Unfortunately, when it comes to the construction industry, delays are so common that they almost feel inevitable. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, rework, slow decision-making, scope creep, and other factors all have the potential to shift timelines and push out project completion dates.
With so much uncertainty, more and more professionals are turning to automated progress reporting solutions to provide a streamlined, data-driven approach to monitoring and managing construction projects.
The most efficient progress reporting relies on updated project data every week. Projects will hire professionals like Multivista to visit the job site and capture 360 photos of everything, or teams will self-perform by capturing their site data through the Hexagon GoCapture app.
Either way, purpose-trained AI tools analyze and compare the weekly reality capture data to the project schedule to better:
- Identify potential delays
- Track critical milestones
- Compare planned progress to actual progress
- Reduce errors and rework
- Validate pay apps
- Create more transparent and proactive decision-making across an entire project team
Used correctly, progress reporting and schedule tracking tools ultimately drive productivity and help projects battle against the seemingly inevitable fate of schedule delays.
Check out a few everyday use real-world use cases for Progress Reporting, as laid out by Russ Bollig, Multivista’s Senior Director of Solutions.
Progress reporting tracks progress in real time
When a project has weekly reality capture in place with progress reporting tools analyzing that as-built data, the general contracting team can meet on Tuesday mornings to remotely walk the project, update the 3 to 5-week look-ahead schedule, and then present to the subcontractors and trades coordination meetings.
Real-time data is essential. It’s unrealistic to expect a GC to effectively and efficiently walk around and note all the important build details required to create an accurate schedule, especially when they are getting asked questions constantly.
Using the data-captured images and AI analysis, project teams have real-time data they can access in meetings to visually walk the site, or share with other team members, regardless of their location. When everyone can see the schedule, look together at current onsite progress (or lack thereof), and get coordinated all at the same time, it’s an incredible efficiency gain for field coordination and more accurate lookahead schedules. Everything is laid out visually in front of everyone.
Progress reporting enables resource and schedule forecasting
Capturing actual as-built conditions of a job site on an easily viewable, shareable platform featuring AI-driven analysis insights allows project teams to understand exactly how much work needs to be done in any and all areas, not just the space they walked physically that day.
Imagine sitting in a conversation with 20 trades, being able to look at current construction conditions and simultaneously discuss the work that applies to each one of them while talking through the next steps. It’s very efficient compared to relying on “as-remembered” conditions onsite.
Accurately knowing a site’s progress also helps with personnel and material forecasting. Many trades prefabricate off-site—duct work, handrails, plumbing, etc. Understanding floor-by-floor and trade-by-trade progress helps ensure prefabricated components are delivered when they are needed, not too early (where they can be stolen or damaged by weather) or too late (which causes delays).
Similarly, being able to see reports and photos of weekly progress also allows those trades to adjust or increase fabrication schedules to best suit the project.
Progress reporting also improves progress tracking, pay apps, and dispute resolution
An essential aspect of progress tracking is clarity and agreement on what is actually being measured. Reporting on electrical conduit and boxes is not a holistic view of progress unless everyone understands that no wiring has been pulled through the conduit or connected to those boxes.
Visual progress data and reports generated from it can help get everyone on the same page, particularly useful when it comes to progress and turnaround times for trades’ pay apps. Rather than a complicated and time-consuming process of checking completed work manually, a weekly report backed with as-built photography (which can also be viewed side by side with historic photos for even more clarity) shows everyone what was completed, and when.
And in the event of a dispute, full visual reality capture can offer the third-party objective insights that help everyone find the best solution possible— particularly when combined with jobsite webcams, data-driven progress reports, and critical milestone photographs providing visibility into work completed, but also schedule challenges such as weather or rework, and redistributed resources. When claims arise, visibility into exactly how and when a project came together can play a key role in risk mitigation for all parties involved.
These are just a few ways advanced progress reporting software tools backed by solid visual reality capture data can benefit any construction project. Part of the power comes from the software efficiently flagging areas that may be falling behind and need a closer look. Still, the rest comes from being able to take a closer look, share what you see, and have teams adjust or respond as needed, almost immediately and without having to keep running around the jobsite. By combining visual evidence with data analytics, progress tracking helps teams to stay informed and proactive throughout the project lifecycle.
Want to see automated Progress Reporting in action? We’re happy to schedule you a demo with a Multivista professional near you.
