Challenges when it comes to collaboration and while working on the job site are never a new thing for between electrical contractors and subcontractors. Any type of challenge has impacted the project success and could lead to certain failures including safety incidents, delay schedules and budget overrun. If issues lead one thing to the other, the impact could be severe. The occurring issues can be avoided when the organization will embrace advanced technologies that offer a great impact to work productivity. A construction management software is one of a few great software solutions offered these days and have been used by many.
This blog will cater and focus on how a certain software tool for project management influences the following areas:
- Cloud-based collaboration is greatly achieved
- Efficiently saving time on-the-site
- Costly construction reworks are prevented
- High Scaling when Organization Grows
- Project closeouts are more effective
Most of the electrical subcontractors are still able to manage their work on a manual basis. Challenges occur in the manual environment and for many times it creates its own issue that can possibly yield a larger impact on how the business operates. Teams who absolutely leverage any software tools will absolutely spend lesser time on administrative tasks like keeping updates for the field workers. Moreover, coordination with the contractors and other involved trades is also easier and much smoother. As new technology and digital platforms emerged and used, the role of electrical contractors, subs and other crew are being reshaped.
- Cloud-based collaboration is greatly achieved
Electrical Subcontractors are working together recurrently with any building owners and other involved experts such as design team professionals in terms of the electrical design, with 80 percent reporting medium to high levels of teamwork. Additionally, over half of the working Electrical Subcontractors have reported that they were collaborating with HVAC and Mechanical professionals on several projects, and other projects are with plumbers and other construction-industry trades.
Nowadays, the software tool like subcontractor scheduling software is incredibly useful and impactful when it comes to working on blueprints, markups, sheets, and even during RFIs. Universally, this mobile cloud-based collaboration has been applied in working with different contractors or any other trades that might be currently at the project site. It basically means that your workflows will be smoother—with teams spending lesser time waiting and more time working.
- Efficiently saving time on-the-site
The majority of the electrical subs these days often connect with other participating trades via telephone or emails. If this happens all the time, tracking is difficult particularly the decisions or changes that have been made. Using the right software tool, these experts will no longer search for answers through numerous files and collective emails.
There are many proven advantages upon using construction schedule software that resulted in saving more time while working on site. Subcontractors can have access to the software and can be authorized to use it letting them communicate with one another and exchange data and other important information. Important files such as project documentation, submittals for all necessary items to be used such as cut sheets and electric gears are being stored and keep in the software. Using mobile phones alongside the app, anyone from the team can have access and get informed every single time with any updates.
- Costly construction reworks are prevented
As usual and expected, construction sites are consistently changing. Field workers and contractors have to closely work and coordinate so all resources and materials are properly installed and meet the necessary site conditions. The data collected and information have to be communicated back and share with the main office as well as the project trailers. This should be necessarily done so that the changes are caught automatically. This part is very critical in order to ensure field modifications so that any change orders or reworks are not anymore necessary.
All subcontractors have to recognize that the utilization of technology provides ease deliverance of ROIs. Thus, by using such a tool, reducing the frequencies of reworks is easy and even has created a benefit in the cost from the mistakes that haven’t made.
- High Scaling when Organization Grows
As expected, just when the business is rapidly booming, usually the organizations often increase in size in order to efficiently accommodate the new work. Being aware is very important as well as taking actions when various changes are present already when small companies have transitioned in becoming larger ones. There could be existing problems that occur in every process during the transition. Issues should find out and resolve right away.
Since the organization grows, we expect the operations to increase and get larger as well. Thus, the need for additional manpower is a must. Electrical contractors cannot handle the increasing number of crew and subcontractors, single-handedly. Construction crew management must be implemented first and foremost. Otherwise, contractors couldn’t able to manage everything at once.
- Project closeouts are more effective
Normally, a digital drawing set often lasts for a lifetime of the building. For instance, if all documentation will be going to get saved and stored electronically, it offers an easier package to acquire faster project completion. Clients are secured if that will be the case. It could lead to more secure projects in the future. If the right software tool will be used in the process, substantial data loss will absolutely become a subject of the past. Other benefits of using this tool can also help owners, contractors, and subcontractors upon the rise of warranty issues after the project closeout.
4 Common Electrical Challenges Faced by Electrical Contractor and Subs
When it comes to electrical contracting projects, there’s no room for errors. From any production environments, chemical and power plants to plastic and rubber facilities of all sizes and scopes, electrical projects are literally physically demanding job for all involved. Thus, the electrical contracting firm anyone will have to hire for a certain project must be ideal and reliable. Otherwise, there will be major problems to be encountered in the long run. Mishaps can result in budget and schedule overruns to equipment failures or facility downtime and many more severe cases. It is also important to know what are the most common issues encountered by electrical contractors. See the following list below:
- Shortage of Electricians with Deep Proven Working Experience
There could be a labor shortage of qualified and trained electricians in the future. If this happens, it will continue to impact huge electrical construction companies. The company’s ability to grow is contingent on the company’s ability to recruit.
There’s never an easy solution to ultimately resolve the labor shortfall for electricians. Other issues have also included about electrical contracting firms that might claim they possess residential or industrial experience. But everything is a contrast to what they are presenting particularly with the portfolio of their past projects – and other specific details about them such as the scope of the work as well as completion dates – should be the first thing one has to consider when evaluating options. There must be an assurance and the presented portfolio will be a bridge of basis. Any projects whether big or small can be totally complex.
- The Challenges of Keeping on Track and Staying on Schedule
Generally speaking, in the industry of electrical construction, it is already known that this type of industry is linked with different scheduling issues and a variety of on construction projects conflicts. The deployment of construction scheduling software has truly helped contractors and subs in aligning their plans at the beginning of the project in order to help and manage in avoiding oversights.
It is crucial for electrical contractors in keeping track of the schedule and ideally under. Hence, when a particular job goes over the planned schedule, slim margins will take a hit, and prevention in moving on to the next work opportunities can also be possible.
- Executing Electrical Requirements
Even projects that are larger in scale aren’t all the time 100 % engineered. The drawings that are used for the project played a crucial role. Tracking everything is a must particularly the ones that are disconnected already in order to reconnect it accordingly. That is why, new engineered drawings are extremely necessary and must prepared other than being well-planned. Without these drawings, an extreme challenge might occur. Installations of the equipment are another thing to prioritize too.
Using the project management software, necessary documents and other project requirements such as drawings can be managed efficiently. Making updates with the documents and other files is easy as well. There is so much a contractor or project manager can able to do upon using this software tool.
- Maintaining Safety throughout the duration of the Project
Either the project is small or large, still, safety is a very crucial factor. It’s very necessary that the electrical contractor can able to establish a comprehensive and precise safety program and be able to maintain it at the same time. This is for the sake of anyone involved including the subs and other crew. The safety program is for ensuring that the workers are definitely properly trained in all aspects of safe work practices. By doing so, keeping project budget and schedules on track and mitigates job site accidents is easy.
Key Takeaways
In any industry, many issues keep on plaguing subcontractors and might be recurring because of the nature of the business. Nevertheless, with the continually increasing adoption of technology, the electrical subcontractor market is slowly becoming more and more competitive than ever. The contractors, subcontractors, or anyone who is involved in any project must keep up with the latest industry trends in order to be fully ready if there’s an issue to be faced. Pro Crew Schedule is considered as one of the best construction management software in the market. A live demo is free to request. Make sure to request one.
