It should come as no surprise that construction mobile apps are shifting the way modern construction projects are completed. Mobile apps assist construction companies of various sizes and to maintain efficiency and cost effectiveness. You can assume that nowadays, most contractors use standard tech like smartphones, laptops and tablets while they are on location for a project. A survey conducted in the US showed that a total of 72% of people working in the construction sector use their smartphones on the job.

Apps that are available in the construction genre help managers and workers stick to their strict schedules by streamlining paperwork and improving coordination and communication. The adoption of cloud tech and mobile apps is being utilised by a larger scope of construction professionals that are making use of digital products to keep track of issue status and mitigate risk spanning their project portfolios with one central mobile platform.

Here’s a list of 5 ways that construction mobile apps are transforming the construction sector:

• Reduction of Delays

For the commercial construction sector, reworking and delays can cost millions of pounds in lost revenue which will negatively affect the company’s reputation. As with anything, especially in the UK, weather conditions are unpredictable so cannot plan accurately for licensing red-tape and permits. However, managers can sync and organise their operational activities via construction mobile delivery apps to optimise their schedules.

Let’s say a construction manager in charge of various job sites can monitor progress at multiple jobs sites and can allocate materials to all the job sites in real-time. By receiving this information in real-time from multiple job sites through mobile apps, this can reduce delays in the construction process, incidents and overall project delays. This help to bring issues to the surface that may occur and keep the construction schedule on track.

• Safety Compliance Awareness and Management

With nearly 6.5 million people that work at approximately   252,000 construction sites across the UK, the fatal injury statistics in the construction sector are higher than the national average. These numbers may not apply to the scale of many companies, however the chances of construction companies managing multiple job sites are high. And with this comes the massive responsibility of managing the safety of employees. Having a customised app that includes daily safety checklists would make it easier to manage and mitigate risk, keeping jobsites streamlined and safe. Making use of digital products on site allows for on-site safety compliance instant at-risk observations on your mobile device and serve as an official record of the project. This means double data entries are a thing of the past thus improving and strengthening regulatory compliance.

• Flexibility and Accuracy in Project Documentation

Mobile apps provide the ability to customise documentation and create reports in the field, unlike paper forms. All projects are different, so if you can create defect capture forms specific to your project eliminates repetitive and error-prone processes. Real-time reporting provides the ability for workers to create more detailed reports as they encounter issues as opposed to filling out forms once they return to the office. Construction mobile apps can capture information at the job site which improves accuracy and reduces potential issues that may arise from logistics such as inconsistent data, illegible handwriting and gaps in information.

Additional documentation and daily reports in the field can utilise time stamps, GPS tracking and the ability to capture signatures in real-time. The accuracy of this methods in capturing information creates accountability for clients and an indisputable audit trail for the project.

• Field Accountability

 The back office, without the input of mobile tech, has little insight into what is going on in the field. This may create a culture with a lack of accountability. Mobile tech has GPS capabilities which lets project managers to track time spent on-site, as well as maintaining accurate time cards which will save on labour costs. Another benefit to integrating the construction sector with digital products can with tracking and managing on-site equipment which can improve inventory use and planning.

• Improve Communication

Mobile construction tech can give you a better mode of communication with all company employees. The ability to communicate with on-site workers, the office and additional employees in an efficient and streamlined approach improves overall operations. Mobile construction tech gives employees the ability to communicate efficiently and quickly so that they can receive real-time responses on site that can be documented. Whether it is reducing delays, increasing accountability in the field, ensuring on-site safety compliance, improving communication or improving accuracy and flexibility, there is an opportunity to build digital products for the construction sector to support any business requirement. Identifying and implementing these products could serve as the backbone for greater productivity and growth in the future.