In the construction industry, time is money. Projects already take up a lot of work hours, and rightfully so. However, the time spent on tracking construction projects can break the bank—especially when workflows aren’t streamlined.
So, how can your business improve the way you track time on every project? Time tracking software.
Here’s how to make your timesheet process more efficient around the clock.
Why is time tracking in the construction industry important?
Construction businesses need accurate time records. That way, companies can ensure workers get accurate pay for all their hours—especially in cases like overtime. Solid time reports also give employees the support they need to process payroll efficiently.
When you keep track of productivity and time data, your company gains more visibility into your job progress. This real-time collaboration with the field can create more opportunities to reduce expenses, and improve your project management.
How to fill out and track a construction timesheet, faster.
The old way to track time cards
Before construction software, paper timesheets were the norm for companies to keep track of hours worked. However, this proved not to be the most efficient way to log hours—or even do payroll.
The old process for time tracking looked something like this:
The office prints out a timesheet.
The office gives the timesheet to the foreman.
The foreman manually fills out hours worked for each worker.
The foreman puts the timesheet in a folder or binder.
The foreman returns to the office to turn in the timesheet.
The office manually types in the field data into their payroll system.
In the field, crews are constantly on the move. You hardly have any free time to take a break, let alone manually calculate your work hours. Since you’ve spent most of the day doing the work, it may be mentally taxing to recall everything at the end. As a result, your accuracy in reporting suffers.
On the office side, paperwork isn’t the best either. If you manage multiple crews across jobsites, you’ll have to sift through mountains of papers to get the data you need. Not only that—you’ll also have to manually log it all into your payroll system. Paper timesheets are easier to misplace too, meaning even more payroll delays if you have to chase reports down.
The new (digital) way for tracking time
Construction timesheet software makes it easy for any employee to collect time cards from the field. Then, once they have the time data, it’s automatically loaded into an integrated payroll system or accounting software.
With a time tracking or timesheet app, the new process of time tracking is:
The foreman fills out each worker’s hours with a mobile app.
The office receives all digital time cards on the web app.
Time cards are stored in your online records.
If the payroll system is integrated, timesheet data is imported automatically.
Thanks to software, tracking time cards (and turning that time data into results) is more efficient than ever. All reports are in real time, too—meaning you can spot issues on the fly, and improve productivity before it’s too late. Every worker gets their pay, and employees can free up their time to better your business in other ways.
Get a timesheet app that works for you.
Raken helps you collect time cards, track hours and costs, and more. Our construction field app makes it easy for workers to send you updates in real time. Then, all that field data is stored on the cloud—that way, you always have an accurate record of your job progress.
Besides time tracking, you’ll also get tools for daily construction reports, production tracking, construction safety checklists, and toolbox talks.
See how Raken can work best for your company in a personalized demo.