It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: your construction company’s profits and professional reputation are inextricably tied up in your job site productivity. If your crew and their machinery aren’t working at peak performance levels, things slow down. And when one piece of the project slows, it easily throws off the rest of the plan.
Smart strategies and practices that boost productivity keep project costs down and everything moving on—or even ahead—of schedule. They expand profit margins, allow for more competitive job bids, and reflect well on your brand in ways that encourage repeat business and referrals. Plus, many of the tactics reduce long-term costs associated with things like equipment repair and replacement, and even employee turnover; people that work on smart, sensible, effective, well-managed teams have considerably higher job satisfaction.
Below are some effective ways to help ensure your jobs run like well-oiled machines.
How to Achieve Higher Job Site Productivity
- Analyze productivity during every job, paying close attention to when it declines. Soon, patterns should emerge that identify aspects of your process, particular pieces of machinery, or other factors that contribute to slowdowns.
- Maintain a regularly updated, accurate site inventory and always look ahead for changing needs. Be proactive about ordering additional tools, equipment, and materials so they’re on hand when they’re needed—not after.
- Invest a little more in attracting the most qualified, experienced, dependable foremen and supervisors. Having real talent running each project is one of the best ways to complete them as well, safely, and efficiently as possible.
- Provide all on-site supervisors with productivity training and encourage them to be active and attentive across the site at all times.
- Supplement the crew’s equipment training with extra productivity and safety training. The time investment pays off. Remember that while the safest procedures may not always seem like the most efficient, protecting your workers is your responsibility; also, mishaps and injuries can greatly cut into productivity.
- Always enforce all safety protocols and best practices.
- Maintain tidy, highly organized construction sites. This helps avoid obstacles that can cause slowdowns, equipment damage, and worker injuries. Also, time should never be lost because people can’t track down the tools, equipment, or materials they need.
- Regularly acknowledge good work from your employees (on an individual and group basis) and occasionally reward it. Offering recognition and showing appreciation is the simplest, most effective way to motivate loyalty, company pride, and better performance from your crew.
- Make sure communication is clear and constant. Everyone should know their specific tasks, responsibilities, and goals for every hour of every day.
- Delegate smartly. Don’t overload individual crew members with more than they can reasonably and safely get done in an attempt to drive faster results. Also, make sure people are assigned to jobs they can apply their personal strengths to.
- Publicize all project target dates and deadlines to your entire crew.
- Adhere to manufacturer-recommended schedules for equipment checks and routine maintenance to keep machinery operating at optimal efficiency, power, and safety. While it may seem excessive, it goes a long way toward higher site productivity and preventing unnecessary costs for equipment repairs and replacement.
- Use heavy equipment with a remote monitoring telematics system. It alerts you to maintenance needs and performance issues, makes equipment monitoring and record keeping more efficient, and speeds repair times.
- Invest in other technologies that improve processes. Things like newer machinery outfitted with cutting-edge technology, job scheduling and planning software, and Trekker’s MyYard mobile app or others that streamline equipment and material lookup and ordering can improve the efficiency of all aspects of project management and execution.
- Develop a relationship with a machine dealer and equipment supplier with a large inventory, efficient processes of their own, and a dedication to serving your needs. Maybe we’re a little biased, but we suggest Trekker Group.
