Mobile devices are pivoting construction activities, with four in five construction workers owning a smartphone.
Seeing this exponential rise in mobile use, contractors are favoring mobile-optimized construction software that runs smoothly on iPhones, Android phones, and digital tablets. Construction project managers have encountered hassle-free ground operations when workers instantly communicate site issues to relevant supervisors to expedite problem-solving.
From managing design drawings to running effective safety inspections, contractors benefit from a suite of smartphone-enabled inter-operable construction tools handling a project’s complete lifecycle.
Take a look at how using mobile technologies has built new capabilities on site.
The Collaboration of In-Office Project Teams and Labour Forces
With in-built cloud solutions, mobile technology has shrunk the gap between issue identification and resolution. Construction workers and desk teams can review nascent drawings and see its progression to becoming official contractual documents. People can access critical constructability reports and design specs in multiple file formats at the click of a button without losing track of multiple versions for reference and comparisons.
Workers can directly point out site-level issues through high-resolution photos depicting exact conditions in real-time. Leaving no room for two-way interpretations, sharing project information on mobile platforms has increased the efficiency across the construction hierarchy and supply chain. Nobody on the project team has to wait for lengthy approvals and squirm over missed meeting opportunities as everyone’s virtually able to track work.
Amplifying collaboration throughout the project’s duration, mobile features have ensured stakeholders stay in the loop even while they’re asleep, as incidents can occur any time and quick action begs quick intimations. Owners and contractors can spot risks and avoid oversights in record time, eliminating the need to lay out elaborate last-minute plans by preparing courses of action in advance.
Lesser Reworks Due to Under-Developed Communication Channels
Construction teams can finally get it right in the first go.
Manual processing of construction documents causes hiccups in project communication that can cost a client an entire project. Keeping everyone on the same page, mobile-based construction software has reduced chances of lost communication whether on a regular workday or during crises.
From sending in-app messages to sharing digital design builds, owner and contractor teams are experiencing knock-on effects on the progress of a project. Workers wouldn’t need to block away time for supervisor visits as they can virtually walk through vital daily updates, saving time spent on mundane recurring tasks.
If the industry were to vote the biggest evil looming construction projects, they’d unanimously vote for construction reworks. The aforementioned advantages have helped the industry save millions that otherwise would’ve been spent in implementing change orders.
Real-Time Data Driving a “Productivity Culture”
A few minutes of delay can culminate in a disastrous loss of revenue.
Smartphone applications facilitate the real-time exchange of project data that updates earlier predictions and allows construction managers to make informed decisions. For instance, a misinterpreted design detail that led to faulty installation on the floor can quickly be shared with architects who can suggest either design revisions or ways to optimize existing construction work.
Meanwhile, contractors are seeing minute-to-minute updates come to the fore and chime in with inputs. Should there be additional costs involved, owners can help initiate course correction without having to wait for the complete scenario to unfold in a sheet of paper.
Mobile capabilities have empowered field workers with the ability to put in requests for information, maintenance requests, and spotlight potential issues in time. This has led to a productivity culture among construction teams, equally holding everyone accountable for maintaining response times and project upkeep.
Greater Documentation Control
Day in and day out, construction workers deal with submittals, RFIs, daily logs, drawings, progress reports amongst other documents, which makes organizing documents a living nightmare without a smart device. No one has to leave their work station to co-ordinate documentation with mobile apps. Reading and responding to change orders and RFIs has brought about a solid consensus between contractors and architects patched onto a mobile network.
Documented project data decreases downtime and increases the decisiveness of on-ground teams which otherwise are typically held up by lengthy paper trails. Everyone is able to stay on task when the right support reaches them through pre-approved checks.
Risks are largely unpredictable but better managed with nifty mobile features that can provide dimensional precision into a certain section of the floor plan—this makes the construction manager’s job easy to obtain further inputs from designers. Ignoring risks for lack of time to convey them can lead to reworks that lead to cost and schedule overruns.
Stronger Work Ethic and Tech Integration
Maintaining team and systemic integrity together is no more a gray area.
Mobile technology in construction enables interoperability of project systems wherein teams aren’t facing compatibility bottlenecks in sharing complex project files. One of the most popular tools used on mobile-based platforms is CAD (computer aided design).
CAD software seamlessly blends with smartphone devices and supports the creation of heavy 3D design files that can be marked up by workers to represent the most optimal way of carrying out the actual construction of the build model. Many times, front-office teams need to run updated design builds through architects before they undergo construction—this eliminates arbitrary decision making and pulls everyone together on brainstorming efficient solutions.
GPS devices being another technology that tracks site data, they help supervisors monitor worker activity on a daily basis and helps them move resources as needed to meet timelines.
Time is of the essence in instilling both a teamwork ethic and tech reliability. In the absence of either facet, the project is bound to fall through the cracks. Hence, maintaining safe and stable connections is integral to sustaining project delivery. If you’re using mobile software regularly, read this post to hacker-proof your applications.
Closing Comments
We’ve put to rest all disputes against mobile technologies by taking you over real-time benefits that a manual system will never deliver. Evolving mobile technology will evolve your construction management processes.
To derive maximum advantage of mobile-based applications, choose to work with a comprehensive product support team of a cloud-based construction management tool to standardize their use.
We’d love to know how mobile technology has shaped your projects in the comments below!
