Here are 5 ways smart tools and apps are changing the way we do business for the better.
Reduced Delays
Depending on the worksite, potentially hundreds of different things can be going on at once, amongst dozens of different workers. When information is scarce, it can frequently take great lengths to collect everything needed in order for work to continue, or even commence. This process takes tradies away from their actual jobs, and essentially costs the organisation vast amounts of money.
With apps that can collect data in real time, such as funding issues, work schedules, and OHS incidents, solutions can be created and implemented much simpler and faster, saving unprecedented amounts of resources.
Improved Communication
As mentioned above, those in the trades industry must frequently communicate with various stakeholders and other personnel to complete their work. This might be through reporting, making payments, clarifying instructions, or any number of possible scenarios. In the past, this element of the industry could be quite laborious, with several channels demanding the attention of multiple parties. Now, thanks to the exponential improvements in communication technology, this information can be expressed quickly and with ease, promoting a far better stream of communication between involved stakeholders, and a more satisfying end result.
Reinforce Accountability
No workplace is perfect. There are always going to be those bad apples in every bunch that don’t contribute their fair share of work to a job, and it has often been the bane of the trades industry’s hardest workers’ days. Thanks to improvements in monitoring tools, however, there is a lot less room for tardiness, unproductivity, and general laziness of those who take advantage of their roles. GPS locations, on-site check ins, travel times, and more, compared with actual work accomplished, are all new features that can measure and quantify the output of employee actions, boosting their accountability.
Efficient Management of Equipment
Many workplaces will know the perils of limited equipment and multiple call out points. Employees might have to operate on a first in, first served basis, taking what they need and leaving others to wait, which is likely to cost time and job offers. Unfortunately, it isn’t within every budget to simply buy extra tools or machinery when a new opportunity springs up, as it might not be there later on. By using scheduling and maintenance software, logs can be kept of every piece of equipment well in advance of demand, to ensure that a logical solution is derived where all work can be completed.
Lower Workplace Incidents
The trades industries have an alarmingly higher fatal injury rate disproportionate to the national average. Whether you are in charge of a fleet of workers, or just one, by having sophisticated, up-to-date software that can immediately tell you OHS best practises and checklists, workplace injuries and incidents could be significantly lowered.