Construction resource management explained

Construction resource management is the process of planning construction resource usage to meet project objectives. Proper project resource planning helps to keep projects on schedule by ensuring that demands are met while maximizing the utilization of resources from project to project.

Construction resource management is used to:

• Track resource availability 
• Reallocate resources in response to project changes
• Track utilization rates to avoid under utilization or overworking your teams
• Ensure project teams have the right skills and experience
• Optimize resource time, effort, and cost
• Identify and resolve resource conflicts
• Forecasting future staffing requirements

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REDUCED COSTS

Construction resource planning software migration allows for the automation of administrative processes, which can help reduce errors, minimize costs, and provide more time for operations management to put out fires and perform tasks to help increase productivity. 

Effective construction resource management helps monitor staff reductions, schedules, and forecasting. These can help meet operational demands and boost ROI in the short and long term. Construction workforce management scheduling also helps to reduce duplicate work and increase management productivity. With team members having access to real-time, web-based information, there will also be improved communication within the organization, which will help to improve attendance, retention, unavailability requests, and time management.

EASIER EQUIPMENT TRACKING

Automated resource management can significantly impact your organization’s equipment tracking. Having clear oversight not only helps to ensure that the right equipment is available for projects at the right time, but it also helps to extend the lifespan of the equipment by monitoring utilization and scheduling periods of time for regular maintenance. With so many moving parts, having resource data consolidated into a single source of truth allows Ops Managers to strategize better how to get the most productivity out of them. It’s similar to construction labor tracking software, which can help you keep tabs on your workforce resources.

FEWER ERRORS

Construction resource management can be a time-consuming process. Ensuring that your resources are allocated to maximize their productivity and efficiency often means consolidating and analyzing a lot of data. If an organization’s resource management relies on a series of spreadsheets, they should take extra care when making changes or updates to their data. Spreadsheets can often become riddled with errors if the data entry is not standardized for all users. Simple things like different spellings (PM and Project Manager) can result in people slipping through the cracks when collecting data, not to mention the headaches involved when formulas are changed.

Careful resource management and construction labor tracking software can help reduce human errors. General contractors who have opted to use construction resource management software can use permission settings to control the accessibility of their resource planning to prevent unwanted changes. Formulas are also built in and aren’t at risk of being altered. Allocation filtering also ensures the right personnel is selected for a project role.

Construction resource management software will also help reduce errors in resource allocation. Accurate, relevant data is easily surfaced to ensure the right resources are allocated to satisfy the project’s demands.

LESS PAPERWORK

Manual resource management can often mean increased administrative duties and printed reports. These reports are used to communicate project and workforce schedule data better, but limiting access to your data can stifle quick decision-making in response to sudden change. Cloud-based resource management software helps to improve accessibility and control of resource planning. This means project teams can access the information they need regarding their project resources easily but can’t accidentally set the resource plan on fire by accessing it. Learn more about the latest launch of the Workforce Plan Report in Bridgit Bench.

Automated resource and workforce management scheduling software helps reduce tedious administrative duties and the need for printed reports. Team members can easily access the data in real-time from anywhere with an internet connection. Construction resource planning software that integrates with other tools, like Bridgit Bench and Procore, can help eliminate duplicate work.

IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

Construction resource management software helps ensure that the resources required by a project are allocated to the right place at the right time to maximize workforce efficiency. Having all the right resources in place will help to reduce costly project interruptions. It will also provide insight into an organization’s resource utilization to forecast staffing requirements in the coming months or years. This helps to identify areas where more work is needed to keep the team productive and happy working for your company.

Automating resource management also allows those responsible for maintaining and consolidating data to spend more time on higher-priority tasks that can help the business’s bottom line. If you’d like more tips on managing a commercial construction project, check out our article.

EASILY ADAPT TO CHANGES IN PROJECT SCOPE

Project changes regularly occur in the construction industry. Unforeseeable changes will inevitably cause project dates and resource requirements to change. Effective resource management in the construction industry will give operations managers clear oversight of the impact of these changes on their resource plans. Whether individual allocations need to be extended or the full project is being pushed back, resource management software will help surface any allocation issues caused by changes to the resource plan. It can also help identify solutions when changes occur by providing an accurate availability record for every resource.

ACCESS TO REAL-TIME DATA ABOUT RESOURCES

Access to real-time data gives operations teams and project management accurate, consistent data to reduce guesswork in resource allocation. These “gut-feel” decisions can lead to inefficient resource allocation based on inaccurate or outdated information, setting projects back. This can lead to a dramatic decrease in a project’s profitability. Having real-time data for resource management ensures that efficient and productive decisions are being made for every project and business benefit. This article by ConstructConnect explores the benefits of desegregating your data to share real-time information across your organization.

EASIER REMOTE COLLABORATION

COVID-19’s impact on resource planning cannot be overstated. Multiple high-level companies have taken a “work from home” approach to their business for the foreseeable future. While construction requires some boots on the ground, many offices and operations teams have chosen to continue working from home. Being able to collaborate with your team remotely can be a challenge. However, providing stakeholders with access to a real-time resource plan helps ensure that everyone is looking at the same information to reduce COVID-19 construction resource challenges when making allocation decisions.

Learn about the other enterprise-wide benefits of construction resource management. Also, read up on women in construction.