How to Track Non-Productive Time

When managing a construction project, every minute counts. Extended breaks, budding punching and time stealing can disrupt project timelines and diminish profitability.

According to WorkforceHub, 75% of all employers are affected by a form of time theft in construction, and this theft accounts for around 7% of the labor budget in some industries.

To reduce time theft, construction companies need a plan in place to precisely track and calculate time tracking. Recently, many contractors are trusting construction time tracking software to help them reduce non-productive time.

Key Takeaways

• Reducing time theft and excessive non-productive time is challenging, but construction time tracking software offers features like biometrics, geofencing and real-time reporting to make it easier.
• By tracking non-productive time, contractors can identify inefficiencies and improve resource allocation to maintain project budgets and timelines.
• Construction mobile apps that can track non-productive time also help project managers keep projects on task and quickly adapt when project needs change.
• WorkMax is a leading construction time tracking software that can help contractors reduce non-productive time and improve productivity on the jobsite with real-time reporting.

Non-productive time involves the number of hours that do not contribute to project completion. A few examples of non-productive time include extended breaks, equipment downtime and time spent waiting for materials.

Benefits of Tracking Non-Productive Time Tracking

Tracking non-productive time may seem like a challenging, time-consuming task.

However, it offers several key benefits that greatly enhance a contractor’s operations. Contractors who track non-productive time can:

1. Identify Inefficiencies

By analyzing time tracking data, companies can pinpoint areas where resources are being wasted.

This helps them maintain project timelines and complete tasks more effectively.

2. Improve Resource Allocation

Understanding non-productive time patterns helps contractors create better plans for their projects.

By measuring non-productive time, contractors have a better idea of how long each phase of the project should take and schedule their workforce and equipment accordingly.

3. Reduce Costs

By understanding where time is lost — whether due to delays, equipment downtime or extended break times — contractors can streamline processes, reduce labor costs and enhance project timelines.

Ultimately, by tracking this information, contractors can create plans to reduce wasted time, reallocate resources when equipment downtime occurs and keep employees engaged and on task.

4. Enhance Project Management

Accurate time tracking data provides valuable insights for construction project managers to make informed decisions.

They understand where they can pull resources from to address project concerns without taking too much away from their other jobs. Project managers can see project progression and adjust accordingly in real time.

Additionally, when they work on similar projects in the future, they can reference time tracking data to have a better idea of how long each phase will take and how many workers and other resources are required.

While there are several benefits to tracking non-productive time, contractors face challenges that can make it difficult.

Challenges of Tracking Non-Productive Time

Tracking non-productive time with traditional methods, such as manual timesheets, can present challenges like:

• Inaccuracies: manual entries are prone to errors and open the door for time stealing methods like buddy punching.
• Time-Consuming Administrative Processes: collecting and analyzing data manually is a time-consuming process. Sometimes, by the time a contractor receives time tracking information, non-productive time has already eaten away at potential profits or caused project delays.
• Lack of Real-Time Visibility: Manual systems do not provide real-time insights into employee activities.

This means contractors have a harder time adjusting to project changes because they can’t instantly identify where time would be best spent.

The insights they receive are delayed, meaning their response to project changes are as well.

These challenges may seem nearly impossible to solve, but construction time tracking software has the tools to effectively navigate them.

How Construction Time Tracking Software Tracks Non-Productive Time

Construction time tracking software offer a convenient and efficient way to track non-productive time in the construction industry.

Here are some common features that help contractors easily track non-productive time and reduce costs:

Digital Clock In/Out

Employees can clock in/out using their mobile devices. Contractors can review this information at any time throughout their projects to avoid unnecessary labor costs.

Geofencing

Some construction time tracking software uses geofencing technology to set geographic boundaries to verify when and where employees clock in/out.

Biometrics

Biometrics, such as facial recognition, drastically reduce time stealing methods, like buddy punching, because employees can only access their accounts with their unique bio features.

Verified Signatures

Employees can receive forms at the end of each workday to sign and verify overtime. With this feature, contractors can mitigate dispute and unexpected labor costs.

Change Tasks in the App

Contractors can see how long tasks take within the app and make real-time adjustments to maximize productivity and avoid project delays.

Additionally, this feature allows field staff to understand where they should be and what they should be doing at any given time even as project priorities shift.

Integration With Construction Payroll Services

Many mobile apps can integrate with construction payroll services — like Payroll4Construction — to simplify the payroll process.

This integration transfers data from the construction time tracking software directly into the construction payroll service in just a few clicks, giving contractors accurate payroll processing in a fraction of the time.

Real-Time Reporting and Analytics

Construction time tracking software can generate various reports and analytics to help identify trends and areas for improvement in real-time.

Contractors can easily see project progress and adjust equipment and employee schedules to avoid delays.

The powerful features offered by construction time tracking software helps contractors more effectively run their business and offers several other benefits as well.

Benefits of Construction Mobile Apps that Track Time

Construction mobile apps can play a crucial role in limiting time stealing and non-productive time by:

• Enhancing Accountability: employees are more likely to be accountable for their time when they know it’s being tracked.
• Detecting Irregularities: apps can identify inconsistencies in time entries, such as excessive overtime or unexplained breaks. By providing real-time visibility into employee activities, apps can promote transparency and trust.
• Encouraging Productivity: employees may be motivated to work more efficiently when they see how their time is being tracked, leading to less non-productive time.

By implementing a mobile app for tracking non-productive time, construction companies can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance project success.

The right app can provide valuable insights, promote accountability, and help to limit time stealing and non-productive activities.

Tracking Non-Productive Time with WorkMax

Having a way to track non-productive time reduces time theft in construction and improves communication between office and field staff — ultimately leading to improved efficiency.

While tracking non-productive time may seem like a time-consuming, tedious process, using a construction time tracking software — like WorkMax — can automate this process and provide real-time data.

WorkMax is designed to handle the complexities of the construction industry. WorkMax can:

• Curb time stealing with biometrics and geofencing
• Precisely track time for each employee across multiple jobsites
• Give contractors unique insights about labor and equipment usage
• Perform progress reporting so contractors can review current project performance
• Integrate with payroll services, like Payroll4Construction, to simplify the entire time tracking and payroll process

WorkMax gives contractors the tools they need to precisely track and limit non-productive time. For more information about WorkMax, chat with a specialist today!