How to achieve your construction goal more efficiently with clear announcements

How to avoid typical communication errors on the construction site

There are many different ways of communicating on the construction site. Information is exchanged and passed on. However, this often reaches the recipient incorrectly or too late – similar to the silent mail game. The consequences of this are loss of time, confusion and therefore inefficient work. In contrast, you can achieve your construction goal much faster with digital tools.

A digital communication platform for all employees on your construction project ensures that your decisions and announcements are available in real time and that everyone involved can view important information 24/7. Of course, round-the-clock availability is not necessary – thanks to digital tools, the end of the working day starts even faster, because the way to the office to hand in the payrolll is no longer necessary.

4 typical mistakes in construction communication

1. manual documentation causes loss of time

If you are still using a pen and pad to record information on site, you are losing a lot of important time that could be used elsewhere. Be it inventories, forms, documents or drawings – these activities are tedious and time-consuming by hand. With digital recording, you can not only document and transmit information in real time, but also add new information at any time.

2. lack of transparency results in ambiguity

On large construction sites, it can happen that your employees lose track of things: Where should I go? How long do I have? Where can I find someone in charge? You need to be able to answer these questions at all times so that your employees have clarity of mind and your construction projects stay on schedule. They need a portal where they can see what is coming up next, how much time is available and what construction goal they are pursuing.

3. unclear assignment of activities

Your employees have successfully completed their tasks and are now faced with the question of which activities are next. You clarify this question with a clear Task management. It is important that your employees are informed at all times about which activity is due next – without having to search for the printed Excel spreadsheet from the construction meeting in the morning.

4. missing obstruction display causes confusion

Obstacles often occur on the construction site and certain work takes longer than you had previously planned. In case of doubt, the next trade is already waiting in the wings to start work. Such overlaps cause confusion and delays on the construction site. Time to document the impending delays promptly!

Achieving the construction goal through clear announcements

In addition to planning your construction project, the communication during the construction phase is the most important. With these clear messages, you can avoid ambiguities on the construction site:

Digital documentation saves time

The digital documentation combines all processes on one platform and makes the documentation process easier for you: fast communication via the chat function and tasks, defect and file management.

Document changes to the time and cost plan promptly

The offer is ready, the specifications have been finalized and now the construction project can begin. You have defined your construction goal in advance in your time and cost plan. This does not mean that it cannot be changed – it can always happen that not everything goes according to plan. It is then important that short-term changes to the plan are quickly documented and communicated to employees so that they can act accordingly. You can report these shortcomings and rescheduling via the 123quality app in a real-time obstruction display. This keeps everyone up-to-date: you, the employees, external parties and subcontractors.

Transparency and clear assignment of tasks in the construction project

Once you have put together a clear plan, it is now time to turn it into reality. You should not withhold the plan from your employees. They need to know at all times what activities have been assigned to them, what deadlines need to be met and what construction goal they are pursuing. In the 123quality app you can assign tickets and activities to each employee. This way, every employee can see on their cell phone what needs to be done next. This brings you one step closer to your construction goal!

Communicate with employees and subcontractors throughout all phases of the construction project

In the 123quality app all construction projects are differentiated from each other to avoid confusion. The title, location and type of project as well as a brief description provide a clear basis for orientation. So that employees know who they can contact during the project, you note the project managers there. You can also create tickets and assign tasks to employees – all centrally in one tool.

Instead of exchanging information via WhatsApp, chatting in the 123quality app has two advantages: It’s fast and legally compliant. And if there are any obstructions or defects, you can use your phone’s camera, take a picture and send it on to inform the subcontractor of the defects.

Keeping an overview

You can keep an overview via the dashboard. There you can see which tickets are still open and which have already been completed. Changes to the planning can also be seen at a glance. You can see whether a ticket has been received or what still needs to be done.

Complying with the legal framework

There is one thing you must not forget when it comes to transparent Construction communication: the legal framework. On the one hand, the VOB (the German Construction Tendering and Contract Regulations) applies at the construction level, and on the other hand, the GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation) applies at the personal level. The VOB is the binding set of clauses that summarizes the contractual rights of a construction project. The GDPR defines all the rules that must be complied with when processing personal data.

You can easily manage your customized, VOB-compliant cover letter in the 123quality app and save it as an export template. You can also send the finished document by email with just one click.

As different employees have access to the 123quality app, you decide in advance who should see which documents by assigning rights. This ensures that you comply with data protection regulations. Assign the dispatchers to the Schedulingthe foremen of the Time tracking and site managers to their respective projects.

Image credits: dusanpetkovic/ iStock via Getty Images; 123onsite/Timo Lutz Werbefotografie