How Time Tracking Apps Help Contractors Manage Their Crews

You manage three crews across two states. Your accountant is tracking buddy punching in timesheets. State compliance rules are different in each location. And you’re spending hours manually reviewing hours just to catch errors.

Time tracking apps solve this — they automate hour verification, eliminate time theft and ensure compliance all in one system.

Some methods of employee time tracking, such as timecards, spreadsheets and punch clocks, are becoming less effective as technology advances. They are also susceptible to manipulation by workers, which could result in a dramatic loss of efficiency and money.

For example, about 75% of businesses are regularly affected by “buddy punching,” which involves being clocked in or out by another worker. This is just one of several ways that outdated time tracking methods can be costly to construction companies.

There are many new technology-based options for contractors to consider when managing their entire crew, including advanced time tracking solutions, which allow for accurate time tracking and also offer a variety of valuable tools and features to oversee jobsite crews.

In this article, we’ll explore how time tracking applications help manage your workforce and keep construction projects on schedule.

Key Takeaways

• Construction employee time tracking is more accurate with time tracking apps, which offer methods of verification for logging worker hours.
• Time tracking software solutions are not just limited to keeping labor accurate, and can enhance performance through tools like automation, record keeping and integration with other systems.
• GPS, geofencing and biometrics help reduce time theft, like “buddy punching,” by verifying worker identity and location on the jobsite.
• Enforcing worker labor accuracy helps control costs and encourages an efficient workforce.
• Time tracking applications can unite widespread workforces, managing complex multi-state labor requirements so contractors can focus on their projects instead of juggling paperwork.

Challenges of Crew Management

For contractors working with multiple crews on different projects, prioritization can get complicated.

Ensuring labor time accuracy and compliance can become very challenging, potentially increasing overhead costs with inflating worker hours.

This can be further complicated when working in multiple states.

For example, consider a contractor managing three separate crews across Ohio, Texas and Nevada. Time zone differences make coordinating schedules and real-time updates difficult.

Add to that the fact that each state has different labor laws and compliance requirements affecting how workers must be paid and tracked. Meanwhile, the contractor can’t physically be at all three jobsites at once, making it nearly impossible to monitor attendance consistently.

One of the results may be time theft, which poses a significant risk to a businesses’ financial health, due to its difficulty to track and prevent.

Time theft includes any amount of time that an employee did not work, yet is still being paid for.

This includes:

• Buddy punching
• Arriving late/ leaving early
• Exaggerating hours on timesheets
• Extended lunches and breaks
• Personal activities on the jobsite

Many of these issues are not necessarily a result of worker negligence. Outdated or cumbersome systems of time tracking, like paper time sheets, may be more of a hassle than workers are willing to manage, or in some cases, are not adequate to manage a complex and fluid workforce.

What are Time Tracking Apps?

Time tracking apps are third party services that allow businesses and contractors to accurately record and monitor labor for individual tasks and projects. They are designed to maximize efficiency and take the burden off completing manual time tracking methods.

Core Functionalities

Time tracking apps offer core functionalities that enhance workforce accuracy and visibility, making construction management more efficient.

1. Task-Based Time Tracking Ensures Accurate Labor Allocation

Specific projects and tasks can be associated with individuals or teams, using real-time reporting to track time and progress, which can be utilized for financial budgeting.

Even with multiple complex projects, tasks can be organized efficiently without issue, thanks to automation and mobile employee usability. This helps improve project tracking and reduce errors in timesheets.

With some time tracking software, workers are given the ability to efficiently change and record tasks, even while off the clock.

2. Mobile Access Enables Real-Time Hour Recording

With timekeeping software that allows mobile usage on the jobsite, workers and contractors can experience enhanced communication, with access to expert technical support, anywhere, on any mobile device.

In addition to real-time updates between field and office, workers can record hours on specific tasks as they complete them.

3. GPS Locating & Geofencing Eliminate Buddy Punching

To ensure workers are in the right place at the right time, GPS and geofencing give contractors real-time visibility so they can verify that workers are in the correct location when clocking in and out, eliminating the risk of buddy punching.

If someone tries to clock in outside of the limits, supervisors are immediately notified of the discrepancies so the circumstances can be addressed.

4. Facial Recognition & Biometrics Stop Time Theft

In the past, passwords were king when it came to security. Now, with new innovations in technology, security has become much stronger, utilizing the unique features of an individual, also known as biometrics.

The most used forms of biometrics are facial recognition and fingerprint sensors, which cannot be duplicated or deceived. This prevents workers from clocking in or out for each other, as well as wider cybersecurity threats.

Benefits of Apps for Labor Management

A precise and streamlined time tracking system can make a world of difference for any contractor, but what really sets time tracking applications apart is the multitude of additional features they can provide. 

1. Labor Management/ Productivity

Every worker will have a unique set of records and documentation attached to them, including sensitive personal information, like wage rates. Time tracking software can manage and coordinate all information to its appropriate location, as well as assist contractors with real-time worker updates, like timecard review and approvals.

2. Integrations

Another benefit of using a time tracking app is its ability to integrate and communicate with other systems, such as payroll, accounting and project management. Integrations between these systems allow for real-time data syncing and fast communication that can cut down on time and costs.

3. Compliance

To meet government labor laws, mobile solutions also provide methods to manage overtime hours and ensure workers take mandatory breaks.

4. Cloud-Based Mobility

The cloud is an obvious feature for a mobile app, but worth mentioning. Contractors and workers can access their timesheets and data via the cloud, allowing more flexibility. Some time tracking solutions provide offline use, where the internet or service cannot be found.

Choosing the Right Time Tracking Solution

Regardless of whether you are a small local contractor or a multistate company, time tracking software solutions can be invaluable. It just helps to know what to look for.

For construction, many in-depth features can be leveraged. So, it is important to know what could be most useful to your business, as some time tracking applications may not have the features you need.

Additionally, try to identify if a time tracking app has:

• User-friendly interface
• Trusted history in the industry
• Fast and reliable customer service
• System customization
• Data protection and backups

Identifying the needs of your business and understanding what the market has to offer will make the choice clear.

Better Workforce Management With WorkMax

There is no lack of complexity when it comes to managing a construction crew. Contractors can often find themselves bogged down by ensuring their workers input accurate hours for their labor.

However, older methods of time tracking, such as time clocks, paper time cards or spreadsheets, are susceptible to manipulation and human error. Workers can easily engage in time theft, inflating overhead costs and disrupting a business’s schedule.

Innovations in technology can now allow contractors to be less hands-on, with time tracking apps that construction workers can access while on-site. These time tracking solutions are secure, using location verification and biometrics to ensure the right worker is in the right place when clocking in.

Furthermore, time tracking software offers robust features that can manage worker information, communicate with other systems and keep the company compliant.

A contractor time tracking app can help your construction business take the next step in advancing operations, and WorkMax can help you achieve that goal.

To learn more about how WorkMax can help you keep better track of time, eliminate paper timesheets and gain real-time insights into your construction operations, contact a specialist today!