If you work in construction, you’ve probably noticed smartphones, tablets, and other new technology solutions appearing on job sites over the last few years. If you’ve been in the industry for a long time, you might even find them annoying: Why create complicated new processes when the old ones work just fine?
The fact is: The new tech we’re seeing in the workplace is meant to make our jobs (and lives) easier, not harder! And construction firms that embrace mobile technology give themselves a competitive advantage over those that don’t. Full stop.
Using construction management apps — such as mobile forms that can be filled out on a smartphone or tablet — saves time, streamlines workflows, creates more reliable data, and improves communication between job sites and the office.
Here’s how:
Save time and money
Imagine taking all those paper forms you fill out on a construction site (equipment inspection forms, safety audits, daily contractor reports) and turning them into digital forms that live in your team’s mobile devices. No more copies to make, papers to drive back to the office, or missing forms slowing things down.
Site workers can fill out forms, take photos, and scan barcodes using their phones. They can even collect signatures without an internet connection. The information is stored on their device until it’s synced to the cloud. Once synced, data is immediately available to office staff, speeding up the approval process. This ensures projects are completed faster.
Streamline your workflows
How much time do employees spend scanning forms, reentering data, and matching photos with records? Mobile forms eliminate all of those cumbersome, time-consuming processes.
Adopting mobile construction management apps removes paperwork hassles and provides quicker access to field data. Once synced to the cloud, records are instantly accessible to anyone with permission.
Improve communication and accountability
When employees use GPS-enabled mobile forms, you can track their progress and see where they complete forms. You receive alerts when they submit forms or take other actions in the field. You can also monitor how many devices they use and how frequently each one collects and syncs data.
With real-time information sharing, you can catch errors as they occur and make adjustments while workers are still on site. With construction management apps, supervisors never have to wonder if what they’re seeing is the latest report, and they can be confident that work on site is being done right the first time.
Increase data reliability and accessibility
Paper forms introduce errors at every step. Illegible handwriting, incomplete forms, and data-entry mistakes cause frustration and costly delays.
With construction apps, information is collected once and shared immediately. This approach not only speeds up processes but also improves data reliability.
When an inspector arrives, they don’t need to dig through stacks of paper forms. Everything is right on their phone or tablet.
As you can see, upgrading to mobile forms saves companies time and money. It also improves productivity, compliance, and data accuracy, making life easier for everyone involved.
Want to give mobile forms a try? Check out the Fulcrum gallery of construction apps and sign up for a FREE trial!
Fulcrum is a data collection platform that enables organizations to reduce costs, access critical data in real time, and improve decision making at every level. With Fulcrum, you can create custom apps using our simple drag-and-drop builder to turn your paper documents into digital forms that your field teams can quickly complete on mobile devices.