How Internal Communications Goals Improve Construction Project Management

Proper planning is critical in the construction industry, however not every project will stay on the original timeline. As projects progress, the scope or deadlines are likely to change. Project management is more than revising deadlines, however. An often forgotten part of construction project management is keeping field workers current on any changes and internal communications goals. An internal communications tool makes it easy for managers to keep field workers and independent contractors aligned and to clearly communicate project goals.

Use Targeted Communication to Send Out One Message to Everyone

When project updates are sent to management, they need to reach their field workers as quickly as possible. While walkie talkies have limited ranges, a team communication app is not limited by distance. With Beekeeper’s team communication app, field workers can be reached instantly with a single message. With Beekeeper, you can select groups of team members, such as independent contractors and send immediate updates.

With an internal communications tool, field workers will appreciate instant and mobile access to project updates. If field workers are not notified about updates until the next day, this creates redundancies; they might have already completed work that is now no longer necessary. Doing unnecessary work is frustrating to anyone––and costly from a business standpoint––especially when it is because of a simple miscommunication. When field workers are notified immediately via a team communication app, they can be assured the work they are doing is important to the end result. Eliminating superfluous work ensures higher team productivity.

Communicate Clear Goals with Field Workers

In the construction industry, it is likely that many field workers are independent contractors. Their personal goals could be very different from management’s goals. It is also unlikely that managers and field workers are aware of each other’s goals. With an internal communications tool, you can set clear goals for project management. Without this transparency in communication, field workers do not know what the final goal of the project is, and can be less engaged and motivated on projects.

With Beekeeper’s team communication app you can send out real-time updates on projects and goals. Daily or weekly updates allow independent contractors to be aware of the goals they need to achieve. This can help independent contractors to be more project-goal-oriented and have a clear idea of which checkpoints there are on the overall project. A team communication app can also increase team productivity. If field workers are achieving weekly goals faster than anticipated, they can contact managers in the team communication app and see what can be done next. If goals are too unrealistic, managers can adjust project goals based on the ability and availability of their team.

Better Construction Project Accountability

Because of the nature of dispersed teams and worksites in the construction industry, managers aren’t necessarily aware of the daily minutiae of the work performed by independent contractors. This can make it difficult to track the individual daily performance of workers. Some independent contractors could be underperforming when compared to others, but management has no idea because they only see the final results. Management can deploy a team communication app to conduct daily or weekly check-ins through mobile report posting in communication streams or chat messaging with their field workers. When field workers are given clear goals and guidelines by which to measure what they accomplish daily or weekly, they can be held more accountable for the work they do. This also better manages expectations between both parties by:

• Providing individual field workers with the opportunity to share input towards project management and their work
• Giving managers an insight into how to implement better planning strategies in future project management and optimize team productivity.

To see how Beekeeper can help your construction company improve project management, download our Holcim case study.