In 2022, the market size of the US construction sector was estimated to be $1.8 Trillion and it is only going to grow further in the coming years. Currently, the construction starts on witnessing a massive digital transformation. Like every other industry, the leaders are adopting new age tech, such as a time clock app to improve productivity while the ones behind the curve continue to rely on manual methods.

The primary accelerator behind adopting technology in the construction sector is the management of field employees across multiple job sites, crews, and contractors. From estimating and billing to streamlining payroll, a plethora of such tasks can be managed by the simple introduction of an employee time tracking app.

Here are a few industry statistics to show the impact of time clock apps on business operations.

• 69% of respondents in a Leadership IQ study indicated that “time flies by and I don’t track where I spend every minute or hour” on most days.
• A study found that in 2015, the US service sector was losing 50 million hours of work, or $7.4 billion per day in productivity.
• 25% of all employees have experienced a pay check error. From the managers’ end, there could also be cases of overbilling since there is no way to cross-check time spent and work done on-site using manual clock-ins.

In the construction sector, organizations often find themselves burdened with mounting paperwork, inaccurate handwritten records, and a lack of efficient methods to cross-check field workers’ data. Such challenges can hinder productivity, cause delays, and lead to costly errors. However, there is a solution at hand that can alleviate these issues and revolutionize your company’s operations: a time clock app. 

Adopting a construction management software can streamline your workflow, enhance accuracy, and boost overall efficiency. The best time tracking app is the one that offers many other benefits for your business. In this blog post, we will explore why it is crucial for your company to switch to a time clock app immediately.

Benefits of an Employee Time Clock App

Punch cards and handwritten timesheets are now a thing of the past. To digitize the clock in clock out process, construction time clock app is designed to record real-time employee location, arrival, and exit at job sites. By simply automating one aspect of employee management, you can reap multiple benefits.

Saves time

Traditionally, employees had to fill out a paper timesheet to track their hours. A Washington Business Journal article wrote that it takes 5-6 minutes to audit just one employee’s time card. In a worst-case scenario, the timesheet could be lost or damaged too.

With a time clock app  installed in the field workers’ cell phones, all such risks can easily be eliminated. They can quickly punch in and out and data can simultaneously be recorded for an automated, comprehensive time-clock report. You and your employees can then spend time on more productive tasks than manual data entry. Mitigating manual data entry will have a positive impact on field service operations, providing you and your team with more time to be productive.

Save costs by eliminating overbilling

On the employee end, time theft is a common occurrence wherein they record time for non-worked hours. On the managerial end, American Payroll Association estimates that 1-8% of the payroll account for billing errors during data entry. In some cases, work hours are also rounded off during payments.

For effective payroll management, these potential errors need to be eliminated. This is where time clock app provide accurate data about billable hours. Furthermore, this time clock app allows field employees to record their breaks, as well as the duration of travel during working hours. This enables managers to understand the time spent by their employees in the field and their productivity.

Enhanced productivity

Time tracking can improve productivity for both the manager and the employees. Time clock app allow you to do a lot more than just punching in and out. Depending on the nature of the software, the apps allow you to communicate, receive field updates and even assign tasks. This way, employees can schedule their day, receive updates or reminders, and have transparent communication leading to more enhanced productivity.

For instance, if an employee needs to be assigned the task of moving new supplies that have just arrived at the job site, a message can be sent to that particular employee through the time clock app itself.

Labor law compliance

Approximately $164.6 million was collected in back wages during fiscal year 2021 by the US Department of Labor. Paper time cards pose a risk of being tampered or lost. Time clock app data makes it convenient for companies to provide strong documentation proof in the face of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any lawsuit.

Imagine waking up to a case filed against your company by a former employee for an unfair salary deduction. Would you prefer sifting through hundreds of old timesheets or simply having cloud storage of all employee data at your fingertips?

Adopting a time clock app has become an industry standard because of multiple other features that it comes with. Apart from easy time-tracking, the application can be customized to the needs of your construction business. From geofencing to mileage traveled, the time clock app can have all your employees’ data in one place.

It is no secret that managing multiple construction sites can be challenging. There are supplies to be managed, and regular training is to be given in addition to daily tasks to be completed. To aid this and other nuances of construction site management, such as employee safety, overtime records, etc., time clock app can be doubled up for multiple purposes using the features they have.

Features of a Time Clock App 

1) GPS Tracking
Employee time tracking app with GPS helps to monitor the whereabouts of employees. As construction sites have high risk of mishaps, with real-time updates, it can be handled more efficiently. With GPS tracking, it is also possible for managers to get a breadcrumb report and see where all the employees have been on a particular day along with halt durations.

2) Payroll integration
Time clock app also allows businesses to integrate their time and attendance system with payroll. This reduces the payroll errors and saves the business potential losses that could occur while manually auditing timesheets for payments.

3) QR
QR codes can be installed at multiple places in a construction site and can be used for various purposes. The time clock app can be used not only to scan for check-ins but even for general information about training records, material verification, instruction manuals, etc. that are required for employees at a construction site.

Conclusion

For a construction company, adopting a time clock app is no longer a choice, but a necessity in 2023.
For your business, the best time tracking app is the one that can simultaneously automate field worker management. With the features of the time clock app and the available integrations, you can improve business profitability through better resource allocations on the basis of work patterns and time spent on projects. 

While your business can save costs by preventing overbilling, reduce buddy punching and unproductive work hours, your employees benefit by getting rid of underpayment. Their safety is also ensured with GPS Tracking and SOS system that will notify managers or admins in case of a mishap, which is a real risk at construction sites. 

Currently, the construction industry is experiencing a worker shortage – perhaps owing to tighter immigration laws. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative for companies to invest in technology for efficient management of current employees and remain ahead of the curve as it improves ROI.