Construction Technology/News

Mobile Solutions Empowering Field Teams to do More

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The Construction Industry is Undergoing a Digital Transformation and Mobile Technologies are Leading the Movement

Paper got the job done. So, why did the industry shift from paper to computerized technologies? The quick answer is efficiency. Sure, it was a difficult transition for some, but the outcome was momentous: integrated data, improved workflows and easy access to information that isn’t in a file cabinet.

Today, builders are using more online and mobile apps than ever before to keep data and communications integrated when they’re in the field. According to a 2018 JB Knowledge/Con Tech Survey, 90 percent of respondents said there must be a mobile plan or app in place to help with their current processes. Additionally, a survey performed during a recent Viewpoint webinar indicated that close to 100 percent of a construction organization’s employees have smart phones.

It’s no surprise that information is now (and has been) held in the palm of our hands — with today’s iteration being the form of a smart phone. During the aforementioned webinar, ViewpointOne Field Users: Mobile-Enabled Job Site in Action, Viewpoint product experts discussed how ViewpointOnefield users can use mobile capabilities to make life in the field easier. Here’s how:

Information at Your Fingertips – Online or Offline

When you log into your ViewpointOne experience through Viewpoint Team, the web-based, collaborative document and project management solution that ties together the field and office, you’ll see a list of the projects you’re involved with. Those projects are integrated between the field and the office with Viewpoint’s mobile capabilities. Field employees can use the mobile or web-based applications to access important project information and enter vital data from the jobsite to update back office systems and reports — all in real time. But the beauty is that work can still occur even when you’re offline.

For instance, if work is being performed in a basement, tunnel or a place where mobile access is limited, a message can be written, photos can be captured, notes or data can be collected and entered. Later, the information can instantly synch with back office systems and communications can be sent when mobile access is regained. This allows information to be captured without being forgotten.

Endless Capabilities and Possibilities

So what advantages are reaped by having an inter-connected, cloud-based construction management solution? Here are just a few:

View OSHA quick cards for training.

Safety bulletins and updates: See the latest safety notes and warnings, ensure certifications are in place and pull your teams together for important safety briefings (and collect data shared on safety incidents or topics).

Project contacts: Quickly look up information like phone numbers, email addresses or other contact information on a host of contacts for your projects, with intuitive search functionality.

Recent items and daily logs: See recent items you accessed or worked with, including daily logs to quickly get information you need or continue collecting information.

Check the weather: Get live weather updates from the weather service to best judge when and where work should be done. Or, enter your own notes and observations about the weather and how it is affecting work.

View submittals: See submittals directly in the field including updates, product information, specs and much more. Or connect to the browser and access Vista to change a submittal or create a new one.

Create and view RFIs: Access existing RFIs to see information or address questions or issues. RFIs can also be created and shared using the mobile app.

Manage issues from the field: Keep track of project risks and issues in real time, with a simple-to-use issues log. Create early warning notices for issues identified, communicate with the entire project team and track resolution to completion.

Zoom into and rotate drawings for more specific information.

View up-to-date documents and drawings: Documents and drawings can be viewed by date, ensuring you’re always looking at the latest version. Zoom into and rotate the drawings for more specific information if needed.

Connecting with Viewpoint Field Management:

Here are a few of the things that Viewpoint’s Field Management solution helps to streamline between the field and office for Vista users:

View and enter production rate.

Viewing and Entering Labor, Equipment and Production Information: Serving as an extension of Vista, Field Management lets a project manager or foreman enter labor, equipment time and production rates. Track in real time whether or not your project production is going up or down in relation to estimated production and number of hours and units per day on a project. If information is needed on an employee basis, hours per employee is available. You can approve production and labor reports and capture electronic signatures from the field.

Manage Equipment: By accessing Vista’s equipment functionality in the field, you can manage equipment right from the jobsite. View, track and assign equipment from job to job, track hours of use, meters and maintenance tasks, or input equipment issues or repairs using simple voice commands.

View and Create Daily Huddles: With safety a key concern among contractors, daily huddles and continuing training is vital. From Field Management, daily huddles can be created and updated. You can access training materials, links to OHSA quick cards on particular topics. Those quick cards include main bullet points for an easy, fast training reference. The exercises can be audited in the application – you can see who has completed the training on a specific topic and when. Create huddle dashboards and audit reports to see which workers have been trained on which topics and which jobs are in compliance and which need attention.

Real-Time Purchase Orders: Employees can also create purchase orders in the field. If an item needs to be purchased, a picture can be taken of the receipt. The receipt and item description can be sent directly to Vista. A project accountant can see the receipt and finish coding that job.

See it in Action!

These are just a few ways Viewpoint Team and Field Management makes for an awesome mobile construction experience by simplifying field work.

If you would like to learn more and you are already a Viewpoint customer, please send an inquiry to [email protected]. Not a Viewpoint customer? We would love to tell you more about how Viewpoint’s mobile capabilities can help create smarter, smoother projects. Please contact us today.

Posted By

Gallit is a content marketing manager at Viewpoint. Her ten years of marketing experience spans across various industries. Gallit enjoys learning about the exciting world of construction and sharing what she has learned with the industry.

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