The construction industry has a unique set of requirements for time tracking. Choosing a solution that works for your company is an important decision. Check out this comparison of the top time tracking solutions for construction contractors.
If you’re looking to improve productivity on the job site, paper timesheets look like a great place to start. But once you start testing out new technology on the job site, many contractors have realized that it’s not always as easy as installing an app and calling it a day.
There are a lot of time tracking solutions built for office workers, and few that translate well to the construction industry. From practicality to technology requirements to business needs, contractors face a lot of specific challenges to tracking time.
Let’s see how well the most popular time tracking solutions meet the needs of a construction company.
What to look for in a time tracking software
Does it match the way my company tracks time?
Some contractors require individuals to fill out and turn in their own time cards. Others require employees to punch a time clock for more accountability. It’s also common to have supervisors track time for all employees. And some forward-thinking companies are looking for a way to eliminate manual time entry altogether. When choosing a time tracking solution, you need it to be compatible with the way you track time at your company.
John Hughes, CEO of ContractorNerd, highlights the importance of selecting the right tools for construction time tracking. “At ContractorNerd, we understand how essential accurate time tracking is for managing labor and keeping projects on schedule. The right tool not only helps with productivity but also builds accountability among team members. A well-implemented time tracking system can be the difference between meeting deadlines and costly delays,” Hughes explains.
Will it connect with my construction management software?
Time tracking for construction provides critical cost and productivity data for the project management team. Ensuring that labor costs flow directly into your Project Management or ERP system is important to getting the more accurate job costing.
Having verified job costing enables your team to ensure that you aren’t going over budget and stop it in time on current jobs and better estimate for future jobs going forward. It’s also important that the data feeds into your Payroll solution so there is no manual entry required. Not only is time wasted keying data from your time tracking solution into your payroll solution, but it leaves room for errors and people getting paid incorrectly.
In an ideal process, data from your time keeping system is fed into your project management and ERP solution to populate labor hours/costs for job costing and payroll purposes.
How does it prevent errors and labor fraud?
In our experience on real construction job sites, buddy punching and employee time theft is an industry-wide problem. When you choose your time tracking system, it’s important to choose one that uses an error-proof and fraud-proof method. At SmartBarrel, we recommend using facial verification to provide documentation of the workers’ presence at the time of the activity. This provides a two-way accountability log which allows both employer and employee to verify the accuracy of timesheet data.
6 Best Construction Time Tracking Solutions [2023 Edition]
SmartBarrel
- Facial Verification
- PPE Detection
- Mobile App
- Kiosk Mode
- Portable Time Clock
- Cost Code Tracking
- Procore Integration
Construction Time Tracking Reviews
SmartBarrel
Designed specifically for construction job sites, SmartBarrel’s time tracking software and hardware products are super simple to use.
Read on to get the details of why SmartBarrel is a great choice for construction companies.
Construction-Specific
SmartBarrel’s time tracking software is designed for the construction industry. From our durable portable time clock to the simple-to-use admin interface to our best-in-class Procore integration, everything we build is created with construction teams in mind.
Error and Fraud Prevention
SmartBarrel uses facial verification to confirm worker identity. By capturing a photo with every punch, companies using SmartBarrel can achieve 100% time tracking accuracy. From the mobile app to the job site time clock, the SmartBarrel system is designed to eliminate manual work from construction time tracking.
Cost Codes
The SmartBarrel time tracking system allows you to identify user time entries with a cost code in your construction management system, enabling accurate, real-time cost and productivity tracking.
Product Suite
SmartBarrel offers a mobile time tracking app, a kiosk mode for crew time tracking, and a portable time clock for big jobs and big crews. For the back office and payroll teams, the SmartBarrel software provides real-time attendance tracking, job site reporting, and more.
Integrations
SmartBarrel has direct integrations with Procore, CMiC, and Microsoft Power BI. SmartBarrel’s integration with Procore is the first time tracking system to connect directly into Procore’s Timesheets feature, which allows you to report actual timesheet data against your budgeted cost codes in real time. SmartBarrel also provides exports for Quickbooks, Viewpoint, Foundation Software, and other providers.
Ratings & Reviews
The SmartBarrel time tracking solution is loved by field and office alike. In reviews, SmartBarrel customers rave about the customer service. SmartBarrel has a rating of 5.0/5 on SoftwareAdvice.
Get The Best Construction Time Tracking Solution
What is construction time tracking software?
Construction time tracking software is a specialized solution designed for the construction industry. It automates and simplifies the process of recording and managing time-related data in construction projects. This software allows contractors and project managers to track and monitor the time spent on various tasks and activities, providing accurate measurement of labor hours and resource utilization. It integrates with other project management tools, streamlines payroll processes, and generates comprehensive reports and analytics. Construction time tracking software enhances project management, optimizes resource allocation, and provides valuable insights for efficient and profitable construction project execution.
How does construction time tracking software work?
Construction time tracking software helps contractors and project managers keep track of time in construction projects. It works by using a computer program or application that lets them record and manage time-related information. They can create schedules, assign tasks, and see how tasks are progressing in real-time. The software also helps them measure how much time is spent on different activities and how resources are being used. It can connect with other tools they use, like payroll systems, to make things easier. The software generates reports and data to show how the project is going. Its goal is to make time tracking simple, improve project management, and help construction projects run smoothly.
Why you need time tracking software
How does construction time tracking software connect to my accounting, payroll, or construction management software?
The bottom line
Construction time tracking solutions provide a record of time and attendance for every employee on the job site.
For construction contractors with large teams that want a fool-proof, excuse-proof solution, we believe they are best served by SmartBarrel’s suite of time tracking products which offer a portable time clock, a mobile app, desktop administration tools, and strong integrations with construction management software.
