∗ This guest blog was written by Rick Dowell, President & Co-Founder, Pontem Innovations
Process Automation is a term we hear often, however the processes that would benefit most from these tools are often only discussed at a high level. Given our experience with construction process software we wanted to provide 4 detailed examples of how the FlowForma Process Automation tool can improve the efficiency of your business.
Change Orders are often a challenge to track because the scope of work and timeframe is usually moving. This uncertainty becomes a problem when a Project Manager or Site Foreman is corresponding with different client stakeholders through both email and in-person conversations. Using a construction management workflow to track the change order scope, timeline, contract terms (e.g. will the change order be T&M or Fixed Price) and approvals can help eliminate the chasing of change order supporting documentation and payments that always comes at the end of jobs. This organization and transparency will ensure all change orders are appropriately paid and reduce the likelihood of a client dispute.
An active job site can have many people coming throughout the project for a variety of purposes. Tracking who was on site, if they have the appropriate training, and did they complete all safety requirements can be a big challenge. Creating an automated process that ensures all relevant information for employees, subtrades, and visitors is tracked in one place and approved by the appropriate people will save time and reduce the risk of a safety regulation violation. Site approvals are used in both building construction and road construction projects.
It is an exciting time when new employees are hired, however in order to ensure the new team member is set up correctly a number of different departments have a role to play. Some combination of IT, Facilities, HSE, Payroll, Accounting, and Operations all have tasks that need to be completed. Digital Process Automation can reduce the manual effort required to onboard new employees, increase consistency and have them quickly become productive members of the team.
Any strong safety program must have a clear, consistent investigation process. Automating the investigation workflow will ensure that no steps are missed, and the appropriate stakeholders are engaged at the right time. The workflow tracking also provides transparency to senior leadership allowing them to check in on the investigation progress while giving space for the investigation to be completed. An automated digital process also allows reviews and audits to be seamlessly conducted at a later date because all necessary information and approvals can be retained and easily accessed from a cloud database.
These are some specific examples of where FlowForma Process Automation can help improve operations and save time for construction companies. There are many more processes that are great candidates for automation, please reach out to FlowForma if you would like to see a demo or discuss how our tools can help transform your business.