Same Old... Same Old...

Tasks like filling out time cards, and reporting on job progress at the end of the day are often overlooked or pushed back to deal with at the end of the week.   The problem is that, by the end of the week, the information is no longer accurate.  A lot of guesswork goes into filling out time cards and end of the week paperwork that all needs to be submitted to the office.

"Hmmm, I think we worked on 'task A' for 3 hours and 'task B'  for 2 days" or "I am pretty sure everyone was here all week except for Joe and he missed Monday or was it half of Tuesday?"

So you scribble down some numbers on a time card or, if a time card is not within reach,  you use a scrap of paper from the ground and send it up to payroll.  Forms are filled out last minute, and they tend to be unreadable.

What you do not see is that for the next 20 hours poor "Patty in Payroll" is frustrated.  She is trying to decipher the handwriting on several scraps of paper, tracking people down to  get verbal confirmations,  and doing her best to decipher words from what looks like chicken scratch.  Then she has to spend hours entering the data into her accounting system.   Finally, she has a "guesstament"  on what tasks were worked on and how much time was spent on each task.  She compares the numbers to the budgets and realizes that "task A" is only 1/3 of the way done and it has to be completed by tomorrow!  

Big Problem!

  

How do you keep this from happening?  

A system like AboutTIme allows your employees to easily clock IN using their smart devices and then immediately choose a task to work on. Employees simply clock IN to a new task when they move to a different task.  Time records and job productivity are sent in Real-Time to the office where "Patty in Payroll" happily verifies the correct time and sends it off for processing.   Comparing budgets against actual work performed allows the office to see that while "task A" is falling behind it isn't a problem. In order to have it completed by Friday, you may need to send extra workers over.  

The problem is solved before it became a problem. 

It's no wonder that companies who implement an automated time and attendance system see  an 11% greater workforce capacity utilization  than companies who stick with the same old, same old.

Document Everything

Technology today makes documenting EVERYTHING about a project simple.  Not documenting EVERYTHING is a mistake most businesses can’t afford to make.

In this post, I want to tell you a story about how documenting time spent on tasks can resolve billing questions and how it helped one of our AboutTime customers.

In Utah, snow happens.  A couple of years ago a huge storm dumped a few feet of snow bringing a lot of construction projects to a halt.  Being behind schedule, a customer needed to clear the snow and continue framing in order to meet the established deadlines.  When the foreman called and told the contractor that they couldn’t frame, the contractor said just shovel the snow.  The framer and contractor worked out a deal of $25.00 a man-hour to shovel snow.  The framers shoveled the snow and then framed the house.  Later, on the same job, when the trusses arrived they were the wrong size.  Still running behind on the project, the contractor asked the framer to modify the trusses instead of waiting for more to be made and shipped.  The framer and the contractor worked out a deal of $25.00 a man hour to modify the trusses.  They modified the trusses and completed the framing project.  When the contractor was presented with the bill, he yelled “No Way!”  This is a lot of money!  How do we know you really spent this much time on shoveling snow and modifying the trusses?”  That is when accurate documentation saved the framers.

The framer was using the AboutTime solution.  Each time his employees clocked IN they clocked IN to a specific task, like shoveling snow.  When they were done shoveling snow, they clocked IN to framing and continued working.   The same process was followed with the truss modifications.  When the contractor said “Prove it”  the framer did!  He pulled a report that showed the exact time his workers started shoveling and the exact time they finished.  The detail was so precise there was no room for argument, and the contractor simply paid the bill.

Documenting everything from employee activities to weather conditions can reduce billing time, eliminate frivolous lawsuits, and even help with future project planning.

Risk Management an Infographic

Companies who understand the need to manage risk, and learn how to manage risk effectively, thrive, while others join a growing list of companies that have come and gone.  Take a look at this infographic from AboutTime explaining Risk and how Mobile Resource Management can help your business manage it.  

"Protect Yourself"

Many years ago, I entered the world of helping companies - especially in construction - mitigate risk. At that time, I would often ask contractors if they utilized the new technology of digitally capturing Job site Photos. Some companies were forward thinking and already finding ways to harness this new technology while others...well, simply laughed at me!

As the years roll on, Job site Photos have become much more prevalent in day to day operations for companies exposing themselves to risk by building, restoring and servicing for others. However, documenting inspections, before & after, progress, accidents and change orders is usually a cumbersome task. When needed, digital photos may be on an employee’s smart device, company issued camera, an SD card, an external database or worse....WHO KNOWS WHERE!!

When utilizing a mobile time & attendance system equipped with project management pieces such as Job site Photos, Field Notes, Digital Forms, Voice Notes, Video, Digital Signature Capture, virtual real-time Budget feedback and GPS Verification, risk to a contractor is reduced like never before.

Recently, I was speaking to a customer who performs new construction, service, and warranty work on roofing systems. This particular company carefully documents as much of their impressive work as possible. Job site Photos is a critical piece of that documentation. One of their customers logged a complaint that there was a leak at the exact spot where work was performed over a year ago. Within seconds, our customer pulled up the electronic job file, clicked the Job site Photos tab, saved the information and dispatched a service representative. Upon inspection, it was immediately determined that there was a new leak on this pre-existing roof system and additional, billable service was required. When shown a date & time stamped photo and GPS verification of when and where the original work was performed, the contractors customer was more than happy to agree to a new service order rather than un-billable warranty work. Our customer told me that this is just one of the ways that their Mobile Resource Management System saves them hundreds of thousands of dollars year after year after year.

The power of documenting work performed is undeniable. However, the power of efficiently and accurately storing that data in one central electronic depository for immediate retrieval is beyond measure. Through all of my years of experience, if I was asked to sum up my advice to any company performing work for others in two words, it would have to be: PROTECT YOURSELF.

Guest Blogger

David Verl Perry, Vice President of Regional Sales

AboutTime Technologies LLC

Placing top focus on value, David has helped several hundred companies in the Construction and Related Services industry adopt practical approaches to streamlining business operations. Having begun his education & career in the trades, David understands the needs of construction companies who rely on field production performance to stay competitive. Applying over 20 years of real world experience combined with his passion for client success, David works hand in hand to help customers realize the benefits of technology, sharpening their competitive edge.  David now works as a senior executive at AboutTime Technologies connecting customers, product development, mobile solutions providers and service firms to deliver the promise of technology.