Accurate time tracking is essential in the construction industry, where labor costs can account for both project expenses as well as income. However, managing time and attendance on construction sites can be challenging due to factors such as remote job sites, mobile workforces, and complex labor laws and union regulations.
Investing in a proper time tracking software solution helps construction companies track accurate records of hours logged, breaks, overtime, expenses claimed, and more.
By providing real-time visibility into time spent on projects, these software can then collect the data and provide valuable information to managers in the form of dashboards, which can be used to track patterns and make informed decisions moving forward.
Let’s take a look at 8 key features that an ideal construction time tracking software should have.
Construction companies need a time tracking solution that simplifies the clock-in and clock-out processes for their field workers. Ideally, field crews should be able to do so on their mobile devices by accessing the software’s app.
Simply pressing a button while clocking in and out will ensure that time is tracked automatically. Breaks can be logged similarly with a touch of a button.
This will eliminate many of the errors and time delay that would otherwise happen with manual systems or complicated interfaces.
Construction companies often juggle multiple projects, crews, and complex schedules, making time tracking a daunting task. A user-friendly interface which presents key information in a way that is easily understandable can save teams a lot of time searching for data from multiple sources.
Users should be able to easily scan the time logged for the week from across projects, and download reports that can be sent to relevant stakeholders, or even other third-party apps (more on this below).
Geofencing is essential in construction time tracking software, using GPS to create virtual job site boundaries. It helps verify that employees clock in only when physically present, preventing time theft and buddy punching.
With the knowledge that the time tracking data is accurate, it ensures that teams don’t need to wait for double-confirmation on whether the information is right, speeding up the approval process.
This improves accountability, speeds up payroll, and provides real-time crew visibility for better workforce management.
Navigating complex labor regulations is critical for construction companies on multiple levels - it helps keep your company within the laws, and also ensures that your employees are properly protected and taken care of.
An ideal time tracking software should offer configurable rule settings to ensure compliance with state, local, and union laws. This includes tracking overtime, breaks, and specific wage requirements.
By automating compliance, the software minimizes legal risks, provides clear documentation, and fosters fair labor practices, protecting your company from penalties and enhancing workforce relations.
Each project is different, and each client can have different requirements too. Companies need to make sure that any software they invest in will not drastically alter their workflows.
Instead, construction time tracking software should offer customizable client-specific rules to meet unique requirements, such as custom job codes and billing rates.
This flexibility will allow for projects and processes to move along without any major shift in workflows. This is ultimately result in smoother outcomes, and an improving relationship with clients.
With the influx of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its capabilities into construction management software, it can be effectively leveraged to detect any anomalous or fraudulent time entries.
AI algorithms can analyze time tracking data to identify patterns and anomalies, raising alerts for suspicious behavior. This intelligent monitoring deters fraud, promotes accountability, and most importantly, allows accounting teams to know that only flagged entries are anomalous, so they can focus on them and get them resolved faster, as opposed to verifying every single entry.
By implementing AI-powered fraud detection, construction companies can protect their bottom line and ensure accurate, fair pay for their workforce.
Using the data collected from the field, software should be able to present them in the form of dashboards that provide key information to managers and stakeholders.
This information should include dashboards and detailed reports to track labor costs, productivity, and project timelines.
These can help identify areas for improvement, optimize resources, and keep projects on schedule and within budget.
Customizable dashboards ensure stakeholders have the information they need to make informed decisions, enhancing efficiency and profitability.
Gathering data in one system, and having to manually transfer it to other systems can be tedious and error-prone. In fact, the more centralized a company's operations are, the better it is for all teams involved.
Seamless integration with payroll and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) can eliminate the need for manual data entry, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing.
By automating the transfer of time and attendance data, time tracking software can seamlessly sync with payroll systems, minimizing administrative tasks while saving valuable time and resources.
The ideal construction time tracking software, at its core, should be designed to reduce time to revenue. Accounting and finance teams should be able to gather data, detect anomalies, process payroll, and send invoices faster.
As they get time freed up from manual processes, more time can be spent analyzing data and improving processes.
With this in mind, you can evaluate KYRO’s time tracking software built specifically for construction teams, and see how it reduces time to revenue.
