The construction industry is used to brick and mortar for building and pen and paper for planning. Yet digital transformation has brought about many changes, such as the need for more granularity and adaptability.

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As such, project planning and workplace productivity management are increasingly managed using the right software solutions.

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In this guide, we’ll see how the construction industry can adopt work hours tracking tools to identify productivity trends, manage personnel, and review and refine age-old processes.

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Supporting Flexible Ways of Working

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As highlighted in a 2022 construction industry insights report, the construction industry is struggling more than other industries when it comes to supporting scalability and flexibility. 

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54% of companies in the construction industry, as opposed to 40% in other industries, chose the following statement to describe their current position:

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“We have invested in new ways of working, but we are struggling with scale and sustainability.”

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With this being the case, it’s clear that there’s plenty of scope for improvement when it comes to supporting flexible ways of working and scaling. 

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Employee monitoring productivity software can provide the perfect solution to this problem, as it can shine the spotlight on problem areas and help you to fully embrace alternative work models. One of the most significant challenges with transitioning to a new way of working is measuring team performance metrics and the impact the changes have within your workforce.

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With the right software solutions to track work time, you can keep your finger on the pulse of your workforce, measuring performance as a product of hours spent performing tasks you deem to be productive.

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Insightful, an internet monitor software solution, allows you to label work-related activities as ‘productive,’ ‘neutral,’ or ‘unproductive’ while you automatically monitor activity on computers.

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As such, you can comb through the data and identify idle and productive time even as you transition to a new way of working.

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Improving Capacity Management

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In the construction industry, capacity management is an important aspect to consider to build a productive workforce. 

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If you have a situation whereby some employees in a team have a lot of downtime on their hands or are working more than they should, then you can run into issues such as underutilized time on one end of the scale and employee burnout on the other.

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The right approach to capacity management will ensure that there’s a sense of balance in your workforce and that you aren’t seeing employees operating in extremes in terms of their capacity.

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This is another area where software to log computer activity can help and ultimately save your company a lot of money in the long run. Capacity management can also support accurate timelines and project estimates so you can get every job done with the right amount of resources.

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So how exactly can software that monitors internet activity support effective capacity management?

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Transparency - Transparency is an integral aspect of any effective capacity management plan. It’s what allows you to clearly see the big picture and identify where you may be over or under-working employees. 

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Idle Time Reports - Using idle time reports over time lets you pinpoint the teams and individuals that may be struggling to manage capacity. 

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Project Progress - Project progress and hours spent on various tasks will give you a clear indication of whether your team is working to expectations, underperforming, or completing projects quicker than expected. This data can help you see if there are any capacity issues to address.

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Refining Recruitment Processes

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To best inform recruitment processes in the construction industry, workforce analytics data can be a key factor. 

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Just as you can use time data to identify issues with capacity management, you can also use it to determine where there may be skill gaps or employee shortages in various teams or departments.

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If you review the data and notice that work is always completed close to deadlines, or to get the work done, employees are having to work overtime and risk burnout, then you can use it to fuel your recruitment strategy.

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When you’re proactive with recruitment, you can make sure you secure top talent just when you need it and fill gaps in the workforce as they arise. This will help you cut down on lost productivity and wasted resources.

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On the other hand, you can also use the data to bring up the potential for promoting internally or for professional development opportunities. If you notice an employee with time on their hands, you can train them up for certain roles.

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Highlighting growth opportunities is an excellent way to boost your retention rate and increase employee engagement.

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Personalized Feedback

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On the topic of career growth and professional development, workforce analytics data can help you tailor opportunities to each individual.

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If you want to create a robust workforce full of individuals that excel, it’s a good idea to focus on each employee’s strengths and identify roles they could step into at a future date. If you can pin down what each employee excels at, it’s easy to create a custom plan for them to grow in their role and climb through the company ranks.

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Plus, one of the quickest ways to build a team of isolated and disengaged employees is to make them feel invisible. To avoid this, go out of your way to provide one-on-one feedback and show them you understand what they specifically bring to the table.

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Workforce analytics solutions can help you truly understand the individuals that make up your collective workforce, which will help each employee feel valued and ultimately engaged with their work.

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In the construction industry, this can help you forge concrete relationships and forge a dynamic of productive collaboration. By playing to individuals’ strengths and tailoring training to them, you can build a better future for your company and the employees that make it what it is.

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