Construction daily logs are a time consuming and typically boring task. However, they’re incredibly beneficial, especially in the construction industry. By having a written record of weather conditions, cost overruns, change orders, and other things that happened on the job site you’re helping yourself and the business. It helps new team members get up-to-date with a project, and can even help protect your business from potential litigation.
Construction Daily Log Software Tracks Progress
Daily logs should be a daily record of events on the job site including, progress and incidents. Hold your staff accountable for daily updates! If an unexpected downpour stops work one day, it too should be in the log. Even the number of workers on the site is an important aspect of a daily log. Project managers should update the daily construction log more than just at the end of the day. By recording notable occurrences as they happen, it is more accurate and foremen don’t have to try to remember everything at the end of the day when staff are exhausted. Minimize mistakes and missed opportunities.
Going Digital
Going digital with your daily construction logs might seem unnecessary because your business has operated just fine without them. However, Northwestern University has shown that every time anyone tries to remember an event, memories start to get distorted with every minute that passes. This is why it’s important to document everything as it happens rather than wait until the end of the day. Going digital allows field notes and other documents to be created or edited on a Foreman’s or Project Manager’s phone or tablet. This prevents memory distortion and creates a more accurate daily log.
Faster On-boarding
Whether there is a new member of your team or your customer changes management, daily logs can get people up-to-date faster. There is a written log of everything that has happened since you started the project. Daily logs also show where it is in terms of completion. New members assigned to the project have daily logs readily available on their devices to help speed up their on-boarding. The alternative is having a project manager walking them through everything from memory. And, the details being forgotten right after the meeting.
By using a daily digital log, everything can be easily pulled up and referenced. Eliminate the photo and paper copies.
Cloud-based Digital Daily Logs
Cloud-based daily digital logs give your construction business a leg up. With daily logs, digital documents created on one device have to be saved to the company server to be viewed by another device. And not all devices will create a document the same way. A document created on one device might not be viewable on another, depending on the format used. Using cloud-based daily log software ensures any reports, field notes, or other documents that make up your daily log are automatically saved to the cloud for other devices to view. If the software used to create the daily logs is available on mobile and desktop devices, formatting is no longer an issue. And by saving it to the cloud, authorized users can view the daily log and other documents on any device. You can also set permissions so only certain people can edit daily logs.
Protection from Claims
In construction, there are times that clients bring claims against their contractor or the construction company. Why they bring about the claims might be different per client, but one of the best ways to protect yourself from claims are accurate and detailed daily logs. Claims are easier to battle when daily logs are detailed, completed every day, and easily accessible. Because you have a detailed log of what happened and when you can show the work on your side. You also have a record of why delays happened, if any. And by having it in the cloud, it is easier to find and share daily logs for a specific project. You’re best defense is proper documentation of everything you do as a subcontractor.
Construction daily logs can be a time-consuming part of the business, but they bring an incredible benefit. And by going digital, it makes finding and managing documents easier than paper documents; speed up your onboard process, increase productivity and protect yourself from claims. Either way, daily digital logs are an important business investment.
Sources:
4 Major Benefits of Field Reporting-eSUB
Why Contractors Need a Written Policy for Construction Project Documentation-eSUB
