How Covid 19 is forcing construction companies to adopt Mobile Apps to survive
Adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many construction companies and contractors to pivot to all remote work in order to survive.
The good news is that there is mobile construction software that can help support employee safety, meet public health guidelines, and maintain a schedule that will keep projects afloat and solvent wherever possible.
Here are four tips for successfully managing remote construction projects:
- Good communications are critical.
Good communications are critically important when your employees are spread out on different projects at multiple sites. Instant messaging apps like Slack can connect your team when they can’t be in the same office. You need to be able to hear from your team in order to anticipate hurdles and create work arounds that will help you deliver a successful project.
- Adopt software that your team can use anywhere.
Keeping track of your costs is as important as knowing when you will receive a payment. Your mobile construction software should be able to track labour hours, as well as plant and equipment usage, and should allow you to approve these costs remotely. It’s also crucial to ensure your mobile time keeping software is fully integrated so that data that is uploaded remotely from job sites is accessible even when you’re not able to work at the office.
- Track key milestones.
In uncertain times, it makes sense to focus on meeting project milestones that trigger a payment. You’ll want to divide your project into smaller tasks which can be wrapped quickly if there is a sudden work halt. Your construction management software should have a project management function with a flexible scheduler so that you can make adjustments as needed. Make certain you are using software that can also provide remote access to planning tools like paperless task lists, along with inventory tracking and mobile POs.
- Put mobile technology to good use.
Put technology into place so you’re prepared for remote work. The construction industry is a notorious laggard in digital technology adoption, but mobile can provide a lifeline for construction projects, allowing them to continue safely. With mobile access to construction ERP software project managers no longer need to travel to job sites to effectively manage projects and mobile software can help construction companies manage in uncertain times.
New Zealand has resources for construction companies. Please see the New Zealand Construction Sector Covid-19 Response Plan https://www.constructionaccord.nz/covid-19/construction-sector-covid-19-response-plan/
Release date: 13th October 2021