Construction maintenance refers to management of contractors as well as on-going construction activities on a premises. When done effectively, it can help avoid downtime and keep processes moving smoothly from one step to the next.
No matter how well organised a manager is, things can soon sprawl out of hands as operations become complex.
With more technicians, multiple sites and increase in equipment, construction maintenance can become hard to handle.
In order to streamline construction maintenance operations, a field service management app can offer several benefits that can simplify these processes. Some of the key features, a field service management app can offer includes:
1. Optimised use of Resources
Uncertainty is inherent in the construction business. Not having control over the resources can result in cost overruns. It also renders managers ill-equipped to handle surprises on the site.
With the right scheduling and planning, labour and equipment management can help managers optimise their processes in the most effective way.
A field service management platform allows construction managers to have a bird’s eye view of all the activities happening, across all sites.
From the jobs currently in progress to the ones that need to be quoted as well as the cash in hand, everything is easy to see through a simple dashboard.
This allows for the most optimised construction maintenance workflow. It also ensures technicians and third party contractors are neither over burdened nor left idle.
Tasks are allocated to the contractors best suited to perform a certain job and are done right the first time.
2. Remote Scheduling with Third Party Contractors
How often have you found yourself in a situation where you can’t arrange the right sub-contractor to complete a job at hand? This not only creates bottlenecks on the construction site but puts the delivery dates at a risk of delay as well.
With a field service management platform you can request quotes from a list of verified third party contractors and schedule and dispatch jobs helping you keep project timelines on track.
Having a simple drag and drop calendar format, allows you to eliminate dispatching inefficiencies, scheduling overlaps and missed deadlines.
That’s not all. A field service management platform also allows construction managers to see where their teams are on the map at a given point in time. This helps minimise travel time to the site, helping improve construction maintenance.
3. Better Project Collaboration
There is no better way to empower your construction maintenance teams, than equipping them with all the information they need to perform their job well.
In order to empower your teams, they need access to information like:
- Project specifications
- Equipment service history
- Special instructions from the client
- Work order details
- Other related documentation
Since your subcontractors are not part of the company, any miscommunication can cost you thousands of dollars in work not done as per requirements.
Additionally, since technicians will be in the field or on the move most of the time, having access to this information is not always possible.
However, with a cloud based field service management solution, every information a third-party contractor or a technician needs is available anytime, anywhere. This allows effective collaboration and eliminates the chances of miscommunication.
4. Timely Invoicing and Payment Disbursement
A key area of rift between construction managers/builders and subcontractors are late payments.
Working with third parties often means a lot of information bouncing to and fro and plenty of paperwork to handle. Manually doing all of this work takes time and hence results in delayed payments.
With so many other things going on, paying your contractors as soon as the job is complete might seem like an impossible task to you. However, in reality, it is not.
A field service management platform allows you to streamline documentation with every supplier working with you. You can receive invoices from your suppliers and disburse payments automatically without ever leaving the platform.
5. Work Order Management with Real Time Updates
With your teams out and about, keeping tabs on every aspect of the work becomes a challenge.
This task becomes even more daunting when you have multiple technicians, equipment and sites under your supervision.
A field service management solution allows you to keep tabs of the work as it progresses from one stage to the next with real time notifications on your mobile device.
With a field service management platform, you can track:
- When a certain project began
- When and why it was put on hold
- When it was resumed and completed
- When it is invoiced and paid for.
This gives managers more control over construction maintenance tasks, and also makes accountability easier.
6. Integration with Other Construction Software
A leading cause of distress for construction managers is the fact that they have to switch from one app to another to get a single task done.
A different app for client management. Another one for handling subcontractors. A third one for managing accounts and payments and a separate one for record keeping.
A field service management platform for construction maintenance, would be well integrated with your favourite accounting and construction management platform, to perform all of these activities from the same place.
This makes coordination between multiple apps and interoperability as seamless as ever.
7. Record Keeping for Accountability and Compliance
A field service management platform allows you to keep record of all the activities from start to finish. It also lets you verify that the contractors you are hiring are certified, licensed and accredited companies that won’t land you into legal trouble down the road.
Should a conflict arise with respect to the work done, construction managers can pull out all the records with a single click of a button. They can then prove to their clients everything from SLA compliance, to delivered projects and payment disbursements.
This makes digital record keeping a vital feature of a field service management platform. It gives managers the peace of mind that construction maintenance work is being performed according to set construction standards, building codes and client specifications.
Wrapping up
Declining productivity, cost overruns and inconsistent project results are very real issues for construction companies handling mega projects or working on multiple sites at the same time.
Construction maintenance issues can result in missed deadlines, dissatisfied customers and eventual loss in profit, costing businesses their reputation that took years to build.
In order to save your sanity and your business it’s money and reputation, a field service management platform like i4T Business, helps project managers:
- Minimise miscommunication within the field
- Keep on top of every process with real-time updates
- Minimise errors related to quoting and invoicing
- Streamline workflows
- Maintain documentation for compliance
If adopting a field service management solution is on your mind, make sure to get a free trail to see if it’s the right fit for your business needs. Register for i4T Business today or get in touch with us for more details.
Hot off the press!
With our cutting-edge technology and in-depth knowledge of how the Field Service Management sector operates, the i4TGlobal Team loves to share industry insights to help streamline your business processes and generate new leads. We are driven by innovation and are passionate about delivering solutions that are transparent, compliant, efficient and safe for all stakeholders and across all touch points.
