Top 8 workforce management features construction companies need

With the growing complexity of projects and the ongoing labor shortages, construction companies must prioritize efficient workforce operations to stay ahead. In fact, as a part of the Great Resignation, it’s reported that many construction workers aren’t switching jobs within the industry – they’re leaving it entirely. Although there are many reasons, construction business owners need to face the reality that for many, the reason why is simple: employees want to be managed better.

The first step in fixing this problem is improving your workforce management. Yet the nature of the construction industry doesn’t make this easy. Your employees, especially your construction crews, are often scattered across projects and job sites. You don’t always have the luxury of face-to-face check-ins and reporting.

In this environment, it’s critical to use every resource in your toolbelt to manage your workforce effectively. What’s at the top of the list? Workforce management software, designed for the needs of your industry to help build a better work culture.

What is construction workforce management?

Construction workforce management is the process of effectively organizing and coordinating the workforce involved in construction projects. It involves tasks such as planning, allocating, tracking and optimizing human resources. This can include maximizing the functions, productivity and efficiency of administrative positions, construction workers and subcontractors.

Why do construction companies use software for workforce management?

Workforce management software designed for construction companies helps ensure the right individuals, with the right skills, are assigned to the appropriate tasks at the right time in order to keep projects on track. Without it, a construction business may experience several resource-draining inefficiencies, including:

• Inaccurate resource allocation: It can be challenging to assign workers with the appropriate skills to specific tasks, especially when working with outside subcontractors and vendors. If these resources aren’t utilized correctly, it can lead to delays, inefficiencies and increased project costs.
• Disorganized scheduling: In the construction industry, scheduling is a complicated task. For example, you may have concrete scheduled for pouring for a certain week, with plumbing and electrical scheduled for the following weeks. If the weather prohibits concrete work, your entire timeline of dependent work can change. Workforce management software helps account for these changes before scheduling can become a mess. 
• Communication gaps: Without software to facilitate communication – or to provide a single source of truth on all project-related documentation – information can all too easily be lost in translation. It’s important to keep all parties informed of changes in project plans, safety protocols and task assignments to reduce rework, maintain safety and increase productivity.
• Limited insights and analytics: In the State of the Residential Construction Industry annual report, it’s estimated 61% of construction businesses allocate less than 25% of their time to work on their business, rather than in it. Without dedicating time to analyzing project results and operational data – including understanding which projects are profitable after factoring in labor, material and overhead costs – you won’t be able to grow your business.

8 features to look for in construction workforce management software

Software dedicated to construction workforce management offers a range of features to streamline scheduling, optimize resource allocation, improve communication, track labor data and provide valuable insights for informed decision-making. Here are some key features to consider in your search for software to help your business.

1. Resource allocation

It’s rare to keep all construction materials, supplies and equipment at a job site for any length of time. It’s more likely you’ll have supplies on hand from previous jobs, inventory in storage or materials in transit from suppliers. Knowing your resources can be dispersed, it’s important to have a firm grasp of what you have access to – and what you don’t – at any given time. Workforce management features such as Daily Logs can help track equipment using GPS tracking and report usage.

2. Time and attendance tracking

Properly allocating your team resources depends on your ability to track time and attendance. This helps you pay your workers accurately – a critical step in workforce engagement and retaining employees – while also promoting visibility and accountability for your team so you can more accurately manage labor costs. Look for software that goes beyond what you could achieve through paper timesheets with digital time clocks and geofencing capabilities.

3. Scheduling

To manage the complicated timeline requirements of a construction schedule, it’s important to look for scheduling tools with multiple interface types. This should include baseline and agenda views, which help show how much work may be assigned to specific individuals and offer comparisons for job progress. More complex scheduling interfaces might include Gantt charts, which allow a user to link and rearrange schedule items easily; list views, which organize upcoming tasks in a simple list format; and month/week/day views, to help you stay on top of upcoming work based on a time range. 

4. Performance tracking and analysis

It’s important to promote transparency and accountability throughout a construction project. This begins with accurate performance tracking and analysis, which can ensure data-driven decision-making, task prioritization and resource allocation. Use workforce management software features such as Work in Progress reports to accomplish this. These provide real-time updates on project status, and by regularly reviewing them, you can begin to identify trends and roadblocks and adjust accordingly.

5. Risk management

Similar to Work in Progress reporting, it’s important for your construction software to provide comprehensive tracking and reporting to manage and avoid risk. Consider software’s reporting functionalities, especially ones that can track KPI metrics and analyze changes to a project’s plan.

6. Communication and collaboration

Your workforce management solution should foster collaboration between your construction team, subcontractors and clients. Look for secure document storage capabilities, which can help all parties stay up to date on project documents, plans, change orders, approvals and more. The software should also be able to support a customer portal to streamline communication for all points of contact.

7. Mobile accessibility

Construction workers, project managers and subcontractors need to be able to access many of the tools in this list from a construction site. Mobile accessibility enables them to stay connected, share photos, access important information and carry out essential tasks from their mobile devices. These features can also be used as a tool to attract talent, especially when managing a younger workforce who expect technology-driven processes to support their work. Look for a software that includes a mobile app, and one that is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

8. Streamlined payments

For some projects, work may be dependent on receiving client payments. That means if payment is delayed, so is your workforce. That’s why features such as online payments are important to workforce management. When looking for a workforce management solution, ensure you’re considering a payment portal that can accommodate both payment collection from clients as well as outgoing payments from you to your subcontractors.

Better workforce management with Buildertrend

With Buildertrend, construction companies can streamline processes to save time, improve communication and enhance productivity using core features specifically designed for workforce management.

• Centralized communication and collaboration: Buildertrend provides a centralized platform for communication and collaboration, allowing construction companies to keep their entire workforce connected and informed. Our construction company software offers channels for instant messaging, task assignment, document sharing and real-time updates, enabling seamless communication among team members, subcontractors and clients. By training your team in new technologies and facilitating effective collaboration, Buildertrend ensures that everyone is on the same page – reducing errors, delays and miscommunication.
• Efficient scheduling and time tracking: Good workforce management relies on accurate scheduling and time tracking. Buildertrend simplifies these tasks by offering robust scheduling features that enable construction companies to assign tasks, set deadlines and manage workloads effectively. With Buildertrend’s intuitive calendar interface, project managers can easily visualize and adjust schedules as needed. It also supports time tracking through mobile apps, ensuring that hours worked by your teams are recorded accurately, eliminating manual timecards and reducing administrative overhead.
• Resource allocation and planning: Buildertrend helps construction companies allocate resources effectively by providing tools for tracking equipment, materials and personnel. With our resource management features, project managers can assign resources to specific tasks and ensure the right supplies, materials and labor head to the job site at the right time. This streamlines the planning process and minimizes delays caused by resource shortages or misallocations.
• Mobile accessibility and remote workforce management: Buildertrend’s software can be accessed through mobile apps, allowing construction companies to manage their workforce and projects from anywhere. Using mobile capabilities, supervisors can track progress, communicate with team members and address issues promptly – even when on the go.

Learn more about Buildertrend’s comprehensive workforce management software for construction today.

Construction workforce management FAQs

Get answers to the most common construction workforce management questions.