There is no doubt that, when it comes to large project-based Construction companies, the most important resource is people. They represent the true value-add of these companies and make up one of the most important revenue streams for them. So why is it that the programs designed to automate project assignments for your people often fail? The easy answer for many is “user adoption”, but the underlying reasons for this deserve examination, as they are often avoidable.
Integration It is important to understand that any “bolt on” program to accomplish this task is only as effective as its integration to your project engine. Remembering everything that it takes into account – current project staffing, phased completion timelines, employee skill sets and certifications, standing crew structures, upcoming soft-booked projects – it is easy to see why this could easily fail. If your employees in charge of resource assignment are faced with re-entering this information into a bolt-on product, not only are you not realizing a true Return on Investment, but you are asking these employees to do double (or even triple) data entry. Your on-site workers intuitively know that it is expensive and time-consuming to dig a ditch twice – why would you ask your back-office resource coordinators and crew chiefs to do just that?
Visualization Everybody has a different way of visualizing large amounts of data. Typically (and historically) the most common visualization tool is the ubiquitous Gant Chart. More seasoned employees, with years in the Construction industry, will have little or no resistance to these charts. They’ve seen them their entire career, but Gant charts sometimes struggle with “drill down” capabilities and, since scheduling devils are in the details, there are many new tools out there that allow for much more effective viewing of scheduling details and situational outliers. Younger employees (not married to Gant Charts) will move towards these tools as they explore new ways to analyze schedules. If you “bolt-on” visualization tools you end up in the same type of situation I just pointed out above (in Integration). Don’t cripple the next generation of employees with older technology.
Real-Time Information A huge number of Project-based Construction computer systems simply do not operate in real time. The master Project files are often waiting for time sheet posting, phase progress and material usage to come in from the field (or worse – it has the information, but is waiting for someone to “post” it). As a result, Projects are often viewed by the back-office management in the rear-view mirror. If you’re looking at Project this way, so is your scheduling engine. It is destined to always be behind and inaccurate.
Accuracy & Consistency One of the major advantages of this type of automated scheduling is the need to rely less on “tribal knowledge”. Employees with a great deal of tribal knowledge will become easily frustrated if the scheduling system seems inaccurate. They’ll simply not use it. It is important to understand that, at the Enterprise level, resource scheduling is equal parts art and science. You don’t have to take the suggestion of the scheduling engine, but if you’re constantly overriding it, what’s the point?
So what do we recommend?
Integration – avoid product bolt-ons as much as you can in the scheduling context. Integrated enterprise-level ERP systems, like Microsoft Dynamics AX, already house all of the information this type of scheduling demands. Human Resource Information (certifications, skill sets, experience, vacation information) is critical and there is no need, in our modern world, for double entry for new hires. Your project engine, your accounting, your people and your sales pipeline (for soft-booking of resources) all need to be available for this to work and encourage user adoption.
Visualization – flexible, user driven visualization schemas need to be a part of your ERP system, not an afterthought. Microsoft Dynamics AX gives users the traditional Gant charts, but also comes fully integrated with Microsoft Power BI out-of-the-box. Employees can choose which data they view and, more importantly, how they view it – with full drill-down capabilities to the smallest detail. Empower your people to succeed.
Real Time Information – looking at information in the past is helpful for accounting people, but your operations people are hamstrung by this approach. Microsoft supplies the technology to use on any device, anywhere at any time. Microsoft Dynamics AX is built to supply real-time project information to decision makers and scheduling engines. For accurate project assignments to work properly, this is critical.
Accuracy & Consistency – since this task is equal parts art and science, it is highly important that you set employees’ expectations properly. Look them straight in the eye and tell them “this won’t be perfect the first time you try it”. They need to be encouraged to keep massaging and manipulating the data and project requirements to increase accuracy. Over time this engine will save them a lot of time (and will save you a lot of money), but it needs to be ‘trained’ to absorb the tribal knowledge inherent in your employees’ heads. It will work – just be patient!
Setting employees expectations and giving them the tools they need to do a job is part of managing Construction companies every day. It’s time you rolled this management style into your software strategy.
Check out our other blogs in the Construction series, including:
4 Technology Trends Construction Firms Should Embrace Are You Ready for Trump’s Construction Economy? Dynamics 365 – Disruption for the Construction Industry KPMG: Slow Technology Adoption Plagues Construction Profitability
For more information visit our Microsoft Dynamics AX for Construction page or contact us today!
