ECL Software Blog

Is the Daily Construction Report the Most Important Construction Document?

Many people involved in the construction industry would not choose the daily construction report as the most important document in construction. In fact, they’d be more likely to say that contracts are more important, or perhaps the drawing and specs. Some may mention payment applications. While these are all important, ECL Software has a bold stance to take: The daily construction report may just be the most important document in construction.

You may be surprised by how daily reports are tied to profitability

Many construction professionals claim that they barely glance at the daily construction report, so how could it be the most important document in construction? Well, if they’re utilized correctly, they can offer a unique tie to how profitable a construction company is.

Understanding the importance of daily reports

First of all, it’s important to understand the purpose of these reports: To document the history of each construction job. They are there to document a very detailed history of every job. They can inform stakeholder’s of exactly what’s going on with each job. Instead of giving them plans and ideas, you can provide daily reports that state exactly what’s done.

It all depends on what’s in your daily reports

A daily construction report should be comprehensive. It should have every piece of data needed to truly analyze a product, including the planned costs versus actual costs, productivity numbers, scheduling info, and so on. Analyzing this data gives anyone involved the real details of a project. This is useful at the initial planning aspects of the job, through to the implementation to keep an eye on how it’s coming along, and at the end so you can compare your plans with what actually happened.

Most construction projects exceed their budgets

If you’re still not convinced, consider that three out of four commercial construction projects go over budget, or the fact that nine out of ten are delayed at some point. If a construction company wants to truly maximize their profits, then they need to understand the smallest details of their project. In many cases, the actual issues aren’t the issues that a construction company believes they’re having.

Getting construction reports out is easier than you think

Some construction companies don’t want to deal with daily reports because they believe that getting the information to each and every person involved is too much of a pain. The reality is that ECL Software is a construction management software development company that can help improve your construction collaboration. For more information, visit us online or give us a call at 800-625-5972.