Increase the accuracy of time sheet information by using digital technology. These programs link labor and equipment data to cost account systems that track and generate labor, material, and equipment cost reports.
JumpStart Wireless, Delray Beach, Fla., replaces paper forms with mobile software. JumpStart begins by identifying what software programs a construction company uses, and asks what kind of information should be collected, and how to organize it. Then JumpStart interfaces its technology with the company's system—developing a personalized program to electronically update files such as payroll in existing applications using cell phones to input and transfer information. The job foreman enters labor hours, pieces of equipment, the hours used with the applicable job, and cost codes, plus details such as yards of concrete poured and the day's weather. Using Bluetooth technology, bar code readers, cameras, and printers communicate wirelessly to your office through a cell phone. Photos of work sites and safety violations are easily transferred to a cell phone and forwarded back to the office. If workers are outside a coverage area or there is a loss of connection within the network, programs continue to operate independently. Cell phones with a Global Positioning Software (GPS) chip enable the retrieval of workers' coordinates. Thus, a concrete crew can be located and immediately dispatched to another site.
JobClock, Woodland Hills, Calif., is a portable, waterproof, battery-powered, easy-to-use clock. With a green and red tab, workers clock in and out, accurately submitting their work time. The foreman, using a Palm Pilot, then launches a retrieval program to wirelessly download the information, which can be transferred to the office database, TimeSummit. The program can process and generate reports for payroll, job cost, overtime, union hours, and more. For workers who complete different tasks, such as job cleanup and roofing, it also accommodates different compensation or pay rates. This helps companies save money by calculating work times for individual tasks. JobClock can further tailor to a company's needs by providing individualized colored tabs, such as yellow for travel, blue for drywall, or orange for roofing tasks. JobClock retains its data so if a Palm Pilot is lost, another may be used to extract the information. JobClock also integrates with QuickBooks, Master Builder, Timberline, and other major construction payroll and accounting packages.
TimeClock Plus, San Angelo, Texas, gains portability with the addition of TimeClock Mobile. By gathering employee labor information as it happens, it enables management to synchronize with the office software—the TimeClock Plus database. TimeClock Mobile and Netlink use the Web via telephone, a pocket PC, or a laptop. A crew foreman gathers and transfers the information in order to send reports immediately or download information later. Fingerprint technology is available with certain applications to help maintain the integrity of entries. Job cost information and labor hours are calculated per job and per site. With user rights set up for the foreman, change orders are accommodated in real time. The foreman can enter a new job or execute changes to the current one. If offsite labor comes to work, the foreman enters a new employee code to accommodate immediate hiring and clocks the new employee in and out.
