Addressing Labor Challenges Part 2: What to Look for in a Tracking Solution

Part 2 - Building Service Contractors: What to Look for in a Tracking Solution

Beyond streamlining administrative time keeping functions, time and attendance tracking solutions specifically designed for building service contractors have the power to impact a company’s bottom line. These solutions, which are inherently more flexible and configurable than traditional options can be rolled out quickly to immediately address a BSC’s unique labor management needs.

But with so many options available, choosing the right time and labor management system can be daunting. To simplify this process, we’ve broken out the following components that make up a best-of-breed time tracking solution:

Architecture

High employee turnover associated with BSC workforces requires a solution with the agility to adapt quickly to change. A system with configurable and open architecture can easily manage a BSC’s labor complexities, adapt to individual employer/employee needs, and ensure cost effective, uniform, and accurate data processing.

Installation and Deployment

Time is of the essence when it comes to deployment, given the low margins under which most BSCs operate. A single solution installed across an enterprise can both speed deployment time and lower maintenance and upgrade costs by removing the need to handle multiple implementations. Even more beneficial is a solution that will handle the implementation and set up work for you.

Intuitive Use

An easy-to-use system reduces administrative costs, as internal resources are not tasked with trying to “make sense” of information or handle employee issues with the solution. BSCs should look for a solution that requires minimal training and relies on ease of use.

Business Intelligence

Real-time data is key to facilitating workforce optimization. Look for a system where data can be used to:

• Manage, create, or modify scheduling
• Assign or reassign workers and resources based on changing labor demands
• Distribute workloads across time and locations
• Match workers with required certifications and/or qualifications
• Dial in profitability by tracking true costs associated with projects and accounts

Budgeting

A best-of-breed solution integrates time, attendance, and wage information to accurately track and manage labor expenses in real-time.  This allows for proactive changes to be made on the schedule in order to keep on top of budgets and avoid overtime costs.

Compliance

Lawsuits, class action suits and fines for non-compliance with can be costly, and the number of cases are significantly on the rise. And BSCs are no strangers to allegations such as unpaid overtime and off-the-clock work. During an audit process, employers may be asked to provide punch-in/out data to prove their case. The time and labor management solution needs to be able to drill down to obtain specific data in easy-to-read reports that are accurate and up-to-date.

In the final part of this three part blog series, we will explore how your time tracking system can “future proof” your business.