What Is a Construction Workforce Management Solution?
Workforce management (WFM) is a solution that assists with managing the operational deployment of a workforce in the construction industry.
Construction workforce management software helps construction managers optimize their workforce and increase productivity. It’s not uncommon for managers to struggle with keeping their teams organized, productive, and motivated. They typically spend a lot of time tracking hours worked and other relevant data.
To keep their teams organized and productive, construction managers must implement timekeeping software and project management software to help them manage their schedules and resources effectively.
Construction managers can integrate tools to optimize and maintain their workforce with construction workforce management software. Let’s take a closer look at the various types of construction workforce management software, as well as the typical features they offer.
What is construction workforce management software?
Construction workforce management software, also known as CWMS, is designed to help managers oversee their workforce. CWMS is used for various tasks, such as job scheduling, job tracking, and managing employees.
Construction managers rely heavily on CWMS to manage the workload of their teams. It’s important to note that construction workforce management software is not project management software. While both types of software help construction managers manage their teams, they have distinct use cases.
What can a construction workforce management software do?
Construction teams face a constant battle to stay organized and productive.
It can be challenging to identify where bottlenecks exist within the organization. It’s also difficult to determine who should be held accountable. When leaders are constantly chasing information, they miss the opportunity to identify where their strengths lie and where they can improve.
Construction workforce management software helps construction managers optimize and maintain productivity. It’s important to note that workforce optimization is only one part of the process. To be successful, construction managers must also focus on maintaining their team’s productivity.
This is where construction workforce management software comes in handy. It has many benefits, including helping contractors and managers:
- Leverage the strengths of their team.
- Ensure their teams stay organized, focused, and productive, since much of these processes are continuous and rely on communication and transparency.
- Manage their project workflow by tracking when projects are expected to finish, who is responsible for the work, who is currently working on those projects, and other relevant project data.
- Oversee their teams through scheduling team meetings, setting priorities, and tracking their time.
Teams can also use the software for themselves to manage their work and communicate more efficiently.
Types of construction workforce management software
Construction managers can use a wide variety of tools to manage their workforce. Here are some of the most popular types of construction workforce management software solutions.
Project management software
Project management software helps construction managers organize and manage their projects. This type of software helps with management throughout the project’s lifecycle, including project planning, development, scheduling, and execution.
Project management software can significantly increase the productivity of your team. However, it’s important to note that project management is only one puzzle piece.
Attendance software
Attendance software helps construction managers track when employees are scheduled to work. With attendance software, managers can keep track of an employee’s working hours on the job and use this data to optimize input and productivity.
You can also integrate attendance software with payroll software to calculate and pay salaries.
Timekeeping software
Timekeeping software helps construction managers track time and monitor attendance. Timekeeping is only one part of the process. Most timekeeping software allows flexible usability—in other words, you can use them as a standalone workforce management solution or integrate it with other software.
Electronic timesheets
Electronic timesheets are used to track hours worked and overtime. Electronic timesheets help track when employees start and end their shifts, enabling construction managers to identify when employees should be placed on a shift-management system.
Collaboration software
Collaboration software is used to share and review project information. It allows different groups like contractors, architects, engineers, subcontractors, suppliers, etc., to collaborate by enabling them to share files and data while facilitating communication.
A collaboration tool streamlines task coordination, information sharing, communication protocols, standard operating and resolution procedures, budgeting, etc.
Expense tracking software
Expense tracking software tracks costs, including travel and other project expenses. Oftentimes, construction teams must travel to different construction locations. As a result, managers need to determine costs incurred to correctly reimburse them.
Expense tracking software empowers managers to formulate procedures and policies to control expenses while generating reimbursement for employees.
Payroll software
Payroll software is used to manage employee paychecks, including payroll tax information. Project managers can use efficient payroll software to operate, maintain, and automate employee payments.
Payroll software that is robust, integrated, and correctly designed can help construction businesses of all sizes comply with tax laws and other financial rules while also lowering expenses.
Construction workforce management solutions are the beginning
The construction sector roughly accounts for approximately 6% of the total global GDP, which is more than $10 trillion in terms of annual revenue. But when it comes to managing a construction business, there are as many challenges as solutions.
Construction managers face a dizzying array of daily tasks, from managing payroll to keeping track of stakeholder contracts and vendor payments. Fortunately, modern software solutions make it easier than ever to keep track of all the responsibilities, including the workforce.
