Running a successful construction company is a lot like being a juggler. There are a lot of balls in the air. With all the moving parts and personnel, having an efficient method to communicate with your team in real time at critical moments can have a significant impact on your profitability. By developing a defined operations and communication plan and coupling it with cutting-edge technology, you can become stronger in terms of workplace safety, employee and equipment scheduling, oversight and critical response time.
Improve Employee Safety
Every construction outfit must take reasonable steps to maintain a safe work environment. The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that every company follow regulations aimed at reducing workplace hazards and injuries. These rules apply to everyone, whether they’re sitting in an office or undertaking tasks at remote jobsites.
Veteran team members can handle many of the routine hazards inherent to construction. But there are times when the unexpected happens and those critical moments call for clear, concise communication in real time. Operational software such as Assignar’s Worker app allows ownership, management and hands-on teams to communicate and coordinate information from any electronic device. In many ways, it’s like having a command center built into your cell phone. The ability to keep 20 to 2,000 people on the same page during a crisis can make a remarkable difference.
Electronic Team Scheduling
One of the historic struggles for construction outfits has been coordinating employees, subcontractors and vendors. Fluctuating schedules, moving assets and the need to prioritize emerging tasks makes getting people together and on the same page difficult. Solutions have been to hire a jobsite coordination team or just play it by ear. The former costs money and the latter tends to be wildly inefficient even for small companies.
Mobile apps with comprehensive supporting software and information have been a game-changer for many organizations. The ability to send out mass or individual notifications allows a company to keep key personnel on task and avoid downtime. Electronic communications can also update workers about early or delayed materials deliveries and the status of subcontractors. Any experienced construction worker can attest to the fact that the train seldom runs on time. The last thing ownership wants is to pay employees to wait.
Simplify Job Management
If you ever played the communication game in school where one person tells another and another, you know the final message differs greatly from the original. That children’s game highlights the inefficiency of person-to-person communication. In terms of running a construction company, it demonstrates the importance of direct messaging. Relying on one worker to pass on information opens the door for minor and major communications gaps that make team management unnecessarily complex. Bulk messaging provides key stakeholders with pertinent information and reduces misunderstandings. Electronic messaging also allows you to touch base with entire company or strategically limit notifications.
Improve Emergency Response
Effective communication comprises the very foundation of successful and timely emergency response. Getting safety resources and personnel in place quickly to handle a crisis can reduce potential losses and operational downtime. Keep in mind that every employee has a financial stake in avoiding work stoppages. Electronic communication allows a workforce to rally to protect your and their financial security.
Business Transparency
Many companies live with an unfortunate mistrust between management and workers. Failed or lack of communication tends to form the basis for this negative environment. Most companies conduct themselves in a highly ethical fashion and these hard feelings would likely change if more people had access to true information. A Towers Watson study reports that internal transparency and information exchange made organizations 47 percent more profitable than those that didn’t share. Positive, engaged employees are more likely to go that extra mile.
Mass communication software can make a tremendous difference in a construction company’s profitability. Assignar software and the Worker app are strategically designed to improve communication and profitability. For more information, download educational material or request a free demo.
