Improve Labor Tracking Accuracy with Mobile Management Solutions

by Kimberly Hegeman
Created: June 23, 2011

New mobile technologies and software allow construction companies the ability to manage employee and labor hours and transmit the information to the office and accounting programs from the jobsite.

Some mobile tracking software, like Spetrum Mobile shown here, can track labor hours as well as specifications such as what job the employee is at and what task he or she is doing.
Some mobile tracking software, like Spetrum Mobile shown here, can track labor hours as well as specifications such as what job the employee is at and what task he or she is doing.
Construction companies can use special handheld devices, smart phones, laptops and tablets to manage and track labor hours in the field and then send the information directly to the office in real...
Construction companies can use special handheld devices, smart phones, laptops and tablets to manage and track labor hours in the field and then send the information directly to the office in real time.
Mobile management solutions can be used on many devices such as smart phones and iPads, like this Explorer Timesheet app.
Mobile management solutions can be used on many devices such as smart phones and iPads, like this Explorer Timesheet app.

Some employees may not use mobile devices in their daily lives, so some explanation and training on the hardware may be required. But as Flynn points out, many employers are already equipping their crews with mobile devices.

Many devices are less expensive than they have been in the past, McFarlane says. The barrier to entry is lower than it may have been in previous years.

Prewett suggests construction companies allow for at least a 30-day transition period from paper management to automated mobile management. He suggests dovetailing the processes for a couple of weeks by recording on both paper sheets and the mobile devices before changing over to mobile only.

ROI

As Mathews sums it up, “mobile management solutions can create real dollar savings in the field, time savings in the office and more accurate time keeping.”

Software manufacturers agree that most customers can see results from mobile management solutions quickly. Employees don’t have to spend as much time recording, reporting and processing hours and payroll.

With these mobile solutions, companies may be able to reallocate resources and employees to other areas that need more help, McFarlane adds.

“There are so many degrees of usage potentially available,” Flynn says. “Depending on how a company uses a system the ROI can be very significant.”