ECL Software Blog

Paper and Pencil Record Keeping is Negatively Impacting the Construction Industry in Surprising Ways

According to a recent poll, about half of all construction managers in the United States obtain their crucial worksite data manually. About 33% claim they keep track of their data with paper and pen. These are just a few of the results of a recent study of over 500 managers and executives in the engineering and construction industries. The survey’s findings demonstrate how critical construction collaboration software is to many construction firms.

Many of the study’s conclusions are in conflict with one another

The most essential element of their employment, according to 75% of those polled, was ensuring that the work they were producing was of good quality. However, the study revealed that the methods they employed to ensure that they met those quality standards were frequently repetitive and time-consuming. When they gather data manually, they face three problems, according to them:

1. Their data on work quality observation is incomplete
2. They lack the evidence to back up their assertions
3. Work orders and modification orders do not have enough information connected to them

According to the poll, the majority of change orders and work orders are initiated manually, and more than 80% of respondents stated that email is their primary method of communication with their team, followed by meetings and phone conversations. That’s perhaps why more than 65 percent of managers believe work orders or task modifications go unnoticed on a frequent basis, lengthening the typical project’s completion time.

Data must be sent in various directions, which is a big part of the difficulty

Change orders were the most difficult to correctly record, according to 66 percent of the managers polled, and part of the problem was that data from the worksite was typically routed via a number of places. In fact, half of the managers said their data had to pass through at least five processes before being entered into their database or software system. At least five steps are taken before data reaches the reporting and analytics team, according to 50 percent of CEOs.

According to the report, 75% of executives utilize at least two platforms to collect site and project data. Nearly 90% of CEOs who utilize at least four data platforms estimate that they spend more than 1,300 hours per year converting raw data into useful information. These are systems that can no longer function.

The good news is that there is a solution in the form of ECL Software‘s construction software. We can assist with a wide range of requirements and expedite the data collection and analysis process. You’re ready to collaborate with us if you want to make your projects operate more smoothly, make data transactions easier, and eliminate redundancies. To learn more, call 800-625-5972 or visit our website.