How To Manage Builder Changes To Construction Schedules
Relative to other construction tasks, post construction cleaning is quick — get in, get out, move on to the next job. However, as the last trade in the building, you are completely dependent on other trades finishing their tasks first, and every change in someone else’s schedule can wreak havoc with yours. How do you meet this challenge and build a reputation for being flexible but fast that will help you build your business?
Builder Reschedules Lead To Tasks Being Placed On Hold
So, it’s Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. and one of your cleaning crews arrives at a site only to find that it isn’t ready for them yet. What happens? Do they wait in the van? Do they take an extended coffee break? Do they return to the office and set out again later? Unless you and they have all the information on why the schedule changed and how long the delay is likely to be, your crew may not even be sure what to do.
Then, if that crew is delayed for an hour or two, can they still make it to their 1 p.m. job? If they arrive late, can they complete everything by end-of-day? If the builder and homeowner arrive for a punch list walk-through that evening and the house isn’t move-in ready, how does this reflect on your business?
And how does any downtime resulting from that crew’s delayed schedule affect your company’s overall productivity and profitability?
These challenges happen in the construction cleaning business on a regular basis. They aren’t unusual or rare. Builder schedules are often a moving target and, whenever the target moves, you can be faced with a rescheduling nightmare.
Changes In Schedules Affect Margins & Windows of Time
Schedule changes are challenging enough for one individual or crew, but if you manage many cleaners and crews, the problem is compounded. Each one needs to be scheduled, rescheduled, tracked and paid, adding up to a lot of administrative hours. However, given the low margins on each cleaning job, it’s critical for you to operate with the lowest overhead possible. You need a way to make scheduling, coordinating, tracking and paying all of your crews as quick, accurate and painless as possible.
Incorporate A Residential Construction Scheduling Software
Hyphen’s SupplyPro GM includes a Scheduling feature that simplifies and automates many of these tasks. Through SupplyPro GM, you will be immediately notified if your builder alters any schedule. You can use the mobile app — available in English and Spanish — to notify the affected crew. Or your crew can inform you, if they discover the problem when they get to the site. With information on the estimated length of the delay, you can develop solutions to reduce crew and truck downtime. Since SupplyPro GM gives you the ability to quickly know the exact who, when and where of your field resources in real-time, you can reschedule, relocate, switch crews around, etc.
Plus, you can visually track progress on every job throughout the day, with color coded status updates. You will know what’s happening in real-time and if your crews are on schedule or need assistance.
To make paying your cleaners easier, they can check in and check out on their phones, recording their hours with the tap of a button. You can also track completed work to track employee and subcontractor piece work payments that saves you even more valuable time in data entry and management.
Effectively Schedule, Track and Manage Crews With SupplyPro GM
SupplyPro GM is cloud-based construction software that enables you to manage residential projects from work order creation through approvals and payments, with visibility and consistency. Feature-rich and built for mobility, this effective contractor and supplier software gives you real-time information and control in every part of your cleaning business, so you can increase productivity, profits and builder satisfaction.
Learn more about how SupplyPro GM can help you manage your Cleaning business more effectively or schedule a demo today.
