11 Essential Apps for Construction Professionals to Boost Productivity
Almost nothing is more important than productivity and efficiency in construction. It's very easy for projects to face challenges that cause delays and disruptions to timelines, schedules, and budgets. That's why taking advantage of and leveraging mobile applications and new technology to help optimize workflows is seen as a worthwhile investment.
Sometimes these decisions are for on-site efficiency like picking the right piece of construction equipment to rent. Other times they're tools designed for admin work like invoicing and project management.
For most small, medium, and large-scale contractors, efficiency and productivity can be optimized at any part of the construction process. Here, we will cover several different apps designed for construction professionals that help them stay on schedule, keep track of their operations, and stay productive.
Can Mobile Apps Boost Productivity for Construction Professionals?
In an industry like construction, not every company will need every tool. Some companies don't have the workforce to require time-tracking tools, while others won't have the fleet or assets to require GPS for every machine or tool. The needs of every contractor and construction professional change, and that's why apps and technology are so vital to the growth of the industry.
It is nearly impossible for small contractors and companies to handle all the administrative work on their own, especially if they aim to expand. Mobile apps can be excellent tools for freeing up time to achieve other business goals. Additionally, an increasing number of apps are being developed to assist in filling skill gaps.
Not every company owner and contractor will have the same skill level when making invoices, or you might be great at managing finances but have a weakness in time tracking or scheduling. Mobile apps can be extremely helpful and cost-effective if you cannot afford to grow the team or are looking to simplify tasks.
What Are The Best Apps for Construction Professionals?
We've chosen 11 apps to highlight in this blog that contractors use frequently. They are broken down into apps for Project Management, Safety and Compliance, Time Tracking and Labor Management, and other specialized tools.
Project Management Apps
As mentioned, almost nothing is as important as keeping jobs on track. For large general contractors, that could mean hundreds of documents, invoices, contracts, employees, machines, and more. There may not be as many moving parts for subcontractors, but there's also a smaller administration team to keep track of everything. Below are some of the best project management apps for contractors.
Procore
Used to manage construction projects and timelines, Procore is one of the most well-known companies in the industry. Offering a variety of services including document control, project management, and managing designs and estimates, Procore helps create visibility for everyone working on a project.
This level of collaboration and transparency can help speed up projects and give an understanding of where any roadblocks exist. With the goal of helping contractors deliver projects on schedule and under budget, Procore is built for general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, and more.
PlanGrid (Now Autodesk Build)
Similar to Procore, PlanGrid is an all-in-one project management application. Construction owners and project managers use the software to keep track of project plans, change orders, documents, drawings, and more. It also helps coordinate tasks, allowing members of the project to plan accordingly.
PlanGrid is specifically designed for onsite laborers and construction workers. Allowing workers to post progress photos and make field markups, it's a great tool for task and project management.
Fieldwire
Another project management app, Fieldwire helps construction workers, foremen, and PMs (project managers) take full control of the job site. Allowing owners to manage tasks, drawings, schedules, and more, FieldWire makes tracking progress simple and easy.
One of the benefits of Fieldwire is that you can make edits and markups even when you're offline. This is especially important when jobs are in rural areas without signal and you need to pass on vital information. Made for general contractors, specialty contractors, owners, and designers, Fieldwire allows collaboration across the entire design-build process.
SmartSheet
A collaborative project management tool, SmartSheet helps laborers and construction executives complete tasks with efficiency. With task management features, the ability to upload Gantt charts, and reporting tools, SmartSheet is a great source-of-truth application for owners and construction workers.
Other features include resource planning so that you can utilize people and materials as optimally as possible. It also acts as a CRM (customer relationship manager) so that you can access customer information, keep up to date on interactions, and view everything you need in one place.
Safety and Compliance Apps
Safety and compliance are important for every job, but training employees and keeping them motivated to report on safety is a huge challenge. The technology that's being implemented in the field is not only built to encourage continued education about safety, but also to make it more exciting and easier to report on. Here are a couple of companies that are making safety and compliance challenges easier to manage.
SafetyCulture
With a few different features including iAuditor and SafetyCulture Verify, this application allows construction owners to create and manage safety checklists, create inspections, and track any fixes. These tools are easy to use and can even help track licenses, training records, and other compliance reports.
By digitizing the process, it reduces the manual errors that can happen and reduces administration tasks. It also makes creating inspection forms easier through their templated form creator. Also, because it allows for pictures, it's easy to track the progress of safety updates as well as highlight any issues that may be identified.
SafeSite
SafeSite is a mobile application for construction owners and foremen to manage safety on any given project. With incident reporting, safety inspection features, and ways to manage and track safety training, SafeSite helps stakeholders remain informed on everything around employee safety.
Built for subcontractors, general contractors, and specialty contractors, SafeSite is an amazing tool for companies looking to upgrade their safety standards. Plus, with efficient organization features, it's easy to manage which safety projects had what issues in the case that OSHA requests an update.
Time Tracking and Labor Management Apps
Time tracking and labor management are the most important factors in delivering construction projects on time. Owners need to know where their employees are, what jobs they're doing, and the time that it takes to do them in order to either adapt processes or remove roadblocks. Here are a few tools we've seen contractors love.
ClockShark
Allowing contractors to build schedules, track employee time, and manage tasks, ClockShark is a tool built and optimized for the construction field. It's especially great for mobile and remote teams that require lots of travel, such as field technicians, construction firms, electricians, and landscapers.
ClockShark allows field workers to communicate their breaks, clock in and out, and make notes about job details. GPS tracking features allow the employer to track the whereabouts of the employee and give accurate times to the customer about when they might be arriving on site. The job scheduling and assignment feature allows the laborers to know what tasks they have that day, access information about the client, and see the project requirements.
ClockShark also has payroll integration so that you can pay all your employees. This reduces the amount of manual entry and mistakes and ensures your employees get paid for their work.
BusyBusy
BusyBusy is a time-tracking app built for construction workers and owners, allowing them to monitor employee hours, track the labor costs on a project, and create more efficiency. Essentially a mobile punch sheet, BusyBusy tracks the process on jobs, has unlimited photo storage, and can track equipment and fuel consumption through GPS.
TSheets (Now Quickbooks Time)
Designed specifically for construction companies, Quickbooks Time helps contractors and owners track the hours on every project. With simple clock in and out features, managing schedules and shift work, and communicating about different tasks, it's a great application for open communication and transparency.
Through the app, laborers can also manage their PTO and hours. It also tracks all of the data and reports it back, allowing the stakeholders to make key decisions with all the information. The added benefit is that you can integrate it with your payroll if you have other QuickBooks tools.
Specialized Tools
There are also some extremely specialized tools that might be useful for your construction company to use. While they're not built specifically for the construction industry, they can be incredibly useful.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy is a mobile app that provides real-time information about gas prices. This helps people find the cheapest gas in regard to their location. They can also see things about the gas station amenities, reviews, and directions.
This is a great tool for people in construction and trade jobs because they spend a lot of time traveling between job sites. With GasBuddy, you can fill up your truck more cheaply, see what jobs have nice and accessible washrooms, and stay informed about the best options for gas prices. It's really a win-win for everyone, especially when you're in quick need of a bathroom.
Construction Calculator
While there are some construction calculator apps, this may be one where you want the original handheld object. These calculators are designed specifically for contractors and are great if your job requires lots of math, including converting from one metric style to another. Math is an important part of any project and sometimes the mental math isn't good enough. Having access to a construction calculator may just save you a few times on a day-to-day basis.
Staying Ahead with the Right Tools
Embracing these new tools can be challenging. They can often be expensive, feel like they're not actually saving you any time, or maybe you just didn't know about these new technologies in the first place. But keeping up with technology is incredibly important.
Planning construction and landscaping projects is a hard task and there are lots of factors that play into them going great or poorly. Nothing will ever come down to just one application or tool. However, if you keep the framework of "I will do whatever I can to optimize my projects and the work of my employees" then making the decision of what technology to invest in and what to avoid becomes easier.
At DOZR, we're building a tool that helps contractors keep projects on time and below budget as well. Finding rental equipment quickly can be hard. Fortunately, we make it easy to compare prices across different equipment rental companies as well as find suppliers in the area of your project. Simply search DOZR Marketplace for the equipment you're looking for and book online or call our team.
