Efficiently manage contractors and contracts to be successful in business.
From receiving the work order request and monitoring progress, through to the production of the invoice and performance reporting, the end-to-end process of managing works, contractors and contracts is littered with potential inefficiencies that can cost you money. These costs might be obvious and direct, like contract penalties but there are also many hidden or consequential costs.
The hidden inefficiencies that cost you money
If you do not have standardised processes, it can cost you money.
Some examples of hidden inefficiencies are:
- Re-keying of data from one system to another
- Lack of, or outdated technology
- Providing key stakeholders with manually collated updates & progress reports
- Manual reminding and chasing actions
- Processing and movement of paperwork
- Dealing with multiple clients, subcontractor, and other 3rd party systems or even the lack of them
- Administration of allocating time to works and calculating complex invoices based on multiple contract rates and arrangements
- Lack of a central single point of truth to assist operational management
- Miscommunication over works and progress
It is difficult to quantify the cost of these inefficiencies but think about this across a team of 4. If you could save each person 1 – 2 hours per day by solving or improving these inefficiencies, it could soon add up, and that’s just from a central operations perspective. Imagine also giving the on-site teams a better system. A system that can record all the key information that your stakeholders require. A system which improves efficiencies by reducing travel time and avoids costly delays by ensuring preceding key tasks are completed.
Here’s an example
You receive a request for works to be completed (for a property that is rented out) either by your business or the work is being sub-contracted to you. The lack of a proper system could result in delays whilst the request is received & processed. Then, if tasks are allocated to the team manually, further delays can occur. Whilst all this is happening, additional costs beyond the repair are being incurred along the way, from time and effort but also consequentially because the end customer will need to be accommodated elsewhere or compensated somehow. Then, when the work is completed, there are often disagreements between parties or misunderstandings over what the initial problem was, details of the work order and the before and after appearance.
Installing contractor field service management software that covers everything from works orders to evidence collation and invoicing is the answer.
How can Alphatec’s Works Activity Scheduling Platform WASP solve your problems?
The key features of WASP provide:
- An interface with existing systems to receive work orders, drawings, and instructions
- High level reporting to support workload management & communication
- A self-serve portal where clients and other stakeholders can check progress in real-time giving customers visibility, including photos or video
- Highlighted critical timings associated to work (to avoid costly penalties)
- Offline mode for the onsite team where connectivity is poor
- Reporting on work status by operator, manager, region, or contract
- Contract details like charge rates (for fast invoicing)
- Provide end to end tracking, including risk assessments, method statements, inspection evidence, before and after work audits, measurements of work completed and variation. (All supported with photos or video providing full transparency).
Can you afford not to consider improving the way in which you manage contractors and contracts? If you would like to learn more about WASP request a demo here.