Are You Ready for Mobile Solutions?

Are You Ready for Mobile Solutions?

Mobile devices have become a major player in the construction industry, allowing contractors to use applications on their smart phones, tablets, or other mobile devices to work remotely.  A wide variety of applications are available to the construction industry, spanning multiple aspects of the job, like field timecard entry, equipment usage, material usage, completed quantities, project management solutions, GPS tracking, service dispatch, and more.

What are the benefits of mobile solutions?

Mobile solutions allow contractors to quickly enter and access data directly from the field, reducing double entry and the risk of errors from manual entry.  Plus, they offer flexibility—allowing employees to be productive out of the office and after normal work hours.  Ultimately, mobile solutions help to bridge communication between the field and the office to keep everyone and everything on the same page.

Ready for mobile solutions?

There are a few things to consider before implementing a mobile solution.  First, it’s important to consider cost, the use of the mobile devices (personal vs. business), and set up policies for this.  Second, contractors should have people and processes in place.  Employees must be willing to use the mobile devices the proper way, and there should be a process set up that puts to use the data that is received from these devices.  For example,  a mobile timecard app that tracks time by job, along with the proper cost codes, won’t be very beneficial if it’s sending data back to a program that doesn’t track time the same way.

Choosing the Right Solutions

When it comes to investing in new technology—particularly mobile solutions— it is important that each contractor looks at the specific needs of their business and does the proper research before making any choices.  Look at whether the application is device-specific or operating system-specific.  Also, it’s important to make sure that the solution has reliable support (knowledgeable in both the industry and the technology).  Finally, it’s crucial that contractors have people and processes in place before choosing an application or device.  It is only then that they can begin harnessing this new technology to grow their business.

Mike Ode President Payroll4Construction.com [email protected] 800-949-9620