In the construction industry, accurate time tracking is crucial for efficient project management, compliance with labor laws, and ensuring employees are paid accurately. This article will explore the benefits of digital timecards and how SiteMax construction software can offer you simplified time tracking to save time and cost savings for your business.
What are timecards in the construction industry?
Timecards are used to track and record the hours spent by each worker on a specific construction task or project.
Why is accurate time tracking important in construction management?
- Accurate Payroll. Timecards ensure that employees are paid accurately for the hours they have worked.
- Efficient Project Management. By tracking the time spent on different tasks or projects, timecards help construction companies accurately calculate project costs and allocate resources effectively.
- Compliance. A clear record of employee work hours helps construction companies comply with labor laws and regulations.
- Streamlined Processes. When integrated with construction software, timecards allow easy data entry, real-time tracking, and streamlined communication between the field and the office.
Paper timecards have been the traditional method of tracking construction work hours for a long time already. However, to stay competitive and adaptable in an increasingly fast-paced and digitalized environment, businesses should switch to digital timecards. Here are some downsides of relying on paper timecards:
The main downsides of using paper timecards
- Difficulties Collecting Paperwork. Collecting paper timecards from multiple construction sites or projects can be logistically challenging and inefficient.
- Time-Consuming Manual Entry. Manual entry of timecard data can slow down productivity and take valuable time away from actual work on the construction site.
- Inability for Customization. Paper timecards typically follow a fixed format, which may not align with the unique needs of a construction project or a company.
- Delayed Reports. If any employee fails to submit their timecard on time, it further prolongs the process and puts pressure on meeting payroll deadlines.
- Inaccuracy and Errors. Paper timecards are subject to human errors which can lead to inaccurate calculations of hours worked and potential issues with payroll accuracy.
- Lost or Incomplete Documentation. Paper timecards can easily get lost or misplaced while being transported from the job site to the office.
- Potential for Fraud. The ease of manipulating paper records increases the risk of fraudulent practices.
The Benefits of Using Digital Timecards
- Real-Time Hours Reporting from all Projects in One Place. With digital timecards, businesses can view hours worked by employees in real time and take timely actions based on this data.
- Payroll Optimization. With reduced manual effort and minimized chances of errors, digital construction timecards save time and improve the efficiency of payroll administration.
- Field-Based Hours Tracking. By tracking job site hours in real time, businesses can ensure that the recorded data is precise and reflects the actual time spent on tasks or projects. This accuracy helps in various aspects of project management, such as budgeting, client billing, etc.
- Secure Data Collection. Cloud-based infrastructure provides reliable data storing and management while ensuring that only authorized users can view, edit, or delete timecard data.
- Improved Construction Project Management. Digital timecards generate automated reports that provide comprehensive and accurate data on labor hours, project costs, and resource utilization. It helps managers to monitor progress, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to optimize project outcomes.
| Paper time tracking steps | Digital time tracking steps |
|---|---|
| 1. The foreman goes to the office to pick up paper timecards. | 1. The foreman or the construction worker enters working hours from the field in a digital tracking app. |
| 2. The foreman manually enters the working hours for each employee. | 2. The Project Management will have real-time visibility to the time entries with the ability to associate cost codes, edit errors, and mark the entry as “approved”. |
| 3. The foreman reviews and approves the time cards at the end of each week. | 3. To process payroll, the accounting team can run a report on all “approved” time entries from the pay period and upload it to the accounting and/or payroll software. |
| 4. The foreman returns to the office to hand over collected timecards. | |
| 5. The payroll clerk manually enters the timecard data into the payroll system. |
As you can see, a digital timecard construction solution helps your business save time and enhance productivity, while minimizing your time-tracking process to 3 simple steps…
SiteMax will provide you with the following:
- Simple Entry for the Field Team. Enable your construction field team to input convenient, accurate, and easy timecards for all your projects.
- Submit and Approve from Anywhere. Multiple projects to manage? No problem, review and approve timecards from any device in real-time.
- Streamlined for Payroll. Automate your payroll process and eliminate the errors of paperwork by integrating SiteMax with your payroll solution.
- Return on Investment. Time is money, save both with us. On average, SiteMax users save 6 hours of administrative time every pay period.
With SiteMax you will also get daily reports, photo, equipment and purchase order management functionality in one app!
Schedule a call with SiteMax product expert to learn how digital construction timecard tracking can save your business time and money.
