As a business owner, you probably have many questions about construction workforce management, also known as WFM. Construction workforce management has recently become more popular, although it has always been important. People are now figuring out what it is, how it works, and the benefits of integrating it into your business. Businesses are always looking for ways to gain more profits, and thanks to the development of relevant technologies, construction workforce management is a great way to do this.
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What is construction workforce management?
So, what is construction workforce management, exactly? Construction workforce management is a complex aspect of human resources that ensures that a construction company has the necessary team members doing the right things at the right time. The main point of construction workforce management is to increase the productivity and efficiency of your employees and ensure that they aren’t wasting time on time-consuming tasks that can be automated or streamlined.
Another goal of construction workforce management is to standardize processes across departments so that the entire company operates similarly. All these factors greatly affect customer satisfaction; therefore, you’re left with a software solution that streamlines workforce management.
What does construction workforce management consist of?
Now that you know what construction workforce management is more generally, you are probably wondering what it consists of regarding programs. Most of the aspects that are traditionally part of workforce management exist in the realm of human resources. Probably the number one thing people think of when they think of construction workforce management is scheduling purposes, which allows a company to build a schedule for its employees.
Other features in this area include time off, absence/leave requests, and time clocks. Another great feature of construction workforce management includes a centralized payroll system that integrates the time clock and employee information, such as direct deposit, into a single system. Benefits are another area that can be integrated under workforce management to keep track of things like insurance information or sick days.
Onboarding can also be part of a construction workforce management system that allows companies to onboard their new employees through a single artificial intelligence system and track all the required tasks. It’s no secret that construction workforce management increases employee experience, where productivity starts.
Lately, with the help of technology, construction workforce management has expanded into an area previously termed “workforce tracking.” Workforce tracking is what it sounds like – tracking data over time to include trends and forecasts in different reports. These areas include demand forecasting, which allows you to look ahead regarding your staffing needs to predict gaps and changes.
It can also help plan your labor budgets and monitor your employee’s performance and skills. Finally, it can feature asset tracking so you can keep track of all your company’s resources in one place instead of having that information scattered between different departments.
Why it’s important?
Construction workforce management solutions have many underrated benefits besides saving time and money. While saving time and money are the overall goal and are certainly important, there are so many other benefits of using construction WFM software that should be discussed.
The first benefit of workforce management can’t be concretely calculated but is still extremely beneficial – increased employee satisfaction. Your team is your most valuable asset, and you must treat them as such! By investing in your team now and making their lives easier, you increase employee engagement, help decrease employee turnover, and save yourself money in hiring and training costs.
Second, employees who are happy and feel valued by their company are more likely to work harder and be more productive. Employees who are overworked and feel that they aren’t listened to will become stressed, less efficient, and more likely to leave the company if things don’t improve. This is a worst-case scenario, but employees will feel more valued and less stressed if efficient construction workforce management practices are implemented.
Any good management team knows the importance of happy, less stressed employees as they reflect your company and are directly linked to customer experience.
The next benefit of an effective construction workforce management system, also known as a WFM system, is that it can help your management team function more effectively and efficiently than they would otherwise. With the help of construction workforce management tools, such as workforce management software, management will have all the tools they need to create the best schedules with the employees well-suited for the tasks.
Construction workforce management can also assist with communication between employees and management – which is very important because things often seem to get lost in translation in this area. When everyone is on the same page about tasks, projects, results, expectations, and schedules, it leads to a very productive and in-sync team.
Construction workforce management eliminates many administrative tasks that people in management positions might have to do throughout the day – thereby eliminating the possibility that they forget to do these administrative tasks (like accounting for an absence) and allowing them to spend their time in more valuable ways.
A great benefit of construction workforce management tools is that they are often automated and instant. You can see everything you want without pouring through a ton of data you don’t have time to sort through. This can also allow you to monitor certain tasks and performances constantly to keep up with every aspect of your business in real-time.
Performance management is just part of workforce management as a whole. And as your business grows, your workforce management can grow with it! The best tools can adjust as you go and allow you to add different features you might need.
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Finally, the two main benefits of construction workforce management are increased revenue and productivity. It can help you ensure that you aren’t scheduling people and, therefore, paying them when you might not need them, increasing employee engagement. It can also help save you money in terms of decreased employee turnover – which can cost you a lot of money in the long run.
As a result, you can invest all the money you are saving into other areas to help grow your business, such as staffing, inventory, technology, real estate, or equipment. At the end of the day, all the time that both your employees and management save by streamlining and automating human resources procedures will lead to them being more productive and bringing in more money as a result of that increased productivity.
How to implement it?
The bottom line is that construction workforce management is an investment in your company. Whether you’re a small construction firm or a big general contractor, WFM software is important and easy to implement. Construction workforce management systems can help increase productivity and cut labor costs in real time.
Like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. The good news is that you should be able to find a system that fits what you are looking for in your company and customize it to fit your exact needs. The key when it comes to workforce management tools is simplicity. Whatever system you choose needs to be easy to use so that your employees and management can increase their productivity while using it. Otherwise, it’s not achieving its purpose, and you are losing money on your investment.
At the same time, you must remember that implementing and transitioning a workforce management system will not happen overnight. It will take time, and it is a long-term investment. It might be best to start small and incrementally incorporate additional features into your construction workforce management solutions for everyone to gain a solid understanding of the system and its functions. However, with the right tools, training, and effort, utilizing construction workforce management software will be worthwhile in the long run.
Was this article helpful? Check out the next article on the “Ultimate Guide to Construction Project Management.”
You could also read our article about the Top 50 Construction Influencers to learn more about the prominent people in the industry.
Michel Richer
Michel Richer is the Manager of Content and Product Marketing at Bridgit. He started in the construction industry early on with a local restoration company. Michel is driven to propel the construction industry forward by helping to eliminate outdated, ineffective processes.
