More and more, construction companies are relying on the use of digital timecards on job sites and in the field. There is a multitude of reasons for this––the digital approach is a proven way to streamline data collection and transmission, with the promise of seamless data streams between systems. Additionally, digital applications alleviate the burden of paper overload, outdated manual entry, and lack of insight––that is, knowing how many hours, overtime, allowed time vs. overtime, human error, and more.
The most disputed part of any timecard and payroll management scenario is that the processes often involve out-of-date technology—too many legacy systems, leaving data siloed and not easily accessible through modern technology. These challenges often mean that companies opt to rely on manual data entry, forgoing many of the benefits of digital timecard investment. Moreover, like inputting data into legacy systems, running reports or data exports can present the same old challenge—expending time and effort that should be allocated to the more pressing business matters.
Previously, data had to stream through multiple systems before it was available for analytics and business insight. Unfortunately, this multi-step process often leads to errors and inaccuracy in data reporting, costing companies millions of dollars annually in wasted time, money, and resources. For that reason, rapid access to complete and accurate data such as precise labor reports, customer billing, or internal/external progress reporting is imperative for informed, effective and timely decision-making and, ultimately, project success.
Additionally, the construction industry has previously been apprehensive about adopting new and modernized software solutions. The reason for this has been a lack of out-of-box applications to fit the unique needs of organizations in the field, and the cost to customize applications has, historically, been too steep a cost to justify.
Fortunately, the evolution in technology has been rapid over recent years—modern applications are configurable with minimal resources and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of every organization, allowing for simple and seamless integration between legacy systems and modern systems. When modern data integration is implemented correctly, regardless of the system, software, or workflow, your construction project leaders can have instant access to highly accurate labor data insights, including:
- Job hours
- Overtime
- Allotted time vs. overtime Work-in-progress (WIP)
- Customer billing
- Internal progress reporting
- External progress reporting
Moreover, additional collected data is distinctly classified to delineate between shift extras, premiums, parking, and other required data points. Finally, business logic and formatting enable simple and expedited payroll review, making reviewer acceptance an automated process via data transfer between systems.
Furthermore, weekly project data can be extracted and secured, making your data available for immediate and future use. Best of all, the information can be formatted for easy readability and rapid error detection by payroll staff—resulting in payroll being as simple as a push of the button upon review.
