All industries in all locations will face pain points that they wish could be resolved with an easy solution. Isn’t that the dream? According to articles, sub-contractors have faced challenges within the construction industry for decades, however, the increasing demands from clients to be faster, cheaper and better quality have meant these businesses are now having to look at new ways of working in order to meet demands and remain competitive. Could an option be to introduce construction sub-contractor software?
Below are some of the common challenges faced by construction sub-contractor:
- Skillset shortages
The worker shortage is a common issue in many industries. As the number of jobs increases, job perks improve and recruiters become savvier, industries are experiencing a lack of skilled tradespeople to do the work. This is especially evident in the construction industry.
A real threat to the UK construction industry is skilled tradespeople moving away since they become qualified. The UK offers an excellent road to work through apprenticeships and on-the-job work experience. However, with countries like Australia and Canada offering excellent job opportunities for tradespeople, we have witnessed more UK citizens make the move across the globe.
UK Businesses must look at what they offer workers and provide more appealing jobs that not only include a competitive salary but additional perks and a better work/life balance.
2. Increasing prices and client demand
With the rising price of construction materials and fuel prices, businesses are looking for other ways to keep overheads as low as possible. This often lands on the labour costs involved in a project, more specifically the sub-contractors. Clients are now demanding more for less, which puts a strain on the resources of sub-contractors. Businesses want projects completed faster with the lowest amount of staff possible which can often lead to health and safety issues.
Streamlined communication, better planning and faster data entry are all ways businesses are able to work smarter and faster.
3. Auditing and government regulations
Within the construction, there are various rules and regulations that need to be adhered to and documentation storage for future auditing. Keeping track of this documentation can be difficult, especially if you are operating on a paper-based system which requires filing. Documents can often be misplaced and this can lead to significant delays in projects, costing more money.
By moving to construction sub-contractor software, users are able to upload digital documents which can be sent back to the client and stored online for easy access at any time.
4. Poor communication
The backbone of all businesses, no matter the industry, is communication. Working with sub-contractors means communication is even more essential to ensure projects are completed to the specified standard and delivered on time. Improved communication can help streamline processes and allow people to work more effectively. Field service software can make a real difference in how your teams communicate. Having all information available to access at any time and from anywhere means better planning of resources and materials.
5. Making the move and integrating new technology
Businesses, or more so people within businesses, have an aversion to change. This includes moving or integrating new technology. As the construction industry moves forward, technology is now an essential tool in remaining competitive, therefore many businesses are rolling out job management software, which is regularly met with kick-back from end-users. This can be difficult and stressful for management.
With WorkPal, our team of dedicated implementation specialists work with your business to create a workflow that is similar to your existing operational processes prior to roll-out, limiting the amount of change for your workforce. We also ensure users are given full, in-depth training on both the desktop and mobile app. Our customer success team regularly check in to make sure you are getting the very most out of the system.
The above challenges are common for a lot of construction sub-contractors, however, there are ways to overcome these by integrating a robust sub-contractor software solution.
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