Quality control and compliance are crucial on construction sites to ensure safety for end-users and hazards. Construction sites must also comply with national and local building codes to ensure projects are completed on time and to the necessary standards.
The software helps manage these processes in several ways. Check out Bridgit’s guide on construction management software for more information.
In this guide, we’ll look at how construction management software ensures compliance and quality control on a construction site.
How does construction management software ensure compliance on construction sites?
Source: forbes.com
The construction industry is a heavily regulated sector that has to comply with local and international regulations to lower safety and health incidents. Compliance is also important to maintain a construction company’s reputation and save it from financial penalties and legal repercussions.
Construction management software can help ensure compliance in the construction industry in many ways. Here are some of them:
1. Building code information
Building codes are standards construction sites must follow to ensure safe and resilient structures. These are designed to protect workers and end users from hazards, such as weak structural integrity, fires, and unsafe wiring.
Construction management software can help the site manager and workers keep track of building code updates to stay compliant. For example, construction managers can view any changes in regulations and update all stakeholders.
They can also compare OSHA guidelines to their project’s compliance plans and make changes if needed. Since most construction management tools also have communication features, they can help keep everyone on the same page about safety and compliance.
2. Contract management
Construction companies are also required to adhere to contracts with different parties, such as suppliers and subcontractors. They need to keep track of payment terms, timelines, and project requirements.
Keeping track of these contracts is important throughout the project pipeline. However, managing all this paperwork can be difficult and comes with a risk of lost documents.
Meanwhile, construction management software keeps digital copies of all contracts. It also allows managers and contractors to share these contracts with all stakeholders.
3. Background checks and recruitment
The Federal Trade Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have several rules construction companies must follow when hiring a workforce. For one, there should be no discrimination in employee selection.
Construction employers also perform background checks for employees. The FTC requires employers to get consent from the applicants to perform background checks.
Construction management software can be used to ensure compliance during recruitment. It can also help track background check status and notify employees when they need to update their documents.
Most workforce management software will come with these features. You can use it to conduct background checks, manage payroll, track attendance, and manage contracts.
How does construction management software ensure quality control?
Source: soilscienceconference.org.au
Like compliance, quality control is an important part of any construction project. Quality control ensures that materials, methods, workforce, and strategies employed on a construction site will result in efficient, timely, and budget-confined work completion.
Here are a few ways construction management software ensures quality control on a construction site.
1. Documentation
Documentation is an important component of the construction process because it ensures everything is going according to plan. It also provides framework managers can use in subsequent projects to manage risk, allocate resources, and predict material demand.
Typically, you have to document the following on a construction site:
- Field inspections
- Safety and contingency plans
- Employee qualifications and skills
- Supplier information and pricing
- Materials used, including their quality and quantity
Keeping a record of all these things in paper form is not only tricky but also increases the risk of error. Meanwhile, construction management software can streamline documentation.
You can create digital copies of all documents, update them when needed, share them with stakeholders, and store them in one secure place. These documents can serve as knowledge bases for future projects and provide insights for predictive analysis.
2. Employee tracking
Employee skills and experience are integral aspects of quality control on a construction site. The workforce must be adequately skilled to perform relevant tasks. Plus, they should have the required training to operate machinery and comply with safety protocols.
Since a construction job site can have anywhere from 50 to 500 employees, tracking their experience and qualifications can be challenging. That’s where a construction management tool comes in.
It lets you create employee profiles where you can keep track of every worker’s qualifications and skills. You can use these records to see every worker’s performance. Or, you can determine if additional training and safety sessions are needed to enhance quality control.
3. Inspection checklists
Source: forbes.com
A construction inspection checklist usually has the following items:
- Electrical safety
- Head and foot protection
- Fire protection
- Occupational health and safety
A checklist helps you track if the predetermined quality control steps are implemented properly on the construction site. Again, construction management software can make this process easy by allowing you to develop and manage checklists in a unified platform.
If you have multiple inspectors on a construction site, they can collaborate through this software to track checklists. You can also schedule regular safety inspections through the software and inform everyone on the job site about it beforehand.
4. Real-time analytics
A notable use case of construction management software is that they provide real-time analytics about:
- Employee performance
- Material inventory
- Project progress
You can use these insights to make informed decisions about quality control processes. For example, if the employee performance is low due to a skills gap, the project quality will be affected.
These insights should prompt construction managers to take corrective measures, such as:
- Initiating training programs
- Recruiting new employees
- Getting employee feedback
- Using mentorship programs
Similarly, if there are quality issues with materials, construction managers will order additional materials or use alternative suppliers.
Conclusion
As evident, construction management software can improve compliance and quality control on a construction site. When choosing software, make sure you consider the factors that directly impact these requirements. Optimize construction quality control and compliance using BuildOps field service management software. Explore tailored solutions for enhanced project efficiency.
Some factors include workforce management, forecasting, contract management, collaboration, and analytics. The right construction management software will help you provide a safe working environment for your workers and improve quality control throughout the project.
