it is possible to generate timesheet documents in the blink of an eye. Additionally, timesheet calculators simplify payroll management. The best cloud-based apps can be used to calculate the hours of in-house users and employees. It can also take external overtime into account.

Mobile punching

Mobile punching allows employees to use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to punch in their arrival times on worksites. To ensure the smooth running of operations, employees have access to assigned project files.

Geolocation of personal

The geolocation feature allows administrators to validate that the employee is in the right place at the right time. Managers have access to their geolocation point at the entry punch, then at the exit punch. This feature allows managers to be more proactive when assigning tasks. When an employee has been assigned an event to their agenda, they receive a notification on their smart phone with all the necessary information.

Project management

An all-in-one construction app contains all the necessary tools to manage the entire construction process. The features of the best apps help contractors optimize construction costs, track project advancement, and improve time management.

By taking advantage of the technological perks of the app, managers can create a development plan with good resource planning as its main focus. Since most routine tasks can be automated by the app, administrators can forget about long manual processes. By automating manual processes, human error is also minimized.

Management of working hours

The assignments of all employees, from field teams to office staff, can be handled from a construction company app. A cloud-based construction management solution centralizes essential information on each staff member, simplifying the creation of timetables. The app is capable of matching the workforce depending on their skills. This helps make sure that there are always people with the right skills during a shift.

Electronic agenda

To make a company’s time management easier and more efficient, a cloud-based reporting and collaboration tool gives employees access to their schedules on their phones and other devices at all times. If your employees have recurrent schedules, the app allows you to copy-paste past schedule information into upcoming time slots.

This way, you avoid having to work double to re-write repeating schedules and timetables. Employees can receive notifications whenever a manager publishes or updates a schedule. From the app, employees can also accept or reject their shifts. Likewise, they can quickly notify their manager in case a replacement for them must be found.

Dispatch software

Through a dispatch software tool, data can be handled without the need for paper documents. Whenever a service call is received, the application can be used to locate the entire team and notify the nearest employee. Through the app, employees receive all the instructions they need on their mobile device.

Work order forms

A work order application is able to instantly create or modify electronic work orders, purchase orders, detailed submissions, and other types of forms. Using these digitally-generated forms means that handling paperwork and waiting through lengthy processes becomes a thing of the past. Electronic work order forms can be accessed from mobile phones and computers at any time and from any place.

Employees can use the work order application functionality to allow customers to sign forms directly from a mobile phone. Work order forms come in a wide variety of customized templates, making them useful from the get-go. Nonetheless, users can also opt to modify the forms, creating templates that fit better to their way of managing operations.

How much does a construction application cost?

Construction management software has a very wide price range so it’s best to get a custom quote from the company you’re interested in. It’s important to note that companies decide to invest in construction management apps due to the considerable annual savings these can provide.

Savings calculator

The best app for construction companies

Mobile-Punch is the best construction app for construction companies because it helps them better manage schedules, timesheets, payroll, and projects. Investing in the Mobile-Punch app is a surefire way to increase your profitability.

Here are key features of our digital solution:

• Timesheet calculator
• Mobile punch
• Employee geolocation app
• Project management app
• Work schedule app
• Electronic agenda 
• Dynamic distribution (dispatch)
• Work order app
• Employee time tracking app

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