Choosing the Right Construction Daily Report Software

Posted on February 21, 2018 |

Choosing the Right Construction Daily Report Software

Daily reports are a crucial part of any construction project. They serve as a record of everything done or not done that day, any milestones reached, and the type of work performed. They detail everything from the number of workers on a jobsite to the hours they worked, to the weather. Daily reports help stakeholders, clients, and others involved stay up-to-date on a project, which is why they’re so important. It’s also why construction daily reporting software is a must for any construction company. With a variety of options out there, choosing the right one for your business is the difference between an effective tool and a technological burden.

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Benefits of a Construction Daily Report Software

Daily reporting software isn’t just about the ease of creation and sharing. It helps businesses in other ways as well. Construction daily report software can help you create or manage professional reports to impress clients, stakeholders, and owners. It allows you the ability to collaborate on reports, and even customize them to a specific project. Construction daily report software also stores all documents in one place. This helps you find old daily reports quickly in case they’re needed.

Because construction daily report software allows you to email the daily reports to stakeholders and other key figures, it keeps the lines of communication open. And it can help you in the case of a lawsuit or mechanic’s lien.

What’s in a Daily Report?

Daily reports are important in construction, but they’re useless if they miss certain elements.
Daily reports generally have these elements:

Date and Time

Weather Condition

Physical Conditions of the site

Resources on the Site

— Equipment

— Materials

Visitors to the Site

— Owner or Stakeholder Representatives

— Inspectors

Number of workers and hours they worked

Delays or disruptions that occurred or may occur

Safety, environmental accidents, incidents, etc.

— Who was impacted

— Who was involved

— When it occurred

— Where it occurred

— Any work impact

— Photos

Common Features of Construction Daily Report Software

Good construction daily report software should be able to track all daily activities to make your life easier. While not all software is the same, there is a list of core features that all [subcontractor] construction daily report software should contain:

Auto Track Date, Time, Location, and Weather

Easy Attach to Emails

Dictation

Easy Add Crew Information and Work Hours

Track Equipment

Easy Add Notes

Attach Field Notes

Attach Photos

These features cover the basics of any daily report. However, if you’re going to invest in a construction daily report software mobility should also be a priority. Ninety percent of the work is done on the jobsite, so collecting data that builds the daily report begins on your connected device.

Construction daily report software has the added benefit of working on a laptop. It makes sense to find something that can also work on a tablet or smartphone as well since these devices are an increasingly present on job sites. And having the ability to create field notes in the field, or start daily reports in the field and finish in the office or at the end of the day is a better use of your time. It also makes it easier to send the daily report out at the end of the day from your phone to someone else’s. Again, not having to find a laptop at the end of the day and being able to compile all field notes into a daily report easily will save businesses a lot of time.

Choosing the Right Construction Daily Report Software

With these key benefits in mind, it’s time to choose the right software for your subcontractor firm. The best way to go about this is to ask yourself a couple of questions. The first question is: what are you hoping to get out of the software? If you don’t know what your requirements are, it’s hard to narrow down the list. Next, ask what features you and your team need to get the most out of the software? What features will improve your daily reports as well as address some business needs? This is why you’re interested in software, to begin with. If the software you are evaluating doesn’t have your necessary features it isn’t going to work. Don’t waste your time and money on a less than optimal solution. Finally, you should take into consideration your users (e.g., Foreman or Supervisors) and if they can quickly understand it. It needs to be easy to use to ensure your employees adopt it quickly. If the software has a complicated user interface, your workers may present obstacles to its implementation. Get their buy-in.

Software can seem like a big investment, but the right subcontractor-centric software will pay for itself on the very first project. Selecting the right construction daily report software can really change the game, so choose wisely.